New @ 95: Sustainable Farming with Biological Controls and IPM
New@95: week 4, Sustainable Farming with Biological Controls and IPM
Volante Farms maintains a sincere appreciation for the land and the grounds that have helped it provide for the community for 95 seasons. Despite the feeling that farming is a constant struggle against Nature, the agreement we have made with her is to be strong stewards of this wonderful spot in the middle of suburban Needham.
Pansies are just the first crop of the season to benefit from thousands of little helpers.
Part of our ability to remain a sustainable and active community force comes from our handling of the plants that we grow and sell. Growing attractive flowers and tasty fruit is only partially accomplished by proper water and sunlight. To grow a stress-free plant it is also necessary to protect against damage from insects and disease.
This packet contains a tiny colony of predatory mites, that feed on thrip larvae which would otherwise bring disease to our flowering crops.
Both in the greenhouse and out in our fields we practice what is known as IPM, or Integrated Pest Management. This is a system in which the growers educate themselves on the causes and effects of pests on the crops and the results of any controls that might be used against them, whether natural or chemical.
Though we are constantly watching our crops ourselves, part of a strong IPM program involves the employment of a certified and trained scout. Jim Musonni, private crop consultant, has scouted our fields and greenhouses for many years and is well attuned to both our traditional problem areas and any pests on the horizon we might not be prepared for.
Yellow sticky cards throughout the greenhouse attract insects so that they can be counted during weekly scouting.
After his weekly scouting he reports to us to let us know if we have exceeded thresholds that would result in damage or loss of crop of any certain type of insect or disease. If we are prepared for the diagnosis we might spray, or alternatively decide to abandon the crop to prevent cross contamination.
Recently we have been getting deeper into our third option, biological controls. We are in the third season of using beneficial insects and organisms to protect our crops against damage.
This barley plant "banks" aphids as hosts for predatory and parasitic wasps throughout the season.
We were thrilled last season to achieve total control in the greenhouse between February and June, our busiest months, without any chemical controls. Through the cultivation of beneficial wasps and other insects we were able to control pest populations to remain below threshold the entire spring season. The greenhouse has many “banker” or host plants placed around to provide a food source for pests such as cereal aphids, which predatory beneficial wasps then use as breeding grounds for their offspring.
Success at this level is uncommon and fairly novel in a greenhouse setting, where although we grow a vast majority of our own plants and bedding material, still much of our products arrives from other growers with any number of problems already attached.
We maintain a precocious balance in the greenhouse of having enough prey to keep predators alive so that they will be there to capture future prey. We are able to replicate how these plants would be treated in their true ecosystem. In fact, we have found that as the summer warms and local natural predators are available, plants that have been kept clean can remain healthier throughout the year.
This aphid is hollowed out and dead after a wasp has hatched from its abdomen.
The various processes and methods employed to practice good biological greenhouse controls is complex and lengthy to explain. If you find yourself wanting to know more I suggest you look at the article I wrote on it last year here, http://volantefarms.wordpress.com/2011/04/09/beneficial-biological-controls/ , as it shows more microscopic photos and videos of some of the predators at work.
What all this means to you as a customer is that through our risk taking and success with this program we are sending you home with a product that is less chemically laden than those from other large growers. Likewise there are that many chemicals being kept out of the environment or being exposed to the crew working with the plants.
Additionally, we are limiting the likelihood that insects and disease pests will continue to develop resistance to the chemicals that do work on them, leaving entire crops at risk nationally and internationally. Many of the pests we fight today are already immune to the chemicals that have ben developed to kill them, so thankfully there are natural predators being found to help keep things in check.
Aphids, normally a greenhouse nemesis, are being farmed on this plant as an oasis for parasitic wasps.
We are thrilled our biological program has been successful so far and are looking to expand it further. As we extend our growing season this year we will also be using these methods on some of the zucchini and cucumbers available at either end of the summer season from our greenhouse. We have also released predatory wasps in our cornfields last year to help control early corn earworm.
We look at this program as a natural and responsible extension of our already successful IPM program and are pleased to be able to present you with plants, produce, and food gathered from sustainable and well-managed sources.
Next Week: Volante’s Fields, Our Soil is Our Strength.
Outstanding Response
Thank you to everyone who stopped in today for our hiring event. We were thrilled with the response and enjoyed meeting all of you. Those were some long lines, thanks for your patience! With our exciting expansion it is good to know there are plenty of quality people who want to take this next step with us.
