It's Garden Center Day Today
By fishtiger58
@fishtiger58 (29823)
Momence, Illinois
May 5, 2017 9:21am CST
Every year we take about 3 hours of our day to go to the local garden center about 6 miles north of where we live. I have heard people from all over the Chicago area go to this garden center because it's the biggest and most magnificent garden center around.
They have a huge outdoor area that I would say is several acres, and the indoor part is at least that big. They have two areas that are each a couple of football field size areas, and I'm showing part of one of them in my picture. They also have about 20 smaller green houses that I would say are about 40 feet wide and 200 feet long just filled with flowers and vegetables ready for planting. I know I have mentioned this before but they have maps at the front door so you can find what you are looking for. My hubby and I never use the map as we walk the entire place.
We will also have lunch there as we do every year, they have a hot dog stand and picnic tables set up. We usually spend 100 bucks there every May and it's a day my hubby and I both look forward to.
So as soon as my hubby has had his breakfast we are off to the garden center. I have to wear comfortable shoes as by the time we are done my feet are killing me, but I live with that as this day is such fun.
26 people like this
27 responses
@LadyDuck (458091)
• Switzerland
10 May 17
@fishtiger58 As usual it's because in Europe the land and the space is so much expensive, so we do not have very big stores.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
10 May 17
That's to bad you don't have something like this, it's such a fun day for us.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
10 May 17
@LadyDuck Right I should have know that, the United States is huge in comparison.
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@just4him (306161)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
20 May 17
@fishtiger58 That's a lot of plants. I'm glad you got them planted.
1 person likes this
@just4him (306161)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
22 May 17
@fishtiger58 I hope it doesn't die.
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@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
19 May 17
I think around 30 some flowers and some veggies. All have been planted.
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@allknowing (130066)
• India
6 May 17
Do you get to buy any seeds or plants there? The picture is picture perfect.
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@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
10 May 17
We mostly buy plants and replant them in our gardens. We did buy some seeds this year. We bought Kaleidoscope carrot seeds that looked interesting. Red, purple, yellow and green carrots instead of the usual orange. Apparently they taste the same as orange carrots just pretty colors.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130066)
• India
10 May 17
@fishtiger58 That will be pretty exciting waiting for results Do post pictures of your rainbow carrots
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@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
10 May 17
@allknowing I will but that will be like in October, hubby hasn't even planted them yet. We have had so much rain we have to wait for the garden to dry out a bit.
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@DianneN (246788)
• United States
10 May 17
@fishtiger58 I would give almost anything to have my yard filled with flowers, but the best I can do is the deck. Drat my deer!
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
10 May 17
It's amazing and it seems every year we find a flower we never heard of before.
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@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
11 May 17
@DianneN Oh that's a bummer. We only get those annoying Japaneses beetles around here thankfully no deer.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
6 May 17
oh my gosh, so beautiful flowers. are those for sale? or they are there to beautify the place?
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
11 May 17
@fishtiger58 that is good to know especially if you can grow a plant, if you have the green thumb.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
11 May 17
@ridingbet Oh no I don't have a green thumb, it's all my hubby he can grow anything. He loves flowers he got that love of flowers from his dad who also just loved his flowers.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
10 May 17
Nope they are all for sale, and the place was packed with people the other day when we went. We bought flowers and vegetables for our gardens.
1 person likes this
@MarymargII (12422)
• Toronto, Ontario
11 May 17
Oh it's so beautiful! I love getting flowers in for summer- my very favourite activity and am looking forward to it!
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
11 May 17
It's always a day we look forward to, the place is awesome.
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@MarymargII (12422)
• Toronto, Ontario
13 May 17
@fishtiger58 Omg it looks beautiful! I wouldn't know which ones to choose!
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
5 May 17
The best garden center I had ever gone to was Kew Gardens in London.
A paradise.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
10 May 17
It's so much fun to see all the beautiful flowers and colors. We very much enjoyed ourselves.
1 person likes this
@PatZAnthony (14752)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
11 May 17
It sounds like a great adventure. Hope you have a great time there @fishtiger58
Sorry about your feet!
1 person likes this
@PatZAnthony (14752)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
12 May 17
@fishtiger58 We were in one tonight looking for items to consider along a creek. As long as the digging is not done by me, the project will get done.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
12 May 17
@PatZAnthony Oh yea I don't dig either, we have a small tiller we bought years ago and it's a life saver.
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@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
11 May 17
Yea that cement floor kills my feet, But we had loads of fun and that's the main thing.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
21 May 17
I do too, this trip we take every May is the best and hubby and I both look forward to it.
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
27 May 17
It's huge and they have maps I just love that place. The must have a thousand tulips blooming in the huge yard out front every spring.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 May 17
@fishtiger58 Some yummy meals coming up! 
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@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
10 May 17
We bought a bunch of flowers, as well we got tomatoes, peppers, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, and cauliflower.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
11 May 17
It really is we have such fun on that day. Seems we didn't buy enough flowers so we will probably go back again in the next day or two.
1 person likes this
@Courtlynn (66921)
• United States
5 May 17
Sounds like a great day ahead. Enjoy
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
10 May 17
We did thanks and got lots of pretty flowers and veggies.
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@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
5 May 17
Yes! this is my kind of fun too.
Please share what you bought.
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@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
10 May 17
@fishtiger58 I have not grown sweet potatoes either, good luck.
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@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
10 May 17
We bought Dianthus, African Daisy's, Sweet Alysum and a couple of flowers I can't remember. We also bought tomatoes, peppers, banana peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, and sweet potatoes, We have never grown sweet potatoes so that will be interesting.
1 person likes this
@Shellyann36 (11385)
• United States
8 May 17
Oh, that picture is beautiful. My uncle had greenhouses and sold flowers and vegetable plants. I was fortunate enough to work in the greenhouses. I loved it.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
10 May 17
I love going here to see all the beautiful colors, by the time we walk through the whole thing my feet hurt. But it's a day I always look forward to.
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
10 May 17
It is and we had a great time deciding what to get.
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
10 May 17
That sounds huge...and such fun ... I had a trip to the garden centre last week... it was much smaller but I enjoyed it just the same.. I hope you came away with some lovely plants for your house and garden 
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
10 May 17
We did we got lots of flowers and vegetables for our gardens and had such fun.
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@Marilynda1225 (79715)
• United States
10 May 17
Sounds like a fun day walking around such a huge garden center. I probably wouldn't know what to chose if I was surrounded by so many choices.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
11 May 17
The have these huge 3 tiered flat carts to put all your purchases on, as you stroll around the center. And then of course lunch at their hot dog stand is always a treat.
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
12 May 17
That sounds like a fantastic place for gardeners. I'll not mention it to my wife.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
12 May 17
No as it's a really long ride for you lol.
1 person likes this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
6 May 17
A garden center like that would be a joy. We have Lowes and Home Depot but that's not the same. Maybe that's a good thing. I can't get out of Lowes garden center without spending too much money. We would be living on peanut butter and jelly for a month if I got to spend a day at a 'real' garden center.
Enjoy yourself.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
10 May 17
It's the most amazing garden center I have ever been to. We have now gone one day in May for the last 16 years. I can't imagine not going once a year.
