Sunday 21 October 2012

lavender and more from Weir's Lane

 
I am happy to announce that i fiori will now have products from Weir's Lane Lavender & Apiary in Dundas - a family run farm which feels like a small piece of Provence - but oh so close to Hamilton. The farm itself is open for tours, be sure to check their website for the days and hours they are open.

Why so crazy about lavender? It is a natural antiseptic, and its properties as a natural anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal agent are well documented.
Research also shows that breathing in the smell of lavender makes you drowsy, apparently the scent lowers heart rate and blood pressure, putting you in a relaxed state.
Culinary lavender buds are rich in phytonutrients (good-for-you plant compounds) as well as polyphenols (a type of antioxidant) which can help reduce the 'bad' bacteria in your gut and calm your stomach.

At i fiori you can now find:
- lavender sachets 
       small size for drawers, to place between your pillow case & pillow, or gym bags
       large size for closets
- lavender hand cream
- lavender & beeswax lip balm

- lavender pillow and linen spray
- lavender hand soap
- all purpose household cleaner
- yoga mat/exercise equipment cleaner 

- herb de provence blend with lavender, thyme, savory, marjoram and rosemary

- lavender essential oil

One of my favourite things at home and in the shop is to place one drop of lavender essential oil on the tip of a cotton boll - for a beautiful, natural looking, and low-tech room scent




.
...stems of cotton bolls are always available in the shop







Monday 8 October 2012

the season of branches and pods and berries!

w-h-e-w. It has been a long, busy time between posts!


Thanksgiving is behind us, a time which means turkeyturkeyturkey to most, but many more of us celebrate the harvest vegetables that we are so fortunate to have in abundance in southern Ontario. I'm not sure if the turkey can trump roasted root vegetables tossed with fresh herbs, or beets drizzled with balsamic vinegar and accented with creamy goat's cheese... But I digress.
Like the turkey and Thanksgiving - many tie autumn with mums. ...pots and pots of mums.
Well, at i fiori we have some beautiful mums... and the shop is bursting with other tempting ideas to help you bring some fabulous autumn colour into your home or business.
 
white spider mum
green fuji mum
Now, combine these beauties with interesting branches and seed pods - and you have a fall arrangement that just might surpass that mum-in-a-pumpkin centerpiece.

We can help you select the branches, pods and flowers which will combine to offer autumn colour with great structure and unexpected texture.
bixa seed pods


kangaroo paw - a shop favourite 

asclepias 'moby dick'
- actually a subset of our common milkweed

asclepias 'scarlet milkweed'

rosehips
...and the popular japanese lanterns


As an added bonus many branches and pods will last and last - so they only need to be updated periodically with fresh flowers to change their look.

You can always expect the stock at i fiori to be changing and evolving with the season, with our passionate commitment to locally grown fresh flowers and irresistible accents.

See you soon - maybe this friday during the october art crawl!