We look forward to getting in touch with many of you soon. In the meantime, interested parties who were unable to make it today should feel free to drop off an application with us during the week. You can find a link to the application on the right on the Now Hiring button.
New @ 95: A Modern Greenhouse
New @ 95, Week 3: A Modern Greenhouse
In 2008 Volante Farms opened its state of the art greenhouse, replacing a line of aging hoop houses with new technology and an easier use for employees and customers. The glass house dwarfed the structures that preceded it and ushered in a new age of sustainability for the farm, while simultaneously creating a growing space that was more economical, more ecological, and also provided an enhanced beautiful canvas to display our plants upon.
Our Westbrook greenhouse creates paradise in the winter and invites it in when the climate improves.
Technological Advances
This main greenhouse is over 14,000 square feet of radiantly heated concrete, powered by a duo of 98% efficient gas boilers and covered with a glass, foam, steel and aluminum frame. It is divided into four inner bays that can be individually temperature controlled and one open bay that is used as a cold frame with a rolling curtain along one wall. This open bay welcomes customers into the building and can prepare plants for their trip from cozy confines to the harsh realities of New England weather.
The greenhouse is almost entirely computer controlled and monitored, via a brain in the utility room and various remote computers. The computer monitors weather conditions inside and outside, including sunlight, temperature, wind, and humidity and then adjusts how the greenhouse responds accordingly. Different zones can call for heat as needed or vent extra heat through the articulating roof vents. It can recognize that a cloudy 
day may not provide enough sunlight to help plants grow and therefore keep a heat curtain closed to conserve the ambient heat. It can recognize whether precipitation falling is snow or rain and turn on roof level radiator fins to aid rapid snow melt and prevent potential roof collapse.
In addition to these technological features, there are other environmentally sound aspects of the house that are impressive as well. As mentioned there are curtains built into the roof that draw closed to retain heat below the roofline at night. There are shade curtains as well, which provide minor heat retention when closed but are most useful on extremely hot and sunny days. Then they are drawn to 90 percent closed preventing sun wilt on plants and dropping the overall temperature by as much as ten degrees making the greenhouse cooler than many hot August days.
Water Conservation
Pansy hangers and flats prep to be the first out the door in the spring. The hangers are watered by micro irrigation and the floor is watered by hose, but both with recaptured rain water.
The glass roof of the greenhouse is built around a framework of gutters that collect and remove rainwater. This rainwater is collected in a 10,000-gallon tank in the back of the greenhouse. It only takes an inch of rain on the roof to fill the tank, which is approximately the amount of water we can use on the plants in the greenhouse and nursery in a week. This means that in an average year we can irrigate our greenhouse grown crops with very little need to draw water from the town service reducing costs and the strain on the water table. This water gets filtered and pumped to several locations. Some of it travels to our two bays of ebb and flow benches. These are the grey plastic pans sitting atop metal frame legs in the greenhouse. Plants grown on these benches are watered using a Venturi pump and an array of solenoid valves. This allows water to enter the bench from underneath to be absorbed by the roots of plants until the excess is vacuumed back away. This method of watering allows plants to get exactly the amount of water they need, without exposing disease prone leaves and blossoms to the dangers of overhead watering which can splash and transmit fungi and mildew rapidly. The water is then recaptured and retained for future irrigation, while wastewater on these benches is almost non-existent.
Another destination is the micro irrigation system that feeds the thousands of hanging plants that swing from the lines throughout the greenhouse. Each hanger is placed at two-foot intervals along drip lines that measure out about a half-gallon in 15 minutes, one drop at a time. These lines have weighted tubes that put the water right on the soil level of the pots. These ensure that the water is where we want it, that plants are watered evenly, and disease spread is prevented.
Roses, Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Hydrangeas and many more fill our beds every spring.
Dependable Plants
In addition to the main house, which is used for retail and cultivation, we have 4 growing houses. Two are older and smaller and will be upgraded in the foreseeable future, and two were completed just a year ago, to provide replacement space for the houses that came down with the recent farmstand construction.
In these houses we do the bulk of our propagation work, from filling flats and pots with soil to the entire seeding operation. Many of the annuals and vegetable plants you see for sale during the year are started here in our seeding area.
Fuchsia hangers are one of our specialties each spring, lending a pop of color to slightly shady porches and front doors.
