The annual Mother’s Day sale last month at the Marshall County Co-op was as usual a huge success!!! The week-long event brings out hundreds of people ready to get their garden going, beautify their home and porches with beautiful flowers, plant some landscaping trees or fruit trees, or to just give their home some better curb appeal with some ornamental shrubs, flowers and more!
I attended this event, and I was so impressed how the employees all worked together to make your experience there smooth and satisfying! From the minute you pull in, you have someone helping you find a place to park. Once you enter the grounds, you can grab several styles of carts to use to haul your treasures around the facility . I immediately felt like a kid in a candy store….where do I go first? Which hanging baskets should I buy? What all shall I get? It was so much fun!
I ended up purchasing two beautiful hanging baskets that had the most magnificent color of flowers in it. I purchased herbs, vegetable plants, potting soils, fertilizers and more. My cart was getting a little heavy to push, but who really cares!
I had a question about one of the vegetable plants I wanted, so I asked one of the many employees who were eager to answer my questions. One thing I can say is you really don’t find that in the big box stores. Most employees there are just there with no actual knowledge of the products. The people at the Marshall County Co-op are farmers or avid gardeners.
When it is finally time to check out, the Co-op has a great system. You take your cart to the outside area where a friendly employee totals up your purchases. You can leave your cart outside while you take your purchase ticket inside to get checked out. You grab your receipt and head out the door. Then all you do is show your receipt to the employees by the gate and you are done. OH, and more thing. If you need help unloading your cart, it is not a problem. Just ask any of the employees and you have help within a minute! They took my cart to my car, unloaded everything for me and gave me a smile and thanked me. What a great experience I had. The parking attendant then helped me back out and I am on my way.
I head home with my treasures where the real fun begins. Planting everything…. Which leads me to one more topic of the proper way to plant my goodies. Believe it or not, there is a wrong and a right way to plant your plants. For example, my beautiful outdoor hardy hibiscus plant I bought. This plant is surprisingly easy to grow if I provide it with well-drained soil and a spot in full sunlight. I was told by a Co-op employee that the secret to success for this plant is to water it enough to keep the soil evenly moist. This plant also doesn’t require fertilizer, but a general-purpose fertilizer will promote vigorous growth and support blooming! They also told me not to worry if my hibiscus dies in the ground after a hard frost in fall. They said to just cut it to a height of 4 or 5 inches and then wait for the plants to regrow from the roots in the spring once temperatures begin to warm back up again. They also said that I should also not assume they are dead if they don’t show up at the first hint of spring either, because hardy hibiscus plants generally don’t make an appearance until May or June.
This info is so good to know and that is what makes the Marshall County Co-op stand out from other garden centers! Knowledge and help after the sale. They told me anytime I have any questions or concerns about any of the plants/flowers I purchased, to either call or stop in and ask!
The Co-op is a treasure filled place that has more than just plants and flowers too. You must stop by and just browse. I guarantee you will find something you love! And with Father’s Day coming up, you can even purchase a Marshall County Co-op gift card which gives dad an opportunity to come and find his perfect gift.
Have a great June and Happy planting!!
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