Sprout Farm Newsletter          April 26, 2025          open 9-5 daily         sproutfarm.net

Hello Everyone,

We're Back!   We've been back for awhile but most of the work has been in the greenhouses and now they're blooming in beautiful colors.  Ken gets the dreary job driving the tractor and turning over dirt.

We've had pansies out on the benches so Jay says it's time for a sale, Regularly 44.49/ 6 pack now $3.49.  We have to make room on the benches for all those beautiful flowers.  We have pallets of bagged soil so this week's sale is Cost of Maine manure compost 2 bags, 1cu ft for $17.00.  Our C.O.M. products are in the Soil Shed and out of the weather which was a real soaker today.  We needed that rain and I won't have to water the perennials for a day or two. 

     I made up the cards for the bench cards but I am a little slow getting them out in the yard.  I did put them on our website www.sproutfarm.net.   From the home page you can go to the drop down menu and see the perennial we have this year.  Click on the card and you will go right to the website for Walter's Gardens and their information page about that particular plant.  I learn so much just by trying to condense the information down to a 5" x 7" card.  I printed out one of the bench cards Walters provides for growers and challenged Jay to read it, without his classes.  He agrees that we will stick with the DIY bench cards.  Go online to see beautiful pictures but read our cards here at the farm for information.  Some of the perennials are still in the greenhouse and we'll bring them out when they're ready for sale. 

    The kitten report may seem late because Wheezie had three kittens on Feb. 28th and they are crazy.  They were born under the desk in the office and Wheezie realized that this is the perfect kitten nursery.  It is warm, draft free, easy to defend from other cats and the perfect begging location.  She figured out that all she had to do was jump up on the desk, walk across the keyboard and meow.  All work comes to a stop until she gets fed.  The kittens have gone vertical this week and they are spotted sleeping on top of the curtains, on top of tables or climbing up the back of chairs to check out hairstyles.  They are spoken for.

       Jay and James put in a new filter for the koi pond last fall and we finally had clear water and could enjoy the fish.  They like getting fed too.  Two weeks ago we noticed an osprey swooping down over the  pond and knew that he wouldn't stop until the pond was empty.  It looked like he had cleaned it out.  Even though the filter needs to get up and running again it looked like there wasn't a fish to be seen anywhere.  Our friend Art said that the fish aren't stupid and that they are hiding in the debris at the bottom of the pond.  The guys stretched  a white pea fence net over the pond to discourage the osprey and we waited and waited.  It took days before we saw any fish and it looks like we still have dozens of them coming up for food but we don't have any big ones.  So we see the fish, the fish see us and the osprey has to go fishing somewhere else.

        So we're back for another year and Jay is excited about the plants and garden.  You can tell your friends that at Sprouts we grow what we sell.  We don't carry everything but what we have makes it worth your while to start here before you head off to those other garden centers.

That's all the news for now.  We'll see you soon,

Jay and Phyllis Sprout