Our plant material is one of the main reasons that we have had such staying power in the community. We are very proud of the product we can offer and of the paths we employ to get it to you. Many of the annuals and vegetable seedlings available are started here from seed beginning mid-January. We place seed into small-celled trays that hold a few hundred seedlings. The trays are sprouted in germination chambers and then brought out into the greenhouse where they are meticulously nursed into transplant ready stage.
Other plants come to us started as cuttings and seedlings from a variety of trusted local growers who we have partnered with over many years.
Still more plants arrive to us at ready-to-sell stage as we have learned to cultivate partnerships with growers who are specialists in their fields and not waste time providing an inferior product when we know how to procure the best for you.
All of this requires somewhat of a juggling act for space and resources, but we have decades of experience providing the flowers and plants our community has come to expect.
Gazania seedlings pop up early in the season in our germination area. They will be garden ready in early May.
A Place for All Seasons
The vast variety of plants we offer is impossible to list conclusively, it changes by the week, month and season. In the early spring we grow hundreds of hangers in time for Mother’s Day. We grow pansies in hangers, patio pots, window boxes and individual flats to help get spring color to your yard as soon as possible.
As the year progresses we offer bay after bay of impatiens, marigolds, and geraniums: the classics. Additionally we offer an array of specialty plants from renowned specialists Proven Winners and similar growers. We carry a wide selection of rose plants and flowering shrubs and perennials from several local growers specializing in native and adapted plants that are hardy and unique specimens for your garden.
We provide plenty of opportunity to get your home Victory Garden off on the right foot with strong tomato, summer squash, cucumber, pepper, eggplant, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and many more vegetable starters.
Lettuce thrives in the greenhouse, whether waiting transplant in our field, your garden, or cut at this stage for a tasty salad.
As summer rolls through fall we offer fully grown annuals and perennials to fill holes in the landscape that suffered from gaps of inclement weather or inconsistent care. Any space in the greenhouse by now is filled with flats of baby lettuce and arugula primed for sale in the farmstand. Fall hardy mums are widely available to stretch the growing season a little further after the summer heat is done baking. And as the holiday season approaches the greenhouse not only houses a vast array of greenery but a huge selection of poinsettias and gift plants, perfect for sprucing up the indoors as well.
Poinsettias keep the greenhouse full of color through the holiday season.
Knowledgeable Growers
With all we offer we are closely tied to the consumer and try very hard to stay tuned to your needs. We can be depended on to have the classic and traditional varieties. We also recognize that there are trends in the garden and we try to stay abreast of them as well. If there is a plant we aren’t carrying that you would like us to, be sure to let us know so we can respond to your needs.
While you are discussing your garden needs with us be secure that you will receive knowledgeable and helpful advice. Many of our growers and greenhouse crew have been at Volante’s and in the industry for decades. If someone doesn’t have the answer to your question, we will do our best find the person who does. One of our greatest strengths as a business is our connection to the product and the area, something many large home improvement centers can’t compete with. We sell plants we trust to succeed and offer the knowledge to support their growth.
Even on the darkest December afternoon, our greenhouse provides a ray of light and a source of warmth.
As we transition into a year-round operation we expect the greenhouse to provide even more, if not especially a warm and sunny place to visit on a cold snowy winter day. And spring is always around the corner.
Next Week: Biological Pest Control and Integrated Pest Management
New @ 95: The New Building, A Closer Look
Week 2: The New Building: A Closer Look
Sitting down to write this entry, I realized just how many small details have gone into the building process. Trying to outline all of the steps that we have taken in the last three years is pretty daunting, and would also be a pretty boring read. Burying our heads in the building code, the bylaws, and all of the design specifications was and continues to be a very educational and eye-opening experience.
First Stage construction, steel meets frame construction for the behind the scenes scene.
The current construction began with an aggressive five-year plan that was fully established once the new greenhouse was completed in 2008. We knew we needed to upgrade our farmstand for a variety of reasons, and we had begun planning the details during greenhouse construction. The plan for the final product was one complete facility that would be an enjoyable and easy-to-shop stop for all of our customers.
Each of us had a lot of ideas for the new farmstand, from types of structures to different overall site layouts. As a family, we set out to visit and take notes on all the different farm stands in the Northeast, not in an effort to mimic any particular building, but to take aspects that were working for each farm and see if they would be applicable to ours. We came to an agreement that the most important goal for our new building was to maintain the feel and experience of our original farmstand.
The timbers glow at night, these very early stages of construction hint at the eventual shopping experience.
