Sprout Farm Newsletter May 2nd 2026 sproutfarm.net open 9-5 daily

Hello Everyone,

 

This Week's Special: something that is asked for every year, something free. This week we'll change the sales period a little- Sunday May 3rd through Friday May 8th - will be a free 1 cu ft bag of Pro-Mix potting soil with each $60 before tax plant purchase. Everyone always looks forward to Mother's Day so for 2 days, Saturday and Sunday, May 9th and 10th – all Hanging Basket will be 30% off regular price. The parking will be crazy next weekend so please be patient. Warm weather garden favorites like 6 packs of beans and squash will not be available due to cool weather.

 

May isn't very old yet but the weather is mild and seasonable. Jay has some of the frost hating plants out on the benches because he need the space in the greenhouse. Most growers face the same problem. This is a roll of the dice. Will we have an overnight frost before the end of the month? We usually do.

We have a wide selection and everything looks beautiful when it comes out of the greenhouse. The outside plants have to adjust to hand watering, breezes, and fluctuating sunlight. If you want to put warm loving plants in the ground, you may want to cover the ground with black plastic for a sunny day or two to warm the soil up.

The perennial garden is going through another phase. The daffodils are fading and the few tulips that have survived are blooming. The Virginia Tradescantia is coming up all over my garden. I am going to have to do some serious weeding to get it under control. These plants came from my neighbor's garden back in my hometown of Lincoln, MA. Nostalgia is nice but they're taking over and it's time to rip most of them out. I will keep the patch that grows on the edge of the garden. James enjoys mowing them down when the foliage gets weedy looking. I think he enjoys it. They always come back.

 

I think I need this tip for the tiny perennial garden I tend.

The 70/30 rule in gardening is a design and maintenance strategy where 70% of plants are reliable, structural, or native, providing year-round stability, while 30% are experimental, seasonal, or colorful, allowing for creativity without risking the entire garden's success. This rule offers a "safe" approach for beginners to guarantee a beautiful, low-maintenance garden, often referred to as the "https://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/using-the-70-30-planting-rule/" May is till within the planning stage for most gardens. It is nice to see how those tiny plants have filled the space over the years and now the root area is so tight you are thankful you planted those spring bulbs close by all those years ago. It's time to feed those beds so they will bloom next year. We do not carry shrubs but other garden shops near-by have the wide variety we don't have room for.

 

The kitten report: The creatures are seven weeks old and full of mischief when they are awake. They have gone vertical. Every desktop, table, drapery rod, or other unexplored space will have a kitten checking it out over the next two weeks. Sit on the couch to enjoy a snack and something furry will soon have whiskers and twitching noses zooming in on the enticing smell. They have figured out how to get up onto the dinner table. Now the drill is, if the clowder is sleeping, eat fast. If they are awake, lock them up in the sun room and don't let them out until we finish dinner. Wheezie is very confused. There is such a thing as kitten manners but they are very resistant to training. Down time is just the opposite. Kick back and read a book and soon you'll notice a small furry body or two curled up next to you legs sound asleep. We haven't taken them outside yet. Maybe this week. That's always a gamble. Will they find their way under the farm stand before they learn to come when they're called?

Stop by and see what we have growing for you,

Jay and Phyllis Sprout