Projo Garden Blog

I keep handy a list of local places I want to visit when I have a free day or afternoon. On Monday, Labor Day, I decided to cross one off the list and it happened to be The Fantastic Umbrella Factory in Charlestown.

There are touches that just make you smile.

I was looking for a glazed planter -- a big one -- for a patio we installed a couple of weeks ago. At the end of the season, they have a sale on them, probably to make way for next year's stock. On Monday, they were 20% off. They come in lots of sizes and shapes and the colors are bold and bright, like sky blue, moss green and bright golden yellow and even some interesting terra cotta styles. They are on display full of exotic-looking plants that seem bigger than life which are thriving and trailing beyond every gardener's wildest dreams. The peacefullness there is comforting and the winding paths invite visitors to meander.

I spent over an hour just wandering through the picked-over greenhouses, amazed at some of the unusual varieties still available. I bought a Persian Shield and some kind of rigid, short spiral perennial grass that I can't wait to plant. Mature nasturtium, a flower I've used many times to jazz up homemade cakes, was abundant in a large variety of colors. I couldn't get away from the place. My husband was checking his watch and my daughters, old enough now to go off on their own, were phoning me from one of the shops to see where I was. I was in my glory, wandering and dreaming, like gardeners do in greenhouses.

There are some fun shops, one with novelties that bring you back to your childhood, one with cheap jewelry and some clothing, and a cafe with homemade sweets. Monday there were signs on the path to go back to the cafe because so-and-so had just made a yummy carrot cake. We spent a little time there, too.

So, I left with two plants and no glazed pot. Whatever!

By the way, if you're aware of noteworthy end-of-season garden shop sales, let us all know about it by commenting!

---