We want you, our customers, to understand you are still shopping at a real working farm. Therefore, the new stand needed to be an extension of the existing farm stand, just a more comprehensive offering of the same great products that our family has been growing and harvesting since 1917.
So, with that main goal in mind, we set out to find the right designer and company to build our dream for us. We met with numerous architects and general contractors, and with some design build firms. After learning the concept of “design build”, where the firm employees both the designers and architects along with general contractors and builders, we found ourselves connecting with that particular process. After interviewing numerous firms, we selected Sage Engineering out of Westfield, MA to bring our collection of ideas to life.
Once Sage began the design process, they came to a couple of quick conclusions. First, it would be best to move the parking lot entrance away from the intersection of Forest St. and Central Ave., increasing both parking lot flow efficiency and overall safety. And, second, the corner view of the farm needed a makeover; the old green barn and farm-house really had to go! From our end, the only strong guidance we gave to Sage for the look and feel of the actual building was to try to tie in some of the themes of the old stand. Our main edict, as Frank, the president of Sage quotes, was “don’t pave the farm!”
The first glimpse of the true new shape of the farm stand. The barn like qualities are equal parts quaint and vast.
After eight months of back and forth decision-making, we settled on a design remarkably similar to the building you see today. We decided to use three different types of construction. The back area, where we do all of our vegetable washing and walk-in cooler storage, is a pre-engineered metal building system. The main retail area is as we originally imagined it: a traditional post and beam barn. The side section is regular wood construction, but using the same timbers as the post and beam portion. Sage’s job was to find a way to join all three styles of construction together (no small task!). Once the engineering was complete, and the appropriate steps were taken with the Town of Needham, we were ready to construct.
The metal building construction began first, behind the old farm stand while we were still using it this past summer. Many of you must have noticed the huge hole behind our retail building, and then the metal posts rising out of it. This whole portion of the building also has a storage basement underneath it. We used to have small storage spaces in four different buildings; now, the basement will allow us to store everything in one space, easily accessible by fork truck. By the time we were ready to demolish the farm stand, around mid August, the metal building was almost complete.
At this point we still had one more huge decision to make: who was going to be supplying the most
The main entrance to the new stand will have access from the greenhouse via ramp and at grade and stair access from the parking lot.
important part of the building, the post and beam. Again, we set out to see other companies’ timber-framed structures. From a barn in Northborough to Morning Glory Farm in Martha’s Vineyard, we looked at many beautiful examples of post and beam timber frame buildings. Eventually we settled on Hardwick Post and Beam, a family owned company based in Hardwick, MA. They carefully selected Hemlock timbers from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire, and brought them to their workshop in Hardwick. From there, every single timber was hand cut, hand hewn, treated with a custom stain-and-linseed mix, and then carefully numbered. The numbers were then used as a guide when the timbers were delivered to Needham and assembled. With the use of a crane and a lot of wooden pegs, the timbers were lifted and fastened to each other. It proved to be a popular show for both customers and employees. There is something about seeing a modern-day building being constructed with amazingly antique methods that really catches your eye and your imagination!
The best part of this shot is that insulation means cozy shopping year round. While the farm stand will still have that cozy barn feeling, climate control means shopping comfort in all four seasons.
Now, at this point in the construction project, there are five or six different sub contractors on site each and every day. Electricians, fire suppression technicians and insulators all are working like mad to get our farm stand built on time; and we are pushing them to make sure they do! We have been very happy with the decisions we have made, and our new farmstand is just as we had hoped for so far, both inside and out. Thankfully, everyone involved in the process has understood that we are farmers, not builders! We are so excited to show all of our loyal customers what we have been working on since June, and we are rapidly approaching our targeted grand opening date. We look forward to showing you all around our new farmstand in the very near future!
**For more information on the construction project look back at our Farmstand Renovation Updates**
***To view a slideshow of the project from the last 8 months click here.***
Next week: A Low Impact, High Yield Greenhouse
The view from Central Ave east bound. The fastest access to the deli, bakery, ice cream and coffee.
New @ 95: Still a Family Farm
New @ 95: week 1, Still a Family Farm
It goes without saying that our farm has changed quite a bit from its origin nearly 100 years ago. As we put the finishing touches on our new farmstand, I can’t help but reflect back on our roots. As a fourth generation Volante, I respect our history and feel the need to recognize those that have made this expansion a possibility. The following passage will serve as a snapshot of our past, a nod to our present, and a look to the future of our family business.
