Blog
Winter Burn in Evergreens: What It Is, Why It Happens, and What to Do About It
Winter Burn in Evergreens: What It Is, Why It Happens, and What to Do About It This winter has been a wild one—that’s for sure. In fact, it’s been the coldest winter we’ve experienced since Enliven began. While the frigid blast of air to the face on the way to the car isn’t exactly charming, […]
Spring Window Boxes in Old City and Society Hill: Philadelphia’s Colonial Tradition in Bloom
Spring Window Boxes in Old City and Society Hill: Philadelphia’s Colonial Tradition in Bloom Window boxes may feel decorative today, but in Philadelphia, they began as something much more essential. In colonial cities like Philadelphia, Boston, and Williamsburg, window boxes were practical, hardworking elements of daily life. Long before modern sanitation or air filtration, early […]
Why Mixed Containers Work — and What Really Makes Them Last
Why Mixed Containers Work — and What Really Makes Them Last A great container isn’t built on a single moment of color. At Enliven, we’ve spent more than a decade refining mixed container designs—iterating on thousands of planters every season. What we’ve learned is simple: the containers that stand out visually are almost always the […]
A Brief History of Winter Wreaths and Garland — and Why We Still Adorn Our Doorways Today
A Brief History of Winter Wreaths and Garland — and Why We Still Adorn Our Doorways Today Adorning doorways with wreaths and garland is one of the oldest winter traditions in the world. Long before these elements became associated with any single holiday, they were used across cultures as symbols of endurance, hospitality, and hope […]
Winter Planters and Window Boxes: Designing Arrangements That Survive Everything
Winter Planters and Window Boxes: Designing Arrangements That Survive Everything Winter is our most unique season—and without question, our most challenging. In spring, summer, and fall, we work with living plants fresh from greenhouses and growers’ fields. Winter, especially here in Philadelphia, is a completely different animal. This season demands a deeper level of planning, […]
Fishtown Window Boxes: Modern Philadelphia
Fishtown Window Boxes: Modern Philadelphia Planting with Industrial Roots Fishtown has always worn its history proudly. Long before new construction and rooftop decks reshaped the skyline, this neighborhood was defined by work—by the river, by the docks, by generations of craftspeople and laborers who built lives close to the water. Even today, traces of that […]
Spring on Delancey Place: Philadelphia Window Boxes Rooted in History
Spring on Delancey Place: Philadelphia Window Boxes Rooted in History There are few streets in Philadelphia where window boxes feel as essential as the architecture itself. Delancey Place is one of them. Nearly fifteen years ago—long before Enliven Planters existed as a business—this was one of the places we wandered while imagining what seasonal planting […]
Cultivating Success: The Human Element of Spring Preparation
Team Readiness and Training While the technical and logistical aspects of preparing for spring planting are crucial, the human element plays an equally important role. As the season approaches, the return of our seasoned gardeners, designers, and nursery team, along with the welcome addition of new faces, brings a renewed energy to our operations. Each […]
The Prelude to Spring Planting
Preparation As the anticipation for spring builds with the first unexpected warm day in February, our groundwork for the upcoming planting season is already well underway. This period of preparation is critical, blending meticulous planning with an understanding of the unpredictable nature of weather. Here, we delve into the rigorous process that precedes the bloom […]