Detroit Garden Works will be hosting its annual spring fair tomorrow and Sunday. We are particularly fond of that time when winter is just about over, and a new gardening season is about to begin. Spring is the puppy season of the garden. Once the landscape and garden plants break dormancy, everything grows grows so fast is difficult to keep up with it all. The trees and shrubs are leafing out, the spring flowering bulbs leap out of the ground, the hellebores come in to their own-and there are weeds everywhere. The garden wakes up one moment, and is in high gear the next. One barely knows what to look at first. Some spring moments are as brief as they are beautiful, and gardeners do not want to miss any of it. In anticipation of the spring garden on the way, we invite a diverse group of people who make a career of some aspect of gardening to bring their plants and wares to our fair. The idea is to put a group of green industry people in the same place as lots of interested gardeners, offer a little something to eat and drink, and let the fun begin.
Our building is just about 10,000 square feet, and it is chock full of new pots, tools, garden ornaments, and best of all, the first of many interesting specialty plants we carry throughout the garden season. April weather can be very uncooperative. We’ve had quite a run of cold days and very cold nights recently. There is snow on the ground this morning, for pete’s sake. We plan to launch the spring 2016 season in spite of it. We have 10,000 square feet of warm space. Our fair space in the warehouse in the back of our building has lots of new lighting, and a new all glass garage door. If you have a mind to come, we will valet park your car at no charge, and load your purchases for you. You will be shoulder to shoulder with other passionate gardeners who are keen for perennials, cut flowers and bulbs that show themselves early in the spring.
Our bunches of fresh cut pussy willow are the best I have ever seen. I wonder if the mild winter had something to do with this. Though our fall grown and cold wintered pansies are shrugging off the inclement weather, every one is covered with frost cloth for the night. Our hellebores are big and well grown plants. Our topiary plants can be enjoyed indoors until the night temperatures are warmer, and then moved outdoors for the summer.
The shop is especially beautiful this spring. This is our 20th year in business, and the pride we feel in that is evident. You’ll see. But for all of you who are too far away to visit this weekend, to follow is a collection of pictures that will help give you a sense of what we look like right now.
It has taken quite a few months to get to this moment. The shop walls got repainted. We have a fresh floor painting. We have new lighting. Every room is clean-sparkly. Every day we have something new coming in. In the distance, you can see how much light we have in the back now, courtesy of our glass overhead door.
We have big and little ideas, and appropriate the materials to go with, for gardeners of every persuasion. This sentence is pretty short. Our effort to help gardeners of every persuasion is long lived, and serious. That aside, what we have in store for the weekend is all about the pleasure that a garden can provide.
I promise there is enchantment in the air.
Even Howard has come out from under my desk to take part in what is going on.
In anticipation of our spring fair, we had two truck loads of topiary plants delivered. Our greenhouse space is packed with plants. This is my favorite part-the plants.
Green
Lemon cypress, myrtle, boxwood honeysuckle and rosemary topiaries. Under the bench- hardy Chicago figs.
Myrtle topiaries
The view in to the greenhouse
plants for spring
spring under glass
If you are ready, we are ready too.
It looks gorgeous! Congratulations on twenty years of exceeding expectations! Tom
I might just have to plan a road trip…gorgeousness!
Looks Lovely. What is on your walls? and how is it attached?
Dear Marty, we have creeping fig growing on the walls. It attaches itself. best, Deborah
Looks amazing!! All of your hard work is very evident!! Congratulations from Huron Ohio!
Your photos made me wish I could jump in the car and make the trip from the North Shore of Boston.
Your shop looks fabulous…I love EVERYTHING. If I didn’t live in the UK I’d be your first visitor. I am sure your Spring Fair will be a great success – just like everything you do. xx
Thank you Deborah for sharing this uplifting Spring preview. From Detroit with love! An absolute gardener’s paradise. A wondrous delight. Everywhere your eye falls there’s something beautiful to behold. Reading your blogs and enjoying your beautiful photographs is like a tonic for the winter weary soul. If only Detroit Garden Works was located in the Twin Cities. A girl can dream. Best wishes for a successful Spring Fair! P.S. Howard is one lucky dog.
