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hortaholic_gw

SW Michigan plant nut looking for same

hortaholic
19 years ago

Looking for other plant enthusiasts in the Michiana area for plant/seed swapping, nursery outings, and other gardening good times. Lots of plants and seeds to trade (and not enough gardening friends to trade them with).

Russell

Comments (23)

  • susiemw
    19 years ago

    Hey Russell,

    I go back and forth between south bend and niles so it sounds like I might be in your neck of the woods.

    I'm a gardening newbie but am enjoying learning and would love to know someone around here who also enjoys going to nurseries etc.

    Susan

  • hortaholic
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    Hi, Susan. We (including spouse, children, my Shaw's jird, my plant menagerie, and I) are about 10 miles north of Niles. If you're looking for uncommon plants, there are always quite a few to be found in my backyard nursery. A commercial nursery well worth a trip is Wavecrest in Fennville, Michigan, a bit north of South Haven. Farther afield, Fertile Crescent in Kalamazoo and Arrowhead Alpines east of Lansing are great destinations for a half-day/day trip. Are you familiar with Fernwood in Niles? The gardens and plant sale there are well worth a visit. Are there any nurseries in the South Bend area that you'd recommend? God's Green Earth in Niles just north of the border usually has some interesting stuff and specializes in water gardens.

  • karen_w
    19 years ago

    Fennville...little FENNVILLE has an awesome nursery? No way!!

    I'm in West Michigan and a plant nut but I hardly have room for the stuff I have now. Must do major planning and moving. I'm in the Grand Rapids area.

  • jkirk3279
    19 years ago

    Hey, I'm in Cassopolis ... if we're going to have a meetup, how about having a weeding party in my garden?

    :) BYOH.

    Bring Your Own Hoe.

    Or we could do tours of the local greenhouses. Varners Greenhouse is sort of cool. God's Green Earth is too, if you like butterflies and water gardens. Ginger Valley in Granger is nice.

    The best tomatoes you can buy around here are grown by a guy named Karackson, he lives on US 12 outside of Edwardsburg. Nearly as good as home-grown tomatoes. And other than a fondness for rhubarb, he's a great guy.

  • hortaholic
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    Actually, Karen W., there's a second nursery in Fennville, just down the road from Wavecrest, that supposedly also has lots of cool stuff, but I've never made it any further than Wavecrest. A good nursery takes a lot of time to do it justice.

    I'm not going to rise to the weeding party bait, JKirk. Your mention of Ginger Valley intrigutes me, though. Do they actually specialize in gingers? That sounds dangerous (to my wallet, that is). And thanks for the tip about the tomato grower -- looks like no vegetable garden for us this summer, so we'll be on the lookout for something beyond the rubber handballs that typically populate the tomato section of the produce aisle. As for your libelous comments about rhubarb :>) -- have you witnessed the glory of ornamental rhubarbs such as Rheum palmatum and R. alexandrae? Although I can't speak to their culinary merits (which likely are none).

  • karen_w
    19 years ago

    Beware, JKirk, in the neighborhood where I work "bring your own ho" means something I think you don't intend.
    And what IS wrong with rhubarb? Especially in a pie with strawberries?
    Still can't believe there are good nurseries in Fennville.

  • Rjustice_mi
    19 years ago

    My neighbor got a weeping larch at Wavecrest in Fennville. As soon as I saw it I had to go. The place is awesome and has some beautiful specimens, well worth the trip. I bought some small unusual dwarf evergreens. I wanted to buy everything, thank goodness I have a small yard.

  • jkirk3279
    19 years ago

    "And what IS wrong with rhubarb? Especially in a pie with strawberries? "

    Well it's like this. When it comes to taste buds, most people are average. The researchers put a template on your tongue, add some blue food coloring, and count the number of taste buds.

    So, 90% of people are average tasters.

    5% of people are called 'Non-Tasters' because they have really sparse taste buds. One advantage is they can eat anything without complaining. Spinach pie? Sure !

    About 5% are called 'Super-Tasters' because they have THREE times as many taste buds per square inch as the average joe. Their advantage is that they can detect poisons, as most poisons are bitter.

    It's the people with the sparse taste buds that like Rhubarb Pie, you see.

    Yuck.

    I accidentally got some Rhubarb cheesecake at a potluck three weeks ago. One taste and my tongue tried to escape ! I think it actually tried to jump out of my mouth !!!

    I thought some whacko had put sour lemon in the cheesecake with tart-sour cherries. Ackkk !

    I was astounded until I realized it must be Rhubarb-Cherry cheesecake.