It all started with my great-grandparents Peter and Catarina. In the 1890s they left Italy, bound for a better life and a vision of opportunity in America. They purchased a plot of land on Dedham Street in Newton in 1917 and began growing celery, tomatoes and broccoli among other produce. In its infancy, Volante Farms operated as a truck farm delivering fresh hand-picked produce to the Boston Market every morning.
After World War II California’s produce export industry grew, and the need for Boston area truck farmers started to decline. In order to bridge this growing revenue gap, my great-great-aunt Margie opened the first roadside farmstand on the Newton Farm. In addition to produce, Margie started to sell annuals and perennials for the home gardener. While Margie’s retail farmstand was nothing more than a tent, it became the farm’s primary source of income by the end of the 1950s. Margie’s farmstand marked the beginning of the multi-generational push toward improvement and efficiency throughout our business history.
In 1962 my grandparents Ferdinand and Anne moved the farm to its current location in Needham, purchasing Arthur Fletcher’s farmland which had been in constant agricultural production since pre-colonial times. In this rich, fertile soil my grandfather expanded his crop offerings and constructed hot beds and cold frames in which to grow flower and vegetable plants. With his innovation came another farmstand, a green open-air wooden building. My grandfather ran the farm alongside his brother Eugenio while my grandmother Anne took care of the book work.
Al Volante, with his father Ferdinand and uncle Eugenio.
Only eleven years later, in 1973, my father Al took over everyday operations on the farm. Over the next fifteen years he built the farm that my brothers and I grew up with. He replaced my grandfather’s hot beds and cold frames with multiple hoop houses running along the edge of the farm like vertebrae. After marrying Melodie in 1976 our parents worked as a team to further improve their growing business. In 1981 they built the beloved farmstand that served as the face of the farm for the next thirty years. The stand’s updated barn-like structure brought greater efficiency while still remaining rustic and inviting. Eight years later, Greenhouse 14 was added as the last piece of the puzzle, serving as a retail greenhouse attached to the farmstand in an effort to make shopping easier.
My brothers and I make up the fourth generation of Volantes. We have worked on the farm since we were kids. After college, all three of us found ourselves back at the farm with the same common thread pushing us each day: the pride and drive of a multi-generational family business. We certainly weren’t going to let the tradition stop with us. With all three of us ready to take over the business, it was clear that expansion was in the near future. Together with our parents we started to envision the future of our business. We began by replacing our father’s hoop houses with a new energy-efficient, eco-friendly greenhouse. Opening in the spring of 2008, our new glass greenhouse once again changed the look of the farm and improved the overall shopping experience while conserving many natural resources.
Teri, Melodie, Al, Steve, and Dave Volante.
The second step to our plan has been in the works for many years: a farmstand expansion. There were countless reasons to expand. For example, with our new farmstand we will finally be able to remain open year-round, fulfilling our customers’ most common request. By doing this, we’ll also be able to extend our growing season and offer homegrown produce for a longer period of time. We have also noticed a strong customer desire for ready-to-eat snacks and meals, thus pushing us to add a deli, bakery and ice cream shop to the new farmstand. Our aim is to serve our customers something they can’t find anywhere else: a delicious sandwich or salad made with homegrown ingredients picked right outside in our fields.
Today our parents still remain as vital members of our everyday operations. Our father Al helps daily by giving us valuable advice and his honest opinion. Our mother Melodie works in the office with Dave’s wife Katie to keep the heart of our business beating. One thing is for certain; our family business would not be nearly the same without the contributions of our extended farm family. This includes our key employees who have been with us for years – some upwards of 20 years. Theirs are the familiar faces our customers enjoy seeing when they stop in to pick up fresh corn. Some of these relationships have proved to be multi-generational, too. Prior employees will often seek employment for their children to learn what they deem as “solid work experience”. These relationships take the definition of family farming to the next level. We realize that it’s not just our family farm, but others’ as well, and we’re privileged to have a hand in making those connections happen.
When I think of our predecessors and their success it can be quite daunting, but it breathes passion and pride into everything my brothers and I do each day at work. With the new farmstand comes new responsibility and learning experiences. As always, we appreciate our customers’ feedback. We know we’ll have to adapt and make changes along the way. While one could consider this farmstand to be our generation’s contribution to the long lineup of previous farmstands, that wouldn’t entirely be the case. This farmstand is a culmination of the support of our predecessors, past and present employees, and faithful customers. To us, it represents hope and growth in an ever-changing world. Our new farmstand stands as both a tribute and a clear reflection of one Italian’s humble hope for the American Dream.
