Spring is slow to arrive in Minnesota. When I drive north from Mississippi, it’s like I’m reversing the calendar in slow motion. I leave abundant scarlet amaryllis and fragrant roses in my Mississippi yard. By the time I reach Minnesota, homeowners are glad to welcome daffodils and tulips. Mother’s Day used to be the date to plant gardens outside, but everything was two weeks’ late this year. Even so, in this central Minnesota location, flowerbeds flourish and burst with color overnight once hanging pots dangle from upright shepherd poles or hooks on porches and eaves. The secret is Amish greenhouses.
My gentle neighbors have found a pleasant means of low-cost but high-income production. During long cold winter months, they cover metal frames with plastic or glass and use toasty wood heat to work miracles. Seeds bought fir minimal price produce gorgeous blooms with impressive value-added increase. Filled hanging baskets sell for $30 to $50 depending on combinations, and buyers stand in line. This year’s unseasonably late, cold spring meant locals did serious buying to get gardens.
I continue giving my near neighbors rides in exchange for help with garden work. That means I visited three large greenhouses in two days. I bought my selections at the first place, but soon found I wasn’t through. These photos will show you why. And prices were reasonable compared to city suppliers with larger and hardier plants.
These hardworking local families have found ways to work together to achieve results the rest of us admire and appreciate. Crossing the threshold of any of these greenhouses on a drab day means entering an explosion of spring that drives winter’s blahs away and turns our yards into paradise.
Enjoy! What about you?
What is your favorite flower? What most says Spring to you?
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