    There's something Mr Karackson and I do NOT agree on. He likes cherries that are so sour your mouth puckers up. Makes my jaw hurt to think about it.

    What's wrong with Sweet Cherries? Strawberry Shortcake?

    I make a Sweet & Sour stirfry, but it's not very sour. Pineapple for the sweet, some flavored vinegar for the sour. Anything stronger I can't deal with.

  • karen_w
    19 years ago

    Well, alrighty then. Guess I won't be baking for you anytime soon.
    Come to think of it, I'll bet my sister doesn't touch rhubarb, either. Our mom used to serve it BY ITSELF as a vegetable and insist we eat it. It made my sis throw up.
    You wanna talk "AACKKK!"

  • jkirk3279
    19 years ago

    "Guess I won't be baking for you anytime soon."

    Well, Brownies are fine ! As long as there's no rhubarb in them.

  • Janet
    19 years ago

    Even though I'm in the SE part of the state I've been to Wavecrest several times. It's one of my favorite spots, first place I saw a weeping larch.

    What's the other nursery there? I have a friend who lives in Coopersville outside GR and am over there quite a bit. We often drive down to Wavecrest and would love to visit another nursery in the area.

    Janet, off to make some strawberry-rhubarb jam!

  • jkirk3279
    19 years ago

    I REALLY think you folks would enjoy a weeding party... in MY garden !

    We could even take turns with the machete, attacking the Sumac trees in the field next door. I could demonstrate how to use a Propane Flamer.

    Maybe one of us knows how to service small engines, and we could have a seminar on cleaning carburators... oh, the things we could DO together !

    And afterward, ya'll can compete to paint my Aunt Polly's picket fence !

    I'd grill some Hebrew National hot dogs, maybe some of my famous Bill Burgers-- this could be GREAT !

    Later we could all drive to Ginger Valley and ask if they can order us some Corn Gluten !

    Each fifteen minutes apart, of course. Think they'd notice it was a setup ?

    And karen w, if you want, you can bring your own ho. I don't have enough ho's to go around.

  • Janet
    19 years ago

    With a propane flamer available my husband would probably even come!

  • karen_w
    19 years ago

    Boy, Jkirk, all that sounds so TEMPTING, but I am dead-dog tired from cleaning my neglected-for-way-too-long house.
    Worst part is, I'm not even done. Still got the kitchen, which is huge and takes the most time.
    At least the garden looks good.
    Guess you'll have to count on one less ho(e). :) K.

  • jkirk3279
    19 years ago

    'Guess you'll have to count on one less ho(e). :) K'

    That's a pity -- I'm still searching for a ho that will weed my garden...

  • winedude
    19 years ago

    Hey Hortaholic. "10 miles north of Niles." Sounds like your in my backyard. What area are you in? Im about 3 miles due south of Baroda.

  • hortaholic
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    I'm in Berrien Springs, winedude. From your handle I'd guess you're out in the vineyards somewhere?

    Replying to Janet's earlier post -- I can't remember the name of the nursery near Wavecrest. All I know is it's on the opposite (east) side of the interstate from Wavecrest. From what I've heard it has some good stuff. Hope to visit it this summer and find out for myself.

    Russell

  • Janet
    19 years ago

    Thanks Russell, if you get over there could you post the name? I'm sure I'll be in the area sometime this summer, I'll have to check it out and see if we can find it.

  • winedude
    19 years ago

    In the vineyard hits it right on the head. I am less than a 5 minute walk from Tabor Hill and Heart of the Vineyard.

    On your subject of the other nursery in Fennville, I belive the one you are thinking of is Huntree. Its on 68th street. Never been there but Ive heard its realy nice.

  • hortaholic
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    Yes, winedude -- it was Huntree I had in mind.

    Russell

  • Janet
    19 years ago

    Thanks for the info, I'm looking forward to getting over there soon.

  • jkirk3279
    19 years ago

    Okay, so the Weeding Party idea didn't meet with enthusiasm.

    But the original post mentioned get-togethers. When are we going to have one?

  • GardenKiwi
    19 years ago

    well ..... there is a get together on 21 May - from I94 go north on hiway 131 to Byron Center exit just south of Grand Rapids and the hosts house is about a mile from there - very easy to get to! Let me know if you would be coming and I will be happy to send you directions.

    Swaps and pot lucks are fun - and you can even meet Karen - she will be the one with the hohoho.

    I will have some Japanese anemones to share.

    Cheers - Kiwi in Kalamazoo

    Here is a link that might be useful: Perennial Plant Swap and Pot Luck

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