The weather that we experienced this winter has made us more than ready for spring to arrive.  Now that it is finally getting close, it is even harder to wait!  The good news is that Shady Hill Gardens is now open for the spring season.  Of course, that doesn’t mean that the weather is conducive to planting outside quite yet, but you can certainly put some pansies out, as well as stroll through the greenhouses and get inspired for the upcoming warm weather.  You deserve to have the most stunning containers in your neighborhood and we can help you out with that!

The spring of 2008 will mark the first year that Shady Hill Gardens will only be open at our greenhouses in Elburn.  The historic Batavia greenhouses are now closed, after 34 springs and we will miss them, but are looking ahead to many blooming springs in Elburn.  Shady Hill is still owned and operated by the Heidgen family, so the only change is the location.  You will still find the assortment and quality of plants that customers have come to expect at Shady Hill Gardens.

This spring, we have set up an area called The Potting Bench, to help you get your containers going for the season.  You can bring your own containers or purchase some here and plant your pots here at Shady Hill.  Here are the only guidelines that we have.

Once planted, you can leave your pots here to get going in the greenhouse and come back to pick them up later, or you can take them with you.

There is a charge of $5.00 per pot, for containers 14” or less across and $7.50 per pot for containers over 14”.  This will cover the soil and some time in the greenhouse, if you choose.  Additionally, you will be charged for the plants that you choose and plant.  A Shady Hill staff member will total up your plantings for you.  If you are leaving your pots here, please fill out a tag with your last name and stick one tag in each pot to identify it as yours.

We are here to help you with ideas, suggestions and directions of where in the greenhouse you can find the plants you want.  There are gloves on the bench if you need them, so stop by with your containers and avoid the mess and hassle of planting your pots at home this year!

The greenhouses are getting fuller by the day and a sunny day or two seem to just make the plants practically jump.  Each year we make a listing of the plants that we grow and now you can view that on line, if you would like.  We will also have a printed version available for you to pick up at greenhouse, so that you can make some plans or look to see what we are growing this year.

Stop out some time soon and see what we have been growing all winter.

Please also watch this site for a listing of some of the new plants that we will have for the spring of 2008.  We will also have larger quantities of the more popular plants that were new for us last year and grew well for us and our staff here at Shady Hill.  We always appreciate your input on what was great or which was really kind of a dog for you and we are often amazed at the range of responses.

Click on the Plant List Booklet to view our plant list online.

Stop out and see what we have growing at this time of the year!