The cheery, yellow, spring-blooming flowers of Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea) are getting ready to bloom here at Summersweet. It makes a great groundcover for shadier spots, especially in areas where the soil retains some moisture throughout the year. In times like these, it’s bright blooms are a welcome sight.

As you can see in the pictures, this species is not one to abide by social-distancing, however, we are taking the COVID-19 pandemic seriously, here. Like us, I’m sure many of you are finding yourselves at home, possibly seeing your gardens in the daylight much more than you normally would this time of year. We were getting ready to post news of our Memorial Day weekend spring open house just as the pandemic started to get serious. The open house will still be posted, but it will be tentative as we keep an eye on the state of the pandemic.

We are currently figuring out the best way to get our plants to you during these unprecedented times. We are thinking of moving to an email order format for pick-up here at the nursery with limited, in-person interaction and an online invoicing system so you can pay without swiping or signing on our devices. We can also schedule appointment windows to limit the number of people here at one time. We will be updating our plant availability on our website as our plants are ready. In the meantime, we’d like to know what other ways can make you comfortable while shopping for plants this season? Comment, call, or email us to let us know your ideas! Let us remember to focus on the positives in this situation; extended time with family in our homes and gardens.