The Garden Spot in Charlottesville - Just Follow the Bees!

Buying plants for the garden is a little bit of an obsession, and Charlottesville's Garden Spot, located on Rio Road near Berkmar, is one of those places we frequent.  Why?  Because they have created a much-needed alternative to the box stores... that's right --> beautiful plant material, grown without pesticides, many of the stock grown HERE by them.

Pansies aren't just pansies at the Garden Spot.  The owners, Ed & Jeanne Mickiewicz, and their very charming son, John (you'll know him when you see him--- big straw hat and soulful eyes), will tell you about their pansies, "We have taken ornamental production to another level, refusing to accept the industry's status quo of 'chemical solutions' and holding ourselves to the higher standards held by edible growers. We want to prove that it is possible to produce a quality product AND is guaranteed safe for the bees."  And is guaranteed safe for bees.... 

When Stephen and I began investing in our food-production gardens three years ago, we began incorporating pollinator-attracting plants throughout the gardens, and we have made a commitment to stop all commercial pesticide use.  It isn't always easy, but we are practicing safe gardening ideals (attracting beneficials, creating healthy soil, etc), and the need for aggressive action in the garden has dropped remarkably.  Finding a supplier, who is also a grower, who subscribes to these tenets, well, that's our kind of garden spot.

We've been purchasing all sorts of beautiful plant material from the Garden Spot, including some of the prettiest Lavender I've seen.   And, now, these pansies... oh my.  $3.99 for these big, beautiful pots of lovelies.

Why pansies?  If you have a good quality, well-sized pansy plant, you will have bloom throughout the winter and into May, just as the rest of the garden is perking up to take their place.  According to a post on the Garden Spot's Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/thegardenspotcville, Ash Lawn-Highland's gardens are filled with the Garden Spot winter-hardy pansies!  So is my garden! lol

I have planted them in window boxes front and back, and in spots throughout the gardens, that will surprise and delight me throughout the winter.  I fully expect to enjoy spots of color throughout what is sure to be a snowy white winter.