By Patti Smith
March has arrived! We look forward each year to seeing all of you at our annual Moss Basket Days. It feels like a reunion of old friends with new friends joining each year. This year we will be planting on Saturday March 2, Tuesday March 5, and Saturday March 9. It isn’t too late to reserve a spot!
Our first Moss Basket Day started in 1998 with about 25 baskets being planted. Last year over 1200 baskets and three tier planters were made! As you know, the greenhouse is stunning towards the end of April with everyone’s creations. Many people visit their baskets while they are growing, others just wait until they pick them up to see how amazing they have become.
We have a lot of staff on hand to help you along the way. When you arrive at Pahl’s your first stop is in the market building. We have examples set up for those people who are unsure of what size of basket they want to plant. After you have made your decision on what size of basket to plant, we check you in and ring you up. No need to worry about your flower selection quite yet.
You are now ready to head over to the warm greenhouse. There you will fill out a form that will accompany your basket and identify it until we place a numbered tag on it. After your form is filled out, head over and pick up the appropriate size of basket or baskets that you will be planting. Then it is off to settle in at a table to plant. We have lots of elbow room. While you are off picking out plugs, we will fill your basket with our wonderful Pahl’s Potting Mix.
There are photos of blooming baskets for you to choose from if you are not feeling creative. If one of those grabs your eye you can take a recipe sheet and plant your basket just like it. Or maybe you are feeling a little adventurous and change up the colors. If you want your own unique basket we are there to help you as little or as much as you want. Our staff is very knowledgeable in how each plant will behave in a container. We have sun loving plants in one area and shade loving plants in another to make your experience easier. Once your plugs are in the soil you are done! We will nurture your basket until you come back the beginning of May to pick it up. You will be amazed to see what those little plugs have been up to.
We offer our gardeners refreshments as well, choose to nibble while you plant, or relax afterwards and socialize a little. Also, shop the market as many of our new spring arrivals and décor will be out. You might be one of the lucky drawing winners, we have hourly drawings for fun gifts!. Also, this year we will be drawing one name on each of the three days to win a certificate to design a spruce tip pot at our November workshops. If you enjoy Moss Basket Days and haven’t attended the Spruce Tip Pot Workshop, it is our November designing party. This too has been growing every year. This year we will be moving our workshop out into the greenhouse and heating it up to accommodate the growing number of participants.
So if you haven’t planted with us yet, you are missing a fun day! We have single individuals come for some me time. We have girlfriends meet up for a day of gab. We have couples come in for some together time. We have groups come in that have their own mini-party. And the kids have a great time planting! It isn’t a day just for the ladies, many men look forward to coming as well. We hope that our Moss Basket Days becomes part of your March tradition to welcome Spring.
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