Resembling an Impressionist painting, pictured is the main Annual House on a recent evening. Candy, Annuals Manager, uses her interior design skills to create beautiful displays that make even the most frazzled after-work visitors forget their stress. Her eye for color, including the perfect summer green for the walls, and use of objects placed just so, make her a great member of the design team at Grandma's. Nothing is ordinary here, so you'll see no boring rows of mixed baskets -- instead they hang in drifts of colors above ready-made and mixed planters of summer delights. Candy and her team keep a tidy house. The paved aisles are clean and wide enough to shop with a cart comfortably. Say Hi to Candy when you visit!
For weekly specials on Annuals and more, check www.grandmasgardens.net/specials frequently.
After purchasing 7 more acres to the west and south of the garden center, Grandma's has again doubled in size. We made the local newspapers re. our expansion, continued business growth from year to year (Thank You, loyal customers) and plans for the new land. Doug tells us we will add more display gardens featuring our distinctive fountains and art, a fabulous new water garden, more educational events and family activities, and additional parking to accommodate our growing business. There is a 5-year plan for these improvements, so visit often to watch us grow!
Regular visitors to Grandma's Gardens have probably seen our furry friend Lily (officially Lily Pad) sunning herself on the sidewalk or sleeping in a store display. Lily came to Grandma's in the Spring of 1995, chosen from the litter because she was the one who stayed closest to her home, a very good trait for a country cat living near a busy road. Not too adventurous, she could usually be found pretty quickly when some of her young friends would come calling.
She graciously sat on many laps and enjoyed the affection of little girls and boys and plenty of adults. I think she could sense a "cat person" walking up to the back porch, and she'd sit up straight, patiently waiting for attention. We know where she hid when the tail-pullers would show up yelling "where's your cat?". Oh, she's around here somewhere.
Lily loved to be carried around, so she could view the world from a human's perspective I guess. I observed a very nice gentleman not too interested in his wife's shopping but thoroughly enjoying a sunny day at the garden center, carrying Lily in his arms, petting her and talking to her, for at least an hour on a Saturday a few years back. I wondered how many times she made a customer's day with her good nature and loving spirit.
Lily was very lucky. She enjoyed 11 years of happiness and freedom living in a beautiful garden center where she was the queen -- we tried to get her some feline friends but she wasn't interested in sharing the attention.
After a very pampered retirement at my home where an aging cat could be kept safe and warm, Lily passed away on February 13th. Although she had a pretty sweet deal at Grandma's, I'm so glad that my husband and I had the chance to adopt her as our family pet for a year and a half and care for her during her last days. I wish so much that her stay with us was longer.
Thank you, Lily Pad, for all the joy you brought to so many people.
Posted by Marybeth
Frequently, we surprise our visitors with the extent of our gift and decor merchandise. We're a garden center like no other -- partly because we're so much more than a garden center! While our peak season is Spring and the majority of our business is selling plants, our fall and Christmas product lines keep us busy at this time of year.
When you step into the Gift Parlor, the fragrance of a fresh-cut Christmas tree will draw you in. The wonderful scents of our Village, Colonial and Archipelago candles add to the charm and elegance of Donna's gift displays. You'll find gift boxed inspirational jewelry to share the sentiment of Hope, Faith, Love, Believe and more. Custom decor created by Ginny and Julie decorates the walls of our Santa Claus, Polar Pals, Winter Elegance and Girlfriends theme rooms.
Gardeners love Grandma's, and so do gift shoppers and holiday decorators!
