Weekly News, 05.03.22

Posted on: May 3, 2022
Posted in: Weekly News

Hi there,

The weather has seemed to finally break and we are in full spring planting mode! The garden center is fully stocked and ready for eager gardeners. The hanging baskets are all beginning to explode with color.

Not to put a damper on things, but to be perfectly honest, we’ve felt the effects of supply chain issues and rising costs, just like everyone else. Our Managers have had to be persistent and creative in their efforts to adapt to the challenges, and we still have the selection of great plants and products that you expect to find here, thanks to their hard work.

I mention this to brag a bit and in gratitude for our Team. Every year has it’s own unique challenges here on the farm, yet we get through it successfully. It amazes me what we accomplish with such hardworking and talented people working together for one common goal—to bring our community the JOY of plants and gardening.

One of those joys is Mother’s Day week. There’s excitement in the air as people carry on their tradition of bringing Mom to the garden center to pick out flowers. Last year we started Mother’s Day Mimosas for those that want to beat the crowds and come to shop before we’re open to the public.

If I can be real with you again for a moment though, let’s acknowledge that Mother’s Day isn’t fun for everyone. For some of us, it’s a day of grief. I experienced this myself for seven long years in wanting to become a mom and not getting pregnant. Working in the store on Mother’s Day and seeing all of the moms with their cute babies killed me. Some of us have lost children or our mothers, and will be taking our flowers to the cemetery. And that’s okay too. I just wouldn’t feel right without acknowledging that pain.

Then we have the amazing moms and dads who are raising and loving children that aren’t biologically theirs. These families are heroes. To support them, we’ve partnered with the Foster Love Project to collect some of the items that they most need. I learned about Foster Love at a recent Mops meeting, (Mothers of Preschoolers), and the foster mom who spoke to our group was so inspiring that I thought we could come together to support them too. We are collecting *new* twin bedding, pajamas, and toys or stuffed animals, now through May 15. For every item donated, we will give a cash donation of $1, up to $500.

To all of the moms out there, I wish you some time of rest and rejuvenation doing something that you love this week.

Maybe that means getting your hands dirty, so catch our May gardening checklist. Here is a list of homegrown perennials, plus a video of Russ showing how to properly plant a perennial. You’ll also find info on our May Houseplant of the Month—friendship plant, as well as a few of our upcoming events.

Note that our store hours are extended for the month of May.

We hope to see you this Mother’s Day week. If you need a last minute gift idea, see our staff recommendations here.

I’ll leave you with a few pics of our bonsai collection, your welcome! My daughter Ruth and I were getting some french fries from our food truck, and I couldn’t help but admire the new display that our staff put together.