Adventures of 'bring a friend Tuesday' at Baker's Acres...

20 years ago

Yes, in April and May on Tuesdays you get a 10% discount...

Mimi, Bakemom (AKA Karen) and I decided to go today.(along with 2 of Mimi's boys, Daniel and baby, Sam) This desicion was made a couple of weeks ago. Bakemom emailed the Baker's people who said that the best selection can be found the last week of April and the first week of May. Today was the Tuesday that worked for us.

The adventure begins...It was a cold & windy April morning (wind chill in the upper 20's) when Mimi, the boys and I ventured to Bakemom's house to caravan to Baker's Acres. Bakemom knows the way. As we got closer to Alexandria, Ohio the rain started to come down hard. But, wait - we saw clear skies ahead. We could only hope that it would be clear at Baker's Acres. No such luck. Oh well - we all went into the main annual greenhouse and entered the warm "Land of Any Annual You Could Ever Dream of". My jaw dropped...it was so wonderful.But, the first thing though I asked was where was the potting bench because "we need to change a baby". Dutifully & happily they oblidged, Sam got changed & was happy and the looking began.

Yes, it was still pooring. We decided to get nice and warm from the annual house and then grab some umbrella's and start looking at the perennials outside. So, we braved the wind and rain and started happily gazing through isles and isles of wonderful perennials. Yes, we were cold, yes it started SNOWING, but we didn't care. We weren't the only ones outside looking with our little "bring a friend" necklace. There were others out there with us. Soon are hands were getting numb, Daniel admitted he was cold and Bakemom lost touch with reality for a moment. So we went back in the warm annual house.

But,by then our piles of goodies were mounting. Wait a minute...the sun came out!! Hooray! We all rejoiced and went back outside to the perennial area. Ah yes..plant shopping with the sun on our faces - great. Just when we thought we were home free, it started sleeting! We were brave. We stayed out there looking for the perfect plants for our garden.

It was my first time at Baker's Acres (Mimi's too). No one exaggerated the great variety of plants and fun atmosphere.

Yes - what a wild and great day we had! -all in the name of beautiful gardens, unusual plants and feeding the plant addiction that we all have. We had a wonderful adventure today at Baker's Acres. And, of course, we saved 10%!!!

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Comments (9)

bakemom_gw
20 years ago
I would call this: Through wind, snow, sleet AND hail, we got our plants. I'm thinking about the time we hit the phloxes I zoned out numbed with cold. I also was zoned in the sedum area - so I had to go back and re-visit both.

We were on a mission!

I don't think I've ever had an hour where it rained, snowed, sunned, hailed, sunned and sleeted - then the WIND! We were laughing hysterically.

There were some other good sports out there wearing their Friends leis (sp?). They were laughing to at the absurdity of the situation as well.

I got some varigated medium lt. purple phlox, cool coleus, spikes for my containers, solidago fireworks, oooh that short liatris, some cool violets and GAS PLANT!!!!!!!

Then I visited Mimi's and Beverly's lovely Hilliard gardens and Bev gave me some cool stuff - hellebores etc. already in the ground!!!!

It's so nice to see what other people purchase and how they garden - each different and each in different stages of maturity and each with a different theme, challenge, accessories. Each garden is beautiful in its own way and is such a lovely reflection of the person who tends them.

Get out there people!
alison
20 years ago
Waaaaah! I want a gas plant! I mean, I want a Dictamnus albus!

It sounds like a great time; I'm very envious! What else did y'all get?
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storygardener
Original Author
20 years ago
I got some fun things: Geraniums (crainsbill) - Rozanne, Midnight Reiter, Maculatum Expresso, & Black Beauty, Heucherella Burnished Bronze, Mexican Hat, and Agastache Blue Fortune.

Do you see a theme there?? Yes...more dark foiliage for me. Love it. Everyone has been raving about Rozanne - so I wanted to give her a try. One last try for the Agastache family. I've tried tutti frutti, honey bee white and honey bee blue and they always just live one season for me. Blue fortune, I've heard, does the best in Ohio if I can create "perfect drainage" ha ha!!

Alison..next time come with us!! It's a fun place.

OK..what's up with gas plant??

...Beverly
bakemom_gw
20 years ago
It's supposed to be somewhat fussy to establish, but when you do it's there forever. Moving supposedly is a problem. It's supposed to be beautiful and long-lived - I've seen threads where people are talking about 50 year old clumps. Non-invasive too.

Supposedly the flowers give off a perfume/gas that ignites when a match is lit. Some other people have purchased a few and there has been a little chatter about how to establish them.
princess_mimi
20 years ago
Well, my two youngest boys survived the trip and no one even called Children's Services!!! I got some goodies that I'm excited about. Viola o. "Rosina" is my favorite. It's a violet that is pale pink with a dark center. It dosn't seed so it is not invasive. I picked up cranesbills too, Espresso, Midnight Reiter and Katherine Adele. I got a pink, lowgrowing phlox with varigated foliage and a viola that has an intoxicating scent! Bakemom was gernerous once again and I took home a speckled violet and more forget me nots from her garden.

Best of all I got to spend a large part of the day with my best garden buddy, Beverly and got to know Bakemom better. Even better....they are GROWN UPS!!!!!!

I got some of them in the ground today but spent most of my outside time digging and potting up stuff for the swap. I'm excited about that too!!!

Mimi
gardenslave
19 years ago
Darn... I missed you guys by 1 day. My neighbor Sharon and I made the trip last Monday. About 25 new Coleus followed me home this time .I got to meet Chris Baker and pick his brain about hybredizing. He even took us into the propagation house and showed us some of his future coleus intro's. It was sooo exciting! Can you tell I love Coleus?
I never even made it outside .
Linda
bakemom_gw
19 years ago
I'm with you! I brought home 7 coleus. I was going to ask to meet Chris when I was there, but with snow, rain, sleet and hail, maybe another time.

How fun to tour the propagation house!
Dagget
19 years ago
"Yes, it was still pooring."
That's a great description of the weather and the financial results of these purchasing expeditions, isn't it?
storygardener
Original Author
19 years ago
Your are SO right, Daggett!! I noticed my spelling after I posted this. But...it makes better sense this way. LOL;

...Beverly