Dear Deborah, Rob and Crew,
Congratulations on your 20th anniversary!
Detroit Garden Works looks beautiful, intriguing and enticing. Just as it did that early Sunday morning, many years ago, when we were heading home to Cleveland on Orchard Lake Rd. Your sign caught my eye …we had to turn around and go back. Gerry asked if I forgot something at the bed & breakfast where we had stayed. I said no, there’s something “back there …something to do with gardens”. (Perhaps DGW has a magnetic force field?)
Even though the shop was closed, I think we spent four hours with you that morning Deborah. And left with many fabulous treasures. ….the rest is history.
Thank you for DGW. Thank you for sharing your passion for, and knowledge of gardening like none other.
XOX, Silvia and Gerry
The snow can’t keep us away. Look forward to meeting with all the local venders. It is so wonderful that you bring them all together under one roof. We are so fortunate to have Garden Works as part of our community. Congratulations on 20.
The rosemary and lavender are so beautiful. Have you ever posted about how to make them work in the Detroit climate? Can they be overwintered without a greenhouse? My Iowa City climate is very similar to Detroit and I’ve never had good luck with them.
Dear Theresa, The care indoors over the winter can be tricky-but it is doable. First and foremost they need really good light. best, Deborah
Absolutely Fabulous!!! Happy 20th! You’ve made many, many people very happy over those 20 years!
Wow from Colorado, this warms my soul! Thank for your post, how I would love to visit.
I’m bringing my 80 year old Italian dad with me tomorrow. I think he will get a kick out of seeing all of your goodies. Can’t wait!
I can’t wait to get home and visit the shop……still in Florida…..grrrr.
Best wishes on 20 years.
Sigh……….gorgeous and it all leaves me lusting for the experience of a visit.
Wish I could swing up this year. The shop looks amazing. Hope you have a fantastic weekend with decent weather. Indianapolis is calling for cold and snow! 🙁
Dear Mario, it is snowing as I write this. I don’t care. We have a plan for spring that no snow could quench. all the best to you, Deborah
What time is this event?
Saturday 9-5 and Sunday 12-4.
Deborah, these opening words from this post rang so true to me!
“The garden wakes up one moment, and is in high gear the next. One barely knows what to look at first. Some spring moments are as brief as they are beautiful, and gardeners do not want to miss any of it.”
Here, in northern New Jersey, we are still waiting for the cold weather to subside as we watch the new green growth pop out from the perennials and wait for the trees to leaf out. It feels like spring is taking forever to get here, but I know once it warms up and the garden really gets started, it will all happen so quickly. I really do try to enjoy every minute of it (especially the peonies) and make sure not to miss anything.
Your shop looks fabulous and I wish it was closer so I could visit. How nice it would be to walk among all that greenery (I absolutely love those lemon cypress!). Food for the soul, indeed.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Oh, how I wish I lived in your area!
stunning deborah! all of your endeavors are beautifully presented. two truck,pads of topiaries?! fantastic. howard looks dashing
congrats on 20 years of inspiring others and creating beauty
debra
Deborah and Rob & Crew,
Thank you for the invitation to join you again this year! I so enjoy sharing my cut flowers with everyone. Your fair is most definitely a harbinger of spring! Much love and gratitude to all of you and all the very talented growers who share their beauty.
Xx Jody
Congratulations on 20 years!
The shop looks absolutely enchanting. Lots of hard work has paid off in spades. Cheers to DGW from Atlanta, GA where it has been especially windy and coolish for this time of year. Not that I’m complaining!
Wishing you 20 more years of success and that you had a shop in Massachusetts!
Love love love your shop. I really do wish I lived near you so I could shop there. We have nothing like it in Australia!!!