Home at the Rockcastle River Trading Company for the Holidays

November 21 – November 23, 2013

We at Jon Carloftis Fine Gardens thank you for joining us during our Rockcastle River Trading Company’s 2013 Christmas demonstrations and holiday open house. Despite less than perfect weather, we were able to introduce more than 160 people to new Proven Winners shrub varieties Jon believes are perfect for both fall landscaping and container planting, as well the perfect renewable source for holiday decoration.

Bollywood Azalea Rhododendron, Pucker Up! Red Twig Dogwood Cornus stolonifera, and Berry Nice Winterberry Holly Ilex verticillata were crowd favorites.

Additional floral demonstrations by Roainn Ridley of McKenzie’s Floral (www.mackenziesonline.com) and Val Schirmer of Three Toads Farm further illustrated the many creative ways to incorporate clippings from these plants and the RRTC garden landscapes into their favorite holiday floral creations.

We soon warmed up next to the fire in the Carloftis family home’s living room to enjoy food and drink prepared by Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton of Canal House from their James Beard award-winning Canal House Cooks Every Day cookbook. We settled in with Milk Punch with a touch of vitamin ‘B’ (bourbon) and Dark & Stormies. Toast points topped with Irish butter & salmon or anchovy spreads, squash soup, Canal House’s signature Caesar salad soon followed, finishing with thier homemade Nutella on a chocolate wafer. To learn more about what’s cooking at the Canal House, visit (thecanalhouse.com or lunch.thecanalhouse.com).

Record crowds joined us on Saturday for the Christmas Open House. Warmer, dryer weather welcomed more than 600 visitors treated to a large assortment of gifts for the home & garden, great music by local banjo players, and delicious BBQ fresh from Tim Farmer’s Food Truck.

With family and friends, we look forward want to your return to the Rockcastle River Trading Company. Look for holiday deals announcements via our website, blog, and facebook advertisements.