Spring ‘25 Kickoff Plant Sale!
In this week’s post, I’m sharing the deets of our annual Spring Kickoff Pre-Sale!
Plus important news about HOW our plants are grown & sold in 2025!
When the Winter begins to wind down in late February the Gardening Fever really begins!
Here at the farm, I’m planning new pollinator gardens, sowing seeds in Wool Pots, and creating a calendar of ‘things to do’ for the coming season.
Sure I love Winter’s beauty and appreciate the gifts it brings like nitrogen to our soils.
But something happens in February right around St. Brigit’s Day (Imbolc)~
Right there in the middle of Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox.
Something shifts with the returning light.
Suddenly preparing for the coming growing seasons takes over everything!
Our daily ‘to-do’ lists are all about gardening! Activities like seed sowing and researching ‘soft landings’. Or sketching out garden plants & plans to attract more pollinators.
For my, Gardening Fever tasks require a great big teapot of Earl Grey & biscuits!
It’s HARD to contain our excitement isn’t it!
Gardening Fever is why I began offering Spring Pre-Sale!
Something FUN to help us all get through the last cold weeks of Winter!
AND HELP US GET READY FOR EARLY SPRING PLANTING!!
2025 is the 4th year I’ve offered this event.
In four years of hosting it~ gee whizz have I learned a lot!
Like giving our Early Bird Happy Hour a day all to itself. Or realizing that plants don’t seem to like being to forced to wake up early in a hoop-house.
So I’ve been busy making BIG changes for this year’s Spring Kickoff!
Most result from ditching all the plastic!
A simple idea with incredible impact!
Ditching the plastics has changed how I do everything on the farm.
Even where the plants are grown!!!
Our plants are now grown on Nature’s time…
Every plant is ‘field grown’ except of course seedlings who begin their lives inside my grow room!
Planted in the Autumn, our native plants are overwintered in the fields. There they wake in Spring the plants are acclimated to local conditions. They don’t even need to be ‘hardened off’!
In April, they can be planted in your garden as soon as soil can be worked!
So when you bring plants from our Spring Plant Sale home, they will look as they should in April/May.
Because they are grown on Nature’s time and not forced awake in a greenhouse… IN MAY, THEY WILL NOT LOOK LIKE IT’S JULY!!
Instead they will be waking up from their Winter dormancy in YOUR GARDEN!
Changing practices means new pricing
Many nurseries who produce field grown plants simply pot up the plants into plastic pots.
Then they’ll price them by the size of the pot. For example, quarts, gallons ect.
That won’t be happening here friends!
Why would I field grow a plant for up to 3 years then toss it into the confines of plastic pot?
Doesn’t seem fair to the plant does it?
So I’ve decided to try something new.
Pricing plants should be based on their AGE not a plastic pot.
To do so, I’ve created 3 ‘age’ groups
ROOKIES: annuals and perennial plants that are under 1 year old without a Winter dormancy yet. (SLEEP YEAR)
1 YEAR: plants grown for a full year with one Winter dormancy. (CREEP YEAR)
2 YEARS: these are mature plants with 2-3 Winter dormancy that will LEAP in your garden!
For each, I’ve consider time & care to raise healthy native plants for you.
BUT WAIT…. the prices are GREAT!
Depending on species: Rookies are $5 each; 1 year olds $9 and those mature 2 year olds are $15!
SNAIL ROLLS & other deals will still happen during the growing season! Hey we gotta feed the pollinators!
What else is new?
Changes to Early Bird Plant Happy Hour!
Every Spring & Fall Plant Sales have included ‘Early Bird Hours’.
These gatherings are only for those who pre-ordered plants & shrubs.
The event took place an hour or two BEFORE the nursery opened to the public on Opening Weekend.
HOWEVER— as we’ve grown so has this special event!
To provide everyone a lovely morning here at the farm I’ve decided to make a BIG CHANGE to these Spring & Autumn events…..
This year, the Early Bird Happy Hour will take place on a separate day from Opening Weekend!
What is the Early Bird Plant Happy Hour?
Everyone who pre-orders before April 13 gets a VIP invitation!
Guests get to pick out their plants, stroll the gardens in early Spring, and meet other gardeners.
Light refreshments of the season are served. A lovely spread catered by Bread of Life Bakery at the Barn and Embellished Catering
How does the Spring Kickoff Sale work?
Saturday March 1st at 8:00am I will update the Spring Plant Inventory!
Being a smaller nursery all plants in the sale are ‘first come ~ first to plant’. When you place your pre-order you’ll be immediately emailed an order confirmation.
*** NOTE****
New plants will be added to the shop after the snow melts! In early April, I’ll run another final check on plant stock AND also pull from this years rookies!!!!
Getting your plant orders:
If you select shipping for your plant order:
Your order will be shipped in early April as bare root plants with special instructions for planting out.
For FARM PICKUPS:
In mid-April, you will be emailed a special invitation to the Early Bird Plant Happy Hour. If you can not attend the event send us a note to schedule picking up your order.
Wrapping Up
I hope this post has helped to show how the farm is adapting and growing for you!
With change there’s always a few ‘speed bumps’ but with moxie & humor we’ll pass over them quickly.
Thanks for reading & sharing it with your gardening pals too!
