It is almost that time of year……

yep, that time of year when I get to fire up Big Red greenhouse! 

All winter, I have kept Big Red just above freezing to keep perennials alive.  But, on March 1, I’ll crank the thermostat up and Big Red won’t drop below 50 degrees again until this fall.  It is at this time that we start to feed and nurture the plants to bring then out of dormancy.  And, it is at this time when I get to start to plan, create and grow special pots just for you!  

I hope you enjoyed the surprises in your pulp pots last season as they continued to blossom and change all summer.  I heard from many of you when your Mina Lobata Exotic Love Vine started to bloom (the type of surprises only possible with the planting of seed in your pulp pot in March).  Little did you know that underneath the planted annuals, tropicals and herbs, there lied many surprises - Cosmos, Zinnias, Moonflowers, Love Vine, Cleome, Sweet Pea, Nasturtium to name but a few.  And, I hope you found some time to stop and enjoy the varieties peeking out of your pots mid to late summer which were not visible when you took your pots home in May.  There are so many wonderful flowers, it is very hard for me to choose.  And, I have to choose less if I use a combination of plants and seed.  I sure enjoy creating them!  And, yes, I have been busy planting seed already for more surprises this season.  

Order your pulp pots early so they have more time to mature!  Let us baby them along so that you can take home beautiful show ready pots on May 1.  The earlier you order, the sooner the pots are created and the sooner their magic will unfold!  

We have had some shake up in the Washington plant nursery industry.  One of Washington’s largest annual vendors is closing their doors after decades of providing plants to the region stating production costs, energy costs, freight costs, and business climate in Washington State as factors.  This news was learned last Wednesday.  Many of you may have heard that Molbak’s closed its doors too.  Molbak’s had been in business for some 67 years and was one of my favorite nurseries.  I tell you these things not to make you sad (although it is) but to let you know that in fact things are more expensive than last year.  If I were you, I would hold onto the metal pulp pot hanger hardware to be reused in the future (as I nearly dropped on the floor when I learned of the cost and the freight to get them here).  I also decided rather than reorder more pulp pots at this year’s prices, we will sell the ones we have in an effort minimize the price increases.  That being said, several of the sizes have limited quantities.  To make sure you get the size you want, please order early as some sizes are likely to sell out.  Nevertheless, I will do my best to “WOW” you and give you the most bang for your buck without lowering the quality of the plants and their care.  Please, hang in there with us!  LOL!

Now, let’s get ready to paint our homes and hearts with happiness!  We almost have another reason to turn off the TV, grab a beer and wander around our yards (I’m always thankful when it is gardening season because my neighbors don’t wonder what the heck I am doing wandering around outside studying the ground with my beer!)  😉  Don’t fear, flowers are comin and this year more than ever, please plant some veggies to mitigate the cost at the grocery store and free up some of your funds for more beautiful plants with which to surround yourself!