Under My Hat - April, 2008

—by Helen DuFault

I expect the snow will be gone by the time you read this. We will all have a strong hankering to turn over the soil, trim perennials, plant early bulbs and seeds, and do all those other spring tasks. Once those are done, we can sit back and enjoy the early blooms of our efforts from last fall. The awakening of spring is wonderful. Our juices really start to flow again.

Plant Sale

As soon as the air begins to warm, people ask: “When are the early plants arriving?” We will have many perennials and cool-loving plants by the end of April (unless we get hit by a late storm, which has happened).

Don’t expect to find tomatoes, basil, peppers, or impatiens that early. The warm-loving plants will arrive just before Mother’s Day weekend (which is also Mayfest weekend). Then, you can expect lots of baskets and a wide array of new annuals and perennials. Also, I have ordered virtually all tomato varieties available.

The first plant order will come from Glacial Ridge. The Gene Stark family has been in the business for about 35 years. Their plants are grown without growth stimulants and harsh chemicals.

The later plant orders will come from Glacial Ridge and Rush Creek Growers. Rush Creek offers specialty plants and many new varieties. They will also bring some of those beautiful, very large hanging fiber baskets. There will be baskets for both sunny and shady areas. We will also have smaller baskets from Glacial Ridge. Your choices will be many.

A bit of trivia for you: The owner of Rush Creek Growers is a former employee of Greenfingers, which is now known as Glacial Ridge.

Mayfest

For Mayfest we are planning to have music, food sampling, children’s activities, sales, and more. Plan to spend time with us that weekend. You can find more information about Mayfest here.