Planning a trip to Lancaster, Pa to visit mennonite Nurserys

This trip has been in the works for about 2 years now. There are several wonderful Mennonite Nurseries in Lancaster County, Pa, that sell some rare plants, some unusual plants, and some plants we don't have available to us in the Harrisburg, Pa. area at local nurseries. What I would like to do is have anybody interested in this trip post on this forum, & let me know. I would like to do the trip on Wednesday, June 8, 2011 or Saturday June 25, 2011, if you can't make it mid-week. We would be having lunch at the Shady Maple Smorgasbord and this restaurant is also Mennonite-owned with the best of Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking, with two very large buffets and a dessert buffet that has too many desserts, including many sugar free desserts. Many many pies, cakes, ice cream, puddings, apple crisp, etc. This restaurant has a Humongous gift shop that is the entire basement floor. We will be going to Mrs Marion Martin's nursery outside of Ephrata first. Marion has a lot of plants, many very unique. I have gotten Variegated Rose of Sharon, Variegated Lily of the Valley, Variegated Dogwood and other unusual plants from her. Then we will have lunch at our meeting place, the Shady Maple. Finally, we will hit the Black Creek Nursery and unless we find any other places, we will head home. Please let me know on this thread if there is any interest. If so, I will make a cutoff date for you to let me know. Then I'll schedule the trip and we can dmail each other for cell phone numbers, in case anybody gets lost. I'll post the address of the Shady Maple on mapquest on this thread and we'll set a time to meet. Thanks much and looking forward to a great group of people on this trip. I've made the trip myself, many times and always end us with the back of the van (yes, a car isn't big enough for me and my plants) filled up and my stomach, too. Thanks. Buttoneer.

This message was edited May 27, 2011 8:56 PM

Hi Judy, Sounds like a great trip. You have talked about these wonderful nurseries for a long time now. Sorry I will not be able to go as I am working. Have a great time as I know you will.

Awwwww, so sorry to hear that. I clean forgot you were working. Well, if the trip is successful, I will try to make it a yearly event and maybe you can go next year. Thanks, Holly.

Greenthumb and I would be interested, more so for the 8th. Love variegated plants and yummy desserts, plus we would enjoy your company. Hopefully Gita can make it.

oh had to edit.. the 8th is no good for me.. 25th works though

This message was edited May 28, 2011 8:24 AM

25th works for me too. I am off....How far a drive is it from Baltimore?

I work on Wednesdays--and I think the schedule has already been made.
And there is no one I can switch with....:o(

Would love to go....anyone else from Baltimore? We could car-pool.
Will check with my daughter.

YoooHoooo Sally? Will shoot her a D-mail...

Gita

Hi- Just saw this morning. Let me see schedule etc and get back to you all.

Ok, the date I get the most ok's on will be the date we go. Thanks, Judy Showers

June 25 would be more likely for me, I think, although it's not a sure bet until our schedule settles down for the month LOL.

Thanks for organizing this, Buttoneer!!

As we speak the 25th is better for me.

Judy - The very last thing I need is more plants at the moment. You make this little excursion sound like a great way to spend a day though. I will speak with the chauffer and see what he thinks. Might do us good to get away from home for a bit if we can arrange pet care.

Thanks for posting and I will get back with you on the yea or nay.

Ruby

I am hoping NOT to come home with any additional plants either....

I really restrained myself at the Swap--and only brought a hand-full of plants back.
There are 2 beds I have not yet done anything in. One is the long,
side bed the depth of my house. It is SOOO covered with dying back daff foliage
I do not know where to start.

Right behind the dying off foliage are all the Day Lilies that have yet to bloom.
More leaves to put up with. It is a lost cause!!!

See the picture!

So my annuals sit and wait--way too long by now!
The heat--the rains--the work that exhausts me--all are to blame....

At least I have done almost all my container....:o) Just 3 to go!

Gita

Ok, the address of the Shady Maple Restaurant (here's the link:
http://www.shady-maple.com/smorgasbord)
is 129 Toddy Drive, East Earl, Pa. 17519. This can be mapquested from your address to the Shady Maple's address above and it will give you directions. I would like you to meet me at the shady maple restaurant parking lot (they have three, the one in front & one on the right side of the front of the building and one on the left side of the front of the building. The front lot is usually pretty full, so I think the one on the left side of the front of the building (you are facing the building) would be the logical place to meet. I will need your cell phone numbers (please dmail to me and I'll dmail you mine, back). I think 9:00 a.m. would be a great time to meet at the Shady Maple, giving us time to visit Mrs Martin's Nursery. Then, lunch at Shady Maple and Black Creek Nursery after lunch. I might stop at That Fish Place, That Pet Place in Centerville on my way back. If you have pets or ponds, this place is HUGE and reminds me of a BJ's or Sam's Club (like a big warehouse). It's so big, if you need to get tropical fish, you have to take a ticket like you would do at the deli. Here's the link: http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/index.web All 4 of these places are East of Lancaster. The nurseries and Shady Maple are all in East Earl (very close to Ephrata) and close together. That Fish Place That Pet Place is on the West side of Lancaster. Hoping to hear some more discussion on this trip. Thanks, Judy Showers I have taken this trip many times in the past and make it a point to do it once or more a year. I would have scheduled this trip in May but too many things going on on Saturdays (including two craft shows) to be able to fit it in.

Just contacted Marion Martin and she is going to try to divide some of her Variegated Lily of the Valley to sell if you're interested. I think she gets $ 5 or $ 6 for each. She is also going to make Moravian Sugar Cake and either coffee or a cold summer drink like tea or lemonade for our group. It's getting better................

