Over the past week and a half, since our return from the big city of Atlanta, I have been working out in the "green room". For those of you that have been to our nursery you know what I am referring to, the old greenhouse area that was closed in and turned into our information/checkout/organics/tools area. We started calling it the green room for a couple of reasons. The first and foremost is the reality that it is actually green. The roof was made from some type of dark green poly plastic, and when you are in there the room actually takes on a green hue. Children walk in during the summer months, gaze at their hands, and tell their parents "Mommy, Why does my skin look so funny?". We have gotten pretty used to the color by now so it always elicits smiles when we hear this from the little ones. The other reason is the move that we made to organics seven years ago when we purchased the nursery. We think of ourselves as a "green nursery", and hope to encourage you in the use of organics also.

Back to the green room story. Most of you are aware that we turn the area into the "Winter Garden" each year around the first of November. Filled with Christmas trees, decorations and wonderment ~ it has been an annual tradition for the last six years. While we were gone to Atlanta the elves (Jamie, Linny, Kim & Cody ~ Thank you very much!!!) were extremely busy packing everything up in the room that remained, taking down the lights and decorations, removing the curtains and preparing it for the massive amounts of products that would be arriving when we returned. It takes an awful lot of product to make it through the spring in a garden center. Over the next two weeks we will start receiving everything and hopefully have what is needed when you stop by. The seed racks are already up and filled with the latest flowers, herbs and vegi's. The pre-emergents and dormant oil sprays take center stage this time of year, as we try and assist you with easy things you can do now to make the rest of the season a pleasant one.

The transformation of the room back to gardening always fills me with a feeling of joy. I love spring time and all the renewal it brings. The days are already feeling longer with the extra light when I head home, and the tulips I started in glass jars are just starting to poke their heads up. Pretty soon I will be taking cuttings off the giant forsythia out front and bringing the branches in to force for an early splash of spring in the gift shop. We have actually seen quite a few early gardeners over the last few days. With the weather a little warmer the last couple days, and the sun peeking out, I think everyone is as antsy as I am to get started. I hear there are more storms on the way though and everyday we get this moisture is another one that you won't have to drag your hose out to water those new plantings from last year.

Enjoy the day, and we hope to see you soon, Susan