Comin’ Home owners: Spring Fling a success

In less than two days, over 350 people visited Comin’ Home Antiques during the store’s Spring Fling event. An array of colorful flowers, hanging baskets, plants and herbs were displayed in vintage buckets, funnels, baskets and garden totes. Delightful birdhouses included whimsical bunnies. There was even a potting station available for some aspiring gardener.

One unique vintage bucket held yellow Lantana.

Owner Carrie Ann Watters noted, “Lantana is like a vine. It comes in a variety of colors, doesn’t require much water and grows beautifully. If we don’t have a particular plant our customers are seeking, all they have to do is let us know. We’ll try to find it and are accepting orders for flowers and herbs.”

Owner Ray Anne Cocanower said preparing for Spring Fling was a learning experience.

“Last Monday, my sister Judy and I headed to Sedan to place our orders,” she said. “We quickly discovered orders were by flats and the realization that we did not have room to carry our inventory home, especially the hanging baskets. So, we called Carrie Ann at work. She came to our rescue by hauling the overflow.”

The team potted all day Tuesday and Wednesday and upcycled (repurposed) slow-selling items by using them as unusual containers — the majority of which had sold by Saturday afternoon. Whimsical containers greeted customers to Spring Fling. A vintage iron bed held, what else, but bedding plants. An antique child’s wagon held assorted plants. The torn wicker seat of an old chair was transformed into a unique plant holder. A brightly red painted cistern became a colorful plant holder.

Both owners are firm believers in supporting Pawhuska by doing business in Pawhuska. Cocanower made the Spring Fling sign out of materials she found in Pawhuska. The gingham material came from the Tangled Thread quit shop. The letters were made by one of Pawhuska’s newest businesses, OnHand Printing.

Comin’ Home is already restocking with more flowers, bedding plants, hanging baskets and herbs — all at great prices. Cocanower said a number of customers have requested herbs to use in cooking. She shared a story about using herbs to attract butterflies.

“Potting Curl Parsley, Fennel and Dill in an outside pot attracts tiny caterpillars. Once they cocoon, place them in a jar. In about two weeks, they will have turned into beautiful swallowtail butterflies.

“My grandson took some of the cocoon jars to school so his class could watch their transformation. One day when he opened his classroom door, butterflies were swarming all around the room. He will never forget that.”

Watters added, “Spring Fling was such a huge success that Ray Anne and I have decided to continue the Fling through the summer. I just took another load of graniteware and enamelware to the store for containers.”

Located at 129 E. Main Street in Pawhuska, Comin’ Home Antiques is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday’s by chance. The store specializes in primitives, quilts, kitchen cabinets, tables, pine furniture, beautiful linens and Canus Goats Milk products. For more information or to place a special orders on flowers, plants and herbs, call 918-214-6287.