**for more information, visit the history page of our blog…**
New @ 95 Blog Series launching today
To celebrate our 95th season as a local family farm and the launch of our new farmstand market we are running a special 8 week blog series to highlight our past, present, and future achievements.
Over the next two months as we ramp up to our Grand Opening we will revisit some of the aspects of Volante’s that make us most proud and we will strive to inform you about what we will bringing you, our support, in the near future.
The series launches with a look back at what got us to this exciting point, and will continue to discuss many aspects of the farm, including the new building, the recently new greenhouse, and our produce and vegetable fields.
Other entries will introduce the newest additions to the farm, notably our deli and bakery and talented chef to get them and the adjoining cafe off the ground, as well as looks at many of our local partners and their fantastic locally produced products.
So tune in each week to the blog, or join the email list by writing info@volantefarms.com so we can give you a snapshot of the newest article and a link to it.
Archived New @ 95: Blog Series posts are also by clicking the link at the top of this page.
Stay tuned for the first in the series, “Still a Family Farm”, Teri’s look at the history and family behind the farm set to post later tonight.
A brief retrospective
The greenhouses are starting to hum with activity again. Greenhouse crews will be in next week to begin seeding some very early flowers and to start filling flats with soil to take on the thousands of flowers and vegetable transplants to be nurtured here over the next several months. The field crew has been meeting and poring over last year’s successes and failures and browsing this year’s seed catalogs and the promises of a fresh start.
The construction project is nearing completion, the outer facade is mostly finished and after a few more inspections the interior can be finished off as well. Over the next few weeks we will begin to get a feeling for the space and how we are going to use it. In the meantime April couldn’t feel further away, though we are becoming aware of just how close it is.
Over the next few weeks we will begin to bring you some sneak peeks of what this exciting year will bring all of us. For now take a look back with us at this slideshow of the project so far. It continues to impress that we were able to stay open throughout this process and we are thankful you were troopers about supporting us as well. Enjoy the photos and get itchy for what’s to come.
Get a history lesson
Needham Garden Club welcomes Teri Volante Boardman Tuesday night to discuss the past present and future of Volante Farms. If you want a closer look at how we got here and where we are going considering attending this talk.
Happy 2012!
Happy New Year and welcome to a new era at Volante Farms.
We are embarking on our 95th season this Spring and are thrilled you are joining us.
Construction continues on the new stand and we are on track to open the first week of April.
There will be many updates in days and weeks to come as we begin to hammer out the final details of our newest endeavor.
Thank you for bearing with us through the construction this past year and know we believe it will pay off beautifully for all of us soon enough.
Looking over our metrics of the past year I am thrilled to see we have had over 29,000 visitors to our blog in 2011, so I know you are as interested in us as I am to tell you about us. While I don’t need to tell you to check back often for updates, just a friendly reminder that this is where to find them.
And of course if you need to contact us in the meantime info@volantefarms.com will do the trick almost every time.
Last Minute Cheer
With only three days til Christmas, things are winding down for another season at Volante’s. We nearly sold out of trees last weekend, so we have been bringing in a few dozen fresh Balsams every couple of days this week to keep enough in stock to choose from. There are even a few Frasiers left as of earlier today.
In just a few months this will be the entrance to the farmstand, and your Gift Card Recipient could be one of the first to pass through its welcoming doors. Pick one up with the cashiers today!
So don’t worry you will still have an opportunity to get a decent tree right up until Christmas eve afternoon. We are open from 9-9 Thursday and Friday, and will be open from 9 to about 4, while supplies last, on Christmas Eve.
There are still wonderful poinsettias, boxwood tree arrangements, wreaths and decorations to pick up as quick host gifts as you head out the door for holiday gatherings.
If you are trimming the tree or decking the halls and coming up a bit shy, all items in the trim-a-tree shop are 20% off now as well, including lights and tree stands.
Stuck on an idea for your favorite gardener or foodie? Don’t forget Volante’s offers gift cards of any denomination. Stop in and pick one up and treat your someone special to a trip to our new farmstand and lush greenhouse come spring.
The shortest days of the year still manage to provide for some unique skies. This one pushed through early afternoon on Tuesday, and captivated the crew.
