The GOODS from Phoenix Perennials

Richmond, BC | Phoenix Perennials is excited to host award-winning bartender and mixologist David Wolowidnyk, formerly of West Restaurant and now at sister restaurant CinCin, to teach a workshop along with Phoenix Perennials owner Gary Lewis on “cocktail gardening” this Saturday, June 13 from 1-3pm. Find all the details and ticket information here.

David will teach attendees how to make cocktails and libations with ingredients from their own garden and Gary will talk about how to successfully grow those ingredients. And yes, everyone gets to sample the cocktails!

The tag team combo of David and Gary is now in its third year. Previous years saw cocktails made with raspberries, elderflowers, tomatoes, basil, rosemary, sage, and meyer lemons.

“Every year is different in terms of ingredients and cocktails,” says Gary. “David and I discuss possible ingredients that grow well in west coast gardens and then we narrow it down to a few core ingredients that David has great cocktail ideas for.”

“We usually prepare three different cocktails for our guests,” says David. “I instruct them how to make their cocktails step by step and often discuss how to make certain ingredients that go into those cocktails such as raspberry puré, tomato water or elderflower liqueur. Then at the end everyone gets to taste.”

Attendees of the cocktail gardening workshop will not only go away having a great time, they will have learned both gardening and mixology skills so they can grow their own ingredients then muddle, mix, infuse, shake and stir them into fancy and intriguing drinks for a relaxing night at home, a dinner party or a wild soiree in the garden.

DETAILS

3380 No. 6 Rd. | Richmond, BC | V6V 1P5
Phone & Fax: 604-270-4133 | Email: [email protected]
Web: www.phoenixperennials.com | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest

GALLERY

The People

Gary Lewis, Owner

About Phoenix Perennials

Phoenix Perennials is an award-winning, cutting edge retail and mail order plant nursery in Richmond, BC (on the farmland near IKEA) that offers one of the largest and most diverse selections of perennials, shrubs, trees, vines, succulents, and edibles in Canada with over 4000 different plants each year. They grow the majority of their own perennials from plants sourced from around the world including Japan, India, Europe, South Africa, the US, and Canada and bring in their other plants from the region’s best growers.

Whether you have a large garden or a small balcony, whether you are into ornamental gardening or growing your own food, Phoenix Perennials has everything you need to create your own distinctive, beautiful, and productive space.

Their inspiring garden centre on No. 6 Road in Richmond is a plant mecca that draws gardeners from around Greater Vancouver, the province of BC, and beyond.

In addition to specialties in perennials, maples, shade plants, and rare and unusual plants, Phoenix Perennials is proud of their selection of edibles from classic herbs, veggies, and fruits including upwards of 50 different kinds of heirloom and cool modern tomatoes to cutting edge and unusual edibles, citrus, olives, goji berries, BrazelBerries, and grafted veggies like Mighty Matos and ‘Ketchup ‘n’ Fries’ “tomtatoes”.

Phoenix Perennials is also dedicated to continuous learning and hosts numerous workshops each year on subjects such as creative succulent and perennial containers, living walls, cocktail gardening, gardening for teas and infusions, herb and veggie gardening for international culinary capers, gardening with subtropical and unusual fruits and more.

They offer a free Gardening 101 series designed for beginner and intermediate gardeners on topics such as Pruning for Dummies, Foundations of a Healthy Garden, Strategies for Balconies & Small Spaces, Beekeeping, Mastering the Basics of Perennials, Success with Tomatoes, Supporting Pollinators and much more. They also offer a free Young Sprouts Kids Club with workshops that combine horticulture, botany, and arts and crafts to teach kids about the wonderful world of plants.

Not only do they host numerous workshops through the season, they also hold many special events including the Hellebore Hurrah!, The Great Easter Plant Hunt, May Maple Mania, and The Heirloom Tomato Festival complete with tomato fruit displays and tomato tastings.

Phoenix Perennials publishes a twice-monthly e-newsletter with articles about plants, news of sales and special events, and lots of pretty pictures plus occasional alerts on 14 different topics including edibles, shade plants, fragrant plants, hot new plants, and maples and woody plants. You can also engage with them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest (links above).

Phoenix Perennials offers two services of note. Their in-nursery design service can help do-it-yourselfers design and execute the outdoor spaces of their dreams. And their mail order division brings their cool selection of plants within reach of Canadian gardeners from coast to coast to coast.

In 2015 Phoenix Perennials was chosen as one of Today’s Garden Center magazine’s Top 100 Revolutionary Garden Centers in North America. In 2014 Phoenix Perennials owner Gary Lewis was selected as one of Canada’s Top 10 Horticultural Professionals Under 40 by Greenhouse Canada magazine. In 2012 and 2013 Phoenix Perennials won the category of “Growing Gardeners”, part of the Canadian Garden Centre of the Year Awards.

Accolades

“Gary Lewis is the owner of Phoenix Perennials and Specialty Plants Nursery in Richmond and one of Canada’s most knowledgeable plant experts with a deep and special interest in rare and unusual herbaceous perennials.His cottage-garden nursery on No. 6 Road in Richmond is one of Canada’s top perennial nurseries, carrying more than 4,000 different garden plants. This is perhaps why it is sometimes referred to by the loyal following of gardeners who shop there as a “candy store” of plant treasures.” — Steve Whysall, Vancouver Sun, In the Garden Podcast.

“I should be barred from two places: all-you-can-eat buffets and Phoenix Perennials.” — Julie from Richmond

“You have the most healthy, gorgeous and interesting plants. It’s so different than everywhere else!” — Sandy from White Rock, BC

“Gary Lewis is the king of perennials.” — Jeff DeJong, radio host, Gardening 101, CFAX AM 1070, Victoria, BC

“The premiere nursery of BC!” — Barry Belec, Garden Designer