It is done! These are our favorite words around the nursery. The Growers Exchange staff has created our first plant catalog. Yes, after all the light years of journey through cyberspace to create our internet web store; we had to step back and make a printed catalog. It just seems gardeners and paper plant catalogs go together like a companion planting.
The Growers Exchange catalog will be available on request, ORDER ONE TODAY. Spring getting closer every day!
I know that I have said more than enough about the cold weather, but since last time temps have dropped more and it is still really cold!! What it means daily is that some of us are spending more time inside than we normally do. Fortunately we have plenty of busy work sowing seeds and transplanting seedlings. Even with these activities to focus confined energy, the greenhouse crew came up with a new idea for our company garden.
Someone working in the greenhouse pointed out that the hardest part about growing Shiitake mushrooms is finding the proper logs; which are just like the one we heave in the wood-stove each day. We found some logs to our specifications and ordered some spawn online.
Yesterday we followed the instructions and inoculated some oak logs with Shiitake spawn. On a whim oyster mushrooms were added because the culture requirements were almost the same as for shiitake. Our logs are here in the greenhouse waiting for the first mushrooms to appear. Hopefully we will have some this summer, we will report our first shiitake mushrooms here!
The Growers Exchange limits itself to growing herbs for all uses: Ayurveda to Culinary. Our spring annual collection reflects our favorite selections of plants that perform well. Check out our collections and selections: herbs, flowering annuals for spring planting in containers and beds. The mushrooms are just us playing; they will go well with our salad garden!
Welcome to the New Year! I cannot wait until temperatures in this new year rise above freezing. Life on the farm gets tough: keeping the greenhouse going, feeding and watering the horses, cows, and dogs. On these frigid days, water is not such a simple thing, hoses don’t work and bowls and tanks freeze solid. Water must be delivered several times each day to insure everyone gets enough.
I keep telling myself: this is a Southern state, it has to get warm sometime soon? But I hear on the radio that it is cold almost everywhere, and the truth be told we are not near as cold as some places. All I know for sure is that every thing here is frozen and has been for days. We keep saying all this freezing is good for cleaning out insect and disease pest; they must be dead by now and we are ready for some more moderate weather
With all the snow that has fallen, there will be no work in the garden for many days. Having some time, I wandered down to the creek and found myself staring at the running water with nary a thought in my head. Call it zoning out or maybe down there in that creek bottom, all alone in the silent snow, I found for just a few moments that which the current season revolves around: Peace on Earth. I hope all of you all find some too!
Happy Holidays from the The Growers Exchange
Today we woke up to our first true winter day: cold even with the sun shining and a wind that dives the cold bone deep. I learned long ago to never mention the actual temperature to my buddies living further north. It is hard to impress them with weather that makes us shiver; they always end up laughing? But for us it is cold and we are busy just keeping everything going: waterlines, power lines; even the greenhouse is fragile and vulnerable to these winter storms.
Outside the nursery the farm has a windswept and generally bleak look. Not a critter or varmint of any kind is out in this weather. They are all in their nest, keeping warm and riding out the storm. And since it is Friday, I think I will follow their lead, and keep warm by a fire and hope it is over by Monday. I hope all of you all have made alternate plans, because gardening is out for this weekend. I guess for me the cycle will turn, as I look through seed catalogs and dream of spring as the winter winds howl outside.
We have been growing herbs as potted plants for about 25 years. Way back then herbs were not available even in the larger greenhouses; having a selection of herbs is what made our garden center stand out from the others. Herbs are now a mainstream crop, not the exotic niche market it was a few short years back.
Potted herbs are still our main crop, but after agreeing to grow a few custom orders for cut herbs we are growing and shipping more each year. I guess we are not exactly local since almost all these cut herbs go to NYC, but we are a lot closer than many growers selling in NY. Virginia to NY in less than 24 hours is the key to our success, the herbs are on a restaurant table in 48 hrs. A few years ago I would not believe this possible, but the internet has linked the farm to the world!
Attempting to grow cut herbs year round, we are experimenting with the towers pictured. Herbs are: Oregano, Marjoram, Zaatar, Parsley, and Basil. These herb towers will allow us to grow cuts in the greenhouse in winter. Catnip for the kitties and the rest for cooking. Fresh herbs make a difference!
