River berry Farm Opens Tomorrow

Hi,

Spring has been s-l-o-w in coming and we're so ready for it to just be here!! So, we're opening up the greenhouses starting Saturday, (that's tomorrow, agh!) for anyone ready to get a sniff of spring, grab some of those cold-tolerant pansies and take in some color! The greenhouses are filling up with flowers, baskets, containers, herbs, perennials and the start of the organic vegetable starts. We have lots of new and all those tried and true favorites.

So what's new: (This is just to name a few, you'll have to come stroll through to see all.)

Piles of pollinator attracting perennials and native shrubs. Watch out, when I get on a cause, I'm focussed. The pollinator issue is big. We're losing our native pollinators and our non-native honey bees in record numbers. SO much relies upon pollination. Not just a majority of our food crops but think about all the wildlife relying directly and indirectly upon the food production of the forest and meadows. Talk about Silent Spring!! As more of the landscape becomes domesticated, it is up to us domesticators to plant the right stuff. We're trying to supply some of that here. These plants are not only purposeful, they're beautiful. So why not help the pollinators while pleasing yourselves!! I'm working up a brochure that will describe our offerings..it's still in the works. Alright, I'll get off the soapbox.... The plants are well labeled with some new informative signage.

Now...how about the new annuals: Some big showy foliage plants like Acalypha Bronze Pink, lots of sun-tolerant coleus, the Big Tut Papyrus we had last year and this year we have the Baby Tut, love these and lots of variations on the dracaenas (spikes) with mahogany stripes, bicolor, solid burgundy, you name it...

How about flowers? A new fuchsia called Heri Mochara is looking nice, many new calibrachoa that have become the backbone of flower containers and baskets - no fuss and all summer flowers, a new Supertunia Petunia called Silverberry with nice white/pink flowers, kind of smells funny but looks gorgeous. I'm liking this Evolvus 'Blue My Mind', spreading with true blue flowers, a few new Geraniums with deep, I said, DEEP red flowers, watch out they'll go fast!

Alright, we won't bore you with any more details except this BAD NEWS. The beloved shade-loving impatiens is under attack by powdery mildew. The effect is similar to the late blight issue we all had with tomatoes a few years ago. The powdery mildew overwinters in the soil and become airborne. It is likely hitting our area this summer and maybe some of you got hit by it last summer. What we recommend is NOT planting the regular impatiens but consider the Divine New Guinea Impatiens which are resistant to powdery mildew. Some in the "industry" are suggesting you may have a bit of a lag on the effect in baskets and containers. So we did grow some impatiens, if you MUST have some....but, you have been warned. I know, ugh! Do try these New Guineas and maybe some shade-loving coleus.

Alright, for you few that have nothing better to do than to read all the way through this...just what AM I doing writing all this...there's so much to do in the greenhouse... Thanks for wading through and...

See you in the greenhouses!!

Jane and all at
River Berry Farm

p.s. It's NEVER too late to join the CSA is you're game. We'll have forms at the check-out. You pay $250 up front and get a member card with $275 credit to shop for whatever you want, whenever you want, but use it up by Halloween please. Thanks to all of you who have already joined. It really makes a difference!