Stauffer Farms Greenhouse Opening

 

“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature.  To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul.” ~Alfred Austin

After weeks of seemingly endless rain, the sun is shining, and it is beautiful out!  This weather draws everyone outside and turns our thoughts to planting.  The farmers are in the fields and gardeners are getting their gardens ready!

Stauffer Farms is just the place to go when you’re ready to plant your own gardens.  They care a beautiful selection of both flower and vegetable plants.

First lets take a look at some of their vegetable plants.

Broccoli is well known as a “super food” that provides many health benefits.  Steam it, roast it, eat it raw or include it in a salad.    Cabbage is such a classic.  Make slaw with it, include in soups and again, salads.

L-R Broccoli and cabbage plants

 

Green peppers add flavor to any dish, my favorites are sloppy joes and chili.  If you choose eat them raw with your favorite dip.

Green pepper plants

Who doesn’t love a good home grown tomato?  They are so, yummy!  Stauffer’s carries many varieties from cherry tomatoes for your salads to Early girl, Roma and big beef tomatoes for making salsa, spaghetti saucer canning.  Of course, you might just want to eat one while you’re picking!

Tomato plants–oh my goodness those are beautiful!

A favorite of my late grandpa, Stauffer Farms even carries okra plants!  I can almost see my grandpa in his own garden tending to okra plants, and then enjoying fried okra!

Okra plants

I think possibly my very favorite garden plant the every abundant zucchini!  It is so versatile!  Grill it, saute it in stir-fry, roast it. Give dishes a little extra nutrition by slipping it shredded into spaghetti sauce, soup, sloppy joes.  The list just wouldn’t be complete without my husband’s favorite…zucchini bread!  He even requests zucchini bread for his birthday cake!

Closely related to zucchini, in my mind anyways, are summer squash and watermelon, and Stauffer Farms carries them both, as well as kale-yet another super food.  It’s so wonderful be able to get such a wide variety of vegetable plants supporting a local business.

L_R-Kale and zucchini plants

Flowers!  They have it all.  Annuals, perennials,, fillers and ground covers, and of course hanging baskets for Mom– Mother’s Day is just around the corner!

My words couldn’t do the beauty of these flowers justice, so I will just let you peruse a small sample of what they have to offer.    Be sure to read to the end for their location and hours.

When I walked into the greenhouse at Stauffer Farms there was so much beauty, Ididn’t even know where to start!

Hanging baskets and flowers Green house full of beautiful flowers

Annuals like petunias, geraniums, marigolds, Gerber Daisies, pansies.

Starry night petunias

Gerber Daisies Pansies

Hanging baskets for your front porch or Mom’s Old-fashion favorites

A low maintenance kind of gal, I love perennials!  Stauffer Farms added perennial flowers in 2016.  Just a few of their offerings include Columbine, balloon flower, yarrow, gauraand the beautiful cala lily.

L_R Balloon flower, Yarrow Guara, I love this gentle, delicate swaying flower The beautiful calla lily.

 1-Thank you for taking a stroll with me through the greenhouses at Stauffer Farms.  These are just a few varieties of the many plants they offer.  Any mis-identification of plants is solely the responsibility of this photographer.

Stauffer Farms is located on 116 just west of Markle at:

3854 NW State Road 116-90, Markle, IN 46770

260.273.3404

Hours are :  Friday & Saturday 9-6

Monday-Thursday 10-6

Sunday 1-5