Soon it will be quiet here at the greenhouses, in fact quite sleepy. We close when we sell out of poinsettias, from the middle of December to the 2nd week of January. The indoor growing facilities commonly referred to as our retail area will soon be swept clean, the echoes of a bustling spring faded. Empty. Waiting. But while we are away there is still a lot of activity taking place beneath the surface. It’s amazing how quickly things can transform from hibernation to full on plant fury. Some 70,000 plants, mostly perennials, are here on campus during the last weeks of December. These begin to grow reminding us how quickly spring will spring. We are always looking four to six months down the road here. It’s the nature of our business. We’ve just come through our poinsettia season that started in the heat of the summer some five months ago. Poinsettias are our longest tenured crop. They take a lot of care to get them to be the plants you see in December. But as soon as the last one is out the door we move on. Once we return from the 3 week winter break production revs up and we begin to plant the over 7,000 hanging baskets that we offer. The production train will continue until the first week of June! Nonstop planting and growing. The once hollowed out retail greenhouse fills with the aroma of fresh dirt and the promise of a fruitful spring within a matter of 10 weeks or so. Even the sounds change as our voices become soften by the presence of full pots and baskets. So here we go again. It’s the time of year we really look forward to, anticipating spring, and new possibilities in the garden. But before that happens all over again we want to take the time to thank you, our customers, for your business. We really appreciate your support. Many of you have returned year after to year. We look forward to seeing you again when our greenhouses again are filled with life.
