Spring is an exciting time of year and in the nursery business, it is also the time of year we meet ourselves coming and going! The last month has been a blur…it is hard to believe that the first week of June has already come and gone. Every weekend in May was booked with plant sales, our spring open house, and a graduation reception. We’ve been very fortunate to have had great weather all along…well…for the most part.

The first weekend in May started out with the Indian Creek Nature Center’s annual plant sale. It is short and sweet…only lasting a few hours, but it is a fun few hours. The morning started out clear and cool…we even had a touch of light frost, but the day quickly warmed up to be a beautiful spring day.

planted stump

The second weekend in May was Mother’s Day weekend and our Spring in the Country Open House. It has become tradition that the weather for our Spring open house is less than desirable and this year was no exception! While we have definitely had worse, the cold, wet day was not a good day for gardening. As gardeners always do, we bundled up and made the best of it! Despite the weather, it actually turned out to be a fun day. The Edible Flower seminar turned out to be a lot of fun for everyone. Not many people can say they have eaten flowers, but the floral cream cheese spreads made a popular morning snack!

The following Saturday was the first ever Pond Expo sponsored by the Eastern Iowa Pond Society. It was held at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids and vendors and speakers from all over the country participated. Being the first time for such an event in Iowa, we had no idea what to expect. We were very pleasantly surprised at the turnout and reaction to our plants. In fact, we were so busy with customers that we didn’t even have time to take in any of the seminars! I hear they were very informative, though.

The Sunday after the Pond Expo, Jacob graduated from high school. His graduation reception was the last weekend in May and after such a crazy month, I think we all deserved to let loose and party!

Hosta ‘Arc de Triomphe’
Hosta ‘Ebb Tide’	Hosta ‘Cutting Edge’

When Spring started knocking on our door way back in early April, I thought for sure we would get a frost that would turn everything to mush. After the late freeze last May, I was looking forward to seeing the hostas in their full glory this Spring. With the garden three weeks ahead of “normal,” the odds were stacked against us. We ended up with only some minor frost damage and the hostas did not disappoint! They really do look great this year and despite the dry fall, many of them have put on a lot of growth since last Spring.

Hosta ‘Reptillian’	Hosta ‘Satisfaction’
Hosta ‘First Frost’

The ponds are coming along, but they really won’t come into their own for a few more weeks. The summer-like weather we’ve been having has brought out the first water lily blooms of the season. The tropical water lilies arrived last week and should take off again, quickly. We have just a few extra Victoria water lilies available. If you are interested in growing one of these giants, let us know ASAP.

yellow flag iris

Just a reminder that we will be attending the Midwest Regional Hosta Society Convention in Milwaukee from July 13-16, so we will be closed during that time.

With the rush of Spring winding down, maybe things will slow down a little. I’m not holding my breath, though! Just keeping up with weeding and watering is a full time job.

See more pictures from the garden in the May 2006 gallery.