Oley Valley Perennials' Sale

When I got home from work on Friday, the postcard had just arrived! Yes folks, it's that time again - the Oley Valley Perennials' Annual Public Open House Sales!!!

For those of you who haven't been, this is one of the best perennial sales around! Tucked back off Covered Bridge Road in the scenic Oley Valley, is a beautiful farmhouse, barn and greenhouses beckoning everyone who has ever yearned for a green thumb.

Sometimes I refer to this place as Hosta Heaven, because I've never seen so many varieties of Hostas in one place. And, yes, I've bought my fair share of this versatile plant there. I also got all my ostrich ferns there.

There's also many varieties of daylillies, grasses and numerous other perennials all for great sale prices!! You simply must make the time to go! And for your convenience, this weekend is just the first weekend of the sale.

Hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Friday and Saturday and also June 6-7 and June 20-21. And while you're there, make sure to get on the mailing list so you can get the postcard next year!

Ok, how to get there: from Rt. 422, take Rt. 662 north to Yellow House (Rt. 562), cross over and take the road to the right at the fork (Covered Bridge Road), go about a mile and look for a sign on the left; there'll be a driveway on the right, just turn in and you're there!

From Rt. 73, turn at the Pleasantville Diner onto Covered Bridge Road (south) and follow, past the turn for Glick's and look for the sign on the right hand side/driveway on the left.And as you go down the driveway, take time to look at all the beautiful hostas and ferns planted under the trees on the property. It's spectacular!

In other news, no, I didn't get the new waterfall installed on the pond over the weekend. Sunday was a complete wash-out, so now it's on the agenda for Memorial Day Weekend. Our own Brangelina (the fish) is still pregnant (I think), and Hank's returned! (Hank is the frog that inhabits our pond, more on him later).

Cover it up

I should have mentioned this yesterday, but better late than never. We didn't actually have a frost last night in Douglassville, but the next few nights could get pretty cold.

So, if you've received any early perennial deliveries and planted them during last week's warm weather, you'd better cover them up tonight thru Thursday.

I planted those perennial geraniums last Thursday night and I'm happy to say that they're really starting to come up. So last night they needed covering.

All you need is a leftover pot from last year or a bucket. Actually any container will do. You can even use plastic trash bags lying across the plants. Nothing too heavy to crush the plant though. Just remember to uncover them early in the morning after the sun is up, or it'll get too hot under the covers!

Enjoy these red lillies from last summer.

What's Coming Up

This is how things look today -- but not for long!

Spring is the season of renewal, and it's also an exciting time for gardeners.
It's when you get that feeling where you can't wait to get your hands dirty and to see what's coming up, so to speak.
All over my gardens, things are starting to pop up, and I don't just mean the spring bulbs. Of course, I have my share of daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses and tulips -- most leftover from Easter blooms of year's past. Yes, each year, I can't resist purchasing one or usually more Easter flowers just to brighten up things in the house. And speaking of Easter blooms, now's the time to get them into the ground. Don't expect them to bloom next spring though, most were forced to bloom early for Easter this year and will need a season to recuperate.
OK, now on to the perennials! The daylillies are sprouting green stems, the tall lillies are coming up, the grasses are off to a slow start, but they'll catch up, and my spring favorites, the bleeding hearts are shooting up rapidly! I've got green leaves on the butterfly bushes, and best of all, there're plants coming up that I can't remember what they are! It's always a fun surprise to see where I planted all those perennials I divided last fall ...
The hostas are spiking up, the astilbe and hydrangeas are breaking through and even inside the core of the ferns are little green pinwheels just waiting to unfurl in warmer weather. It looks like it's going to be a good season!

In anticipation, a few photos of what's to come in my garden this summer.








Up next I'll be getting into planting my new perennials (hopefully tonight) and starting seeds, as well as opening up the pond for spring. I just hooked up the filter this past weekend and the fish are looking good!