Ah, the first warm sunny holiday of the year. Picnics, boating, visiting with friends and family.... and gardening! It's finally here, the official "safe-to-plant" date. The cut off for frosts and damaging temperatures. From now on, warm and sunny! ....Right? Well, we hope so. The weather in Western New York likes to surprise us. My Grandpa Kirby could remember a year when it snowed in July, a year without a summer, with a frost every month. That puts last week's chilly rain into perspective, doesn't it!

Because everyone knows Memorial Day Weekend as the weekend to buy plants and really get started on gardening, it's a very busy weekend for us. And we're ready! The early warm weather had everything growing like crazy in early May and our greenhouse is full of gorgeous colorful annuals.

Over the years we've developed a reputation for having big, beautiful, hanging baskets and great, colorful, container gardens. This year is no exception! The selection is really wonderful out there. I swear, I must say "Wow, what a great basket!" at least a dozen times a day as I watch people bring their purchases through the market. The size and bloom are just phenomenal.

Many people garden almost entirely with annuals, but perennials are a great way to add lasting structure to your garden. They're also more economical since they come back year after year. If you haven't tried gardening with perennials before, there are a lot of benefits (an upcoming post!). Take a walk in our perennial area and you're bound to be inspired by the great textures and colors out there. Planting with perennials for structure and durability combined with annuals for color is a great way to go.

If you're thinking about buying plants this weekend, try to get here early if you can. The lines can get long. Even though we have a good system at the register, sometimes there's a little bit of a wait as we sort out each purchase. If you can come before Friday, even better!

Have a great holiday everyone and happy planting!!