If I get to go, I'll skip the Shady Maple, I like Miller's better.

?? Isn't that like saying, "I'd like to go to the seed swap, but I think I'll have lunch at the Indian Buffet over on the Golden Mile instead of with everybody else at the Chinese Buffet...?" LOL I've been drooling since you posted that photo of the variegated LOTV... have to give it a try... it would make a nice companion to the variegated Jacob's Ladder I just got from Bluespiral, even if I don't yet know where I'm putting either! ROFL I have some major replanning and planting to do this fall!

Whoever wants to go have lunch wherever they want is fine with me but I only get up there once or twice a year and I dearly love the Shady Maple. When you get inside & see how large their buffet *& dessert bars are, you will know why. I need this like a hole in the head but what the heck, once a year, great!

Looks like I won't know for sure if I can come until the week before... depends on how the logistics of "Camp Aunt Jill" work out! I might be driving to Pittsburgh that day. Or I might not! I'm hoping I'll be able to come; sounds wonderful!

Great, Jill. Hoping to see you again. I already got a confirmation (dmail) and cellphone number from Onewish in NJ. I'm putting together a list with your name & cell number so hoping to hear from the rest of you at your earliest convenience. June 25 will get here sooner than you know it. T hanks.

I just saw this - I'd love to go and the 25th works for me. If Jill goes, we'll probably ride together. I'll dmail you with my cell phone number.

Got ur dmail. You're on the list. Thanks much. Judy

Hey we're doing a craft show in Lititz tomorrow & I talked the DH into going to the Shady Maple for supper. Wow, a double!!!!

The craft show never happened. Torrents of rain, thundershowers, severe storms, so we didn't do the show. We're going to Va on 6/15 & We are returning 6/24 and I'll make one last post at that time. Need a complete head count before 6/24 so I can let Mrs. Martin know how many are coming. So far, I have cellphone numbers from Onewish, Critter & Aspenhill. Will need ur cellphone numbers as definite confirmation and I'll dmail you with mine. Unless we hear from you by cellphone that you will be late or unable to make it, , we'll wait til 9:30 a.m. at the Shady Maple parking lot and then we'll leave for Mrs Martin's place. Thanks so much.

Afraid I will pass this time. I didn't realize how far that is from me. And I am not in the market for plants. Sorry to be a party pooper!

Sally sorry to hear you cant make it. Gita told me you two are riding together. I had better dmail her. Judy

It's starting to look like I might be able to make it.. if so, Terri & I will ride up together. If anybody else wants to carpool with us, they're welcome. If we think we'll need the room for plants, we can bring the minivan, LOL!

yeah!!.. let me know what cuttings you want Jill

David, if you & Pat are still planning to go, do you want to all go up together?

My friend Theresa (the one whose family all lives across the river from Brunswick) was just telling me about a concrete place she stopped at yesterday... from her description, it may have been the Concrete Jungle in York Springs. Looks like a good route for us might be to go up through Gettysburg & York Springs to Ephrata, then do a return trip through Lancaster & York so we can stop at That Fish Place (which also has great selections/deals for other pets, plus pond stuff).

Hmmm the concrete jungle in york springs, never heard of it but will look it up as we are closde to york springs. Judy

Here's their website: http://www.concretejunglepa.com/ I'll have to see if that's the one Theresa stopped at.

I haven't seen that either. I will have to check it out also.
Judy Off topic but I wanted you to know that we have a ton of tadpoles I will be watching to see if they develop into tree frogs. You are welcome to the tad poles now or later they are very small, still.

Oh thank you soooooo much. we're camping in va now but will touch base with you when we get back.

Holly, we'd love some tree frog tadpoles (are they the tiny dark ones I used to find in mud puddles as a child, I wonder?)... sounds like they might do fine in our water garden containers, and hopefully they'd return to our garden as adults to breed.

Thank you for the offer of a ride to PA, but unfortunately we have a schedule conflict for that day. Sure would have enjoyed it if it had worked out. The Concrete Jungle place sounds interesting, too.

Not to worry, Pat, it won't be my last trip up that way! I'm planning to change over my aquarium setup soon, and then I'll need to go up to TFP. Also, the "Violet Gallery" is up in that same direction, and I think I "need" a few new African violets. I'll check to see if you're available next time I go. :-)

Ok, so far there are four of us going to the nurseries on Saturday. Onewish, me, Critter & Aspen. Anymore? We're going gold prospecting tomorrow for the last time and going home on Friday. Then to Lancaster on Saturday. RubyW & her man, John, came over to our campsite to visit us & plants were exchanged. We went to an amethyst mine & dug them right out of the ground. Next month, when we come back, we're going to a commercial mine & get all kinds of goodies. The private mine is owned by a retired couple & one of the gold prospectors told me about it, gave me their phone number & directions. So glad I'm a rockhound. Will check in at this site tomorrow & Friday to see if there are anymore takers for the trip.

I saw that featured on the travel channel.. I would enjoy digging for em

bad news.. seems I won't have a vehicle on sat.. won't be able to make it.. sorry

:(

... and I might have too much "catching up" stuff to do around here that I can't put off for another week... plus, am going away for a week when I won't have my usual plant sitters, so I can't buy any more plants this weekend. Phooey. Buttoneer, I'm so sorry this expedition isn't coming together better for everybody! You put a lot of effort into organizing it, especially with Ms. Marion, I know.

Ok, I will Let Marion know that the trip is off and sure wish it could have transpired. Both nurseries are open all summer and autumn so if things open up for anybody or everybody, let me know & we can try again. Buttoneer. Is Aspenhill going or not since you can't make it?