Crest Hardware & Urban Garden Center

Do you sell sod or grass seeds?

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 17:21:13 -0400

no sod, plenty seeds and seeding options!

Winter: We've had enough, yes?

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 22:26:56 -0500

Big re-up in house plant world. Judging by the number of people who gleefully descended upon us the moment these arrived, I’m thinking you guys were craving some of this:

Well, this is the best thing I’ve seen all...

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 20:23:42 -0500

Well, this is the best thing I’ve seen all day.

cactguy:

Well, that’s one way to use excess Opuntia pads …

Are you guys selling Christmas trees? And stands? And Christmas tree lights? Thanks!

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 13:49:25 -0500

yes. yes. yes. and you’re welcome!

Pink Haze, Purple Smoke and such

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 02:14:00 -0400

Seeing how we might get hit by a hurricane in a few days, I thought I’d share some favorite things from the garden center. Wild wind and rain might smash some of these down and then you’d never know what you missed! You’re welcome.

The deep blue flower is Aconitum, commonly known as Monkshood (and quite poisonous) with it’s last few flowers hanging on. I like it’s thick, toothy foliage and structure as much as the blooms. Behind it is Miscanthus ‘Purpurascens’, which has transformed from having deep green foliage, to purple, maroon and gold before going dormant for the winter, leaving wispy seed heads and straw colored blades. It’s a perfect backdrop for the still vibrant Aconitum.

The twinkly blooms up front belong to Agastache ‘Pink Haze’, a blooming machine if I ever saw one.It”s been blooming since mid summer, without a break. Smells good too! In back is a purple smoke tree (Cotinus coggyria-I forget which variety this guy is). The mum on the left picks up on the smoke tree’s fall tones. Purple smoke and pink haze, even their names go together.

Some Redbor Kale (edible!), a red switchgrass (Panicum) and more of that Miscanthus from the previous photo.

This combo was inspired by an image I found on Pinterest. I knew I had the right palette of plants on hand to recreate the colors and textures, and I had fun scaling the look down to fit a window box. Every plant in the combo is a perennial, evergreen or semi-evergreen, with the exception of the coleus (olive and purple leaf on right, in back). When the coleus dies, and ‘Rattlesnake Master’ (Eryngium yuccifolium, the spiky blue foliage , in the center, with globe flowers) goes dormant, I’ll probably replace them with some interesting twigs, like redtwig dogwood, or curly willow, to maintain height and color. Or I might use any old branches and spray paint them. The grasses will hang in there, even if they turn brown they’ll reflect the changing of the seasons and add texture. The boxwood in back will provide some green. A few pinecones can fill in around the bottom, and this little box will stay pretty right up until spring.

Some bulbs can be planted among the other plants, to give a you a nice zap of spring color until the perennials fill in again. At some point you may have to repot the perennials, or divide them (more plants!) to keep them happy in this container.

Stay safe everyone! Remember last October?

Happy Halloween!

Another presumptive paint buyer. OK, you don't mix paint. Do you sell the tints/pigments so I can? Thanks! --Doc.

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 15:04:44 -0400

yes, we sell Tints-All tint to make different shades of colors!

best

crest

do you sell paint?

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:34:56 -0400

yes, but we we dont do mixed colors… we have all the primers and basic whites you need, plus all sundries… we can all but guarantee that we are less expensive than our local competition too!

do you have LED light strips?

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:33:37 -0400

we have LED light ropes….

Do you have floor tiles

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:33:11 -0400

marino tile, corner of grand st and morgan ave… but thanks for checking with us first!

Are you hiring?

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:32:48 -0400

any resumes please send to cresthardware@gmail.com

do you guys make house calls? i cannot for the life of me hang this bookshelf. and by bookshelf, i mean one plank of wood and 3 L brackets.

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:32:29 -0400

if you need help, we know some good local handymen, come by for a reference… or some guidance if you want to do it yourself!

do you rent 8 foot ladders?

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:31:45 -0400

sell only, sorry!

Do you sell muriatic acid? Or oxygen bleach?

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:31:23 -0400

muriatic acid… but be careful. stuff is not to be used lightly… normal application calls for 10 parts water to one part acid!!!

Photo

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 11:34:46 -0400

Do you sell saltpeter?

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 11:12:49 -0400

We don’t sell potassium nitrate. Are you looking for fertilizer, food preservative or are you making a bomb? ‘Cause we can help you with the first 2, but not the last.

I was wondering when you would have more staghorn ferns in the store. I sadly went away on vacation and mine has died. I guess the directions i gave to water it where not clear. I really loves this plant and am sad that is has died and are hoping you have some in stock. Thanks

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 11:13:22 -0400

Sorry you lost your staghorn. The good news is we order them very frequently. We have potted staghorns coming this Sunday! If you’re after a mounted one, send me an email at crestgardencenter@gmail.com with your contact info and I’ll let you know as soon as they’re back in stock.

A little public service announcement on behalf of...

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 16:38:39 -0400

A little public service announcement on behalf of Goldenrod:

gardeningsimplified:

Because goldenrod is so showy, it gets blamed for the allergies that the far more non-descript ragweed plants are responsible for. Don’t pull (or swear at!) goldenrod - this gorgeous native plant is an excellent food source for native pollinators, providing nectar at a crucial time of year.

Join us September 15th!

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 17:43:00 -0400

If you want to meet people from all over the country, and the world, you could do it by chatting up Crest customers any day of the week. In just one day at the garden center, I spoke to neighborhood residents that originally hailed from California, New Zealand, Hawaii, France, Tennessee…and those are just the people I asked!

Naturally, we get asked what can be grown in Brooklyn by folks who are new to the area.

Lychee fruit: Won’t grow in Brooklyn.

A smart person once told me that if you want to know what grows well in your area, look at what your neighbor is growing. Better yet, ask them! Going to your local garden center is a wonderful way to get expert advice and get acquainted with local gardening, and we’re happy to do it. Speaking as someone who remembers being a newbie to gardening, seeing the way people used plants in their own space took my understanding to a new level.

A garden can be a labor of love, an ongoing experiment, a place to entertain, show your kids cool looking bugs, and become intimate with beauty and the workings of nature. Most gardeners enjoy talking about their endeavors. You’ll find that people who grow things love spreading the joy (and the occasional heartbreak) of it.

It is with this spirit of sharing our endeavors that the households on the Williamsburg Garden Walk are opening their gardens to you. We hope you’ll join us and tell your friends, especially if they are new to the neighborhood or to gardening.

More details about Williamsburg Garden Walk here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/478907708795582/

Williamsburg Garden Walk

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 11:57:28 -0400

Where do all the plants go, when they leave the garden center?

What sort of magic are these gardeners working in the hidden oases of Brooklyn? I really wanted to know, and I thought you might, too.

Please join us on September 15th for a free, self guided tour of 7 neighborhood gardens. Details:

https://www.facebook.com/events/478907708795582/

Photo courtesy of Alex Aguilar, whose garden, pictured above, will be open for viewing.

feed and humiliate squirrels at the same time

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 09:59:37 -0400

This and other absurd squirrel, shark and bacon related products available through http://www.mcphee.com/shop/products/Big-Head-Squirrel-Feeder.html