One of the best parts of my job as a freelance writer is that I’m often in the position of “sitting at the feet of the master,” so to speak. I get to interview so many folks who are experts in their field, and always come away adding their tips and advice to my oft-used bag of tricks.
One such interview took place with Libby Endry, the owner of the legendary Asheville plant shop The Gardener’s Cottage (as of June 2026, rebranded under new ownership as The Boxwood Cottage), who shared with me all her best plant tips.
A few were relatively standard in the flower world: cut stems on an angle, great advice about how to best keep the water in your flowers’ vase clean and fresh, etc. But one piece of advice was brand new to me: Depending on temperature, you can actually control the openness of the blooms in a vase of cut flowers…