I know, it was just Christmas and New Year's yesterday.. Why am I talking about SPRING.. I guess it's because I love the weather, the color, the excitement...and to be honest, I really do not like the cold dreary days of Winter. Maybe that is why I love coming to work in the Winter. Walking around the nice toasty warm greenhouses that are full of tropical houseplants that just arrived from Florida just makes you want to stop and enjoy. But then I also see everyone bustling around cleaning, fixing, and, best of all, unpacking all the new garden supplies. Excitement is in the air!! The "oohs" and the"ahs" and the, "Oh I love this!" are heard everywhere. And then--THERE THEY WERE!... the bright cheerful faces of my favorite plant (well one of them), Pansies!! My grandfather, Albert Behnke, once had put in an ad:

"Bring your smiling faces to see our smiling faces"... 

How true.. Besides our great staff full of smiles, those hardy little pansies will make even the bluest of people grin when they see their happy little faces. Just remember, only 57 more days till Spring, but who is counting? 

For those of you that LOVE Winter and Snow, enjoy this weeks snow storm.  Have fun and be safe. 

Once you come inside and warm up read how our garden blogger, Susan Harris keeps her garden records in order.

FYI, Behnke's has a good selection of snow shovels and ice-melting products at both our garden centers. 

At Botanical Interests their goal is to inspire and educate the gardener in you so that you can create beautiful and prolific gardens. Not only is the seed inside their packets the highest quality available, their packets are designed to give you the information you need to be a more successful gardener!

• Hundreds of high-quality varieties
• Many heirloom seed varieties
• A large selection of USDA Certified Organic seed varieties (learn more about organic seed) 
• Guaranteed - the germination rate of every variety is tested before they package it
• All their seed is untreated
• No GMOs - they enthusiastically signed the SAFE SEED PLEDGE: They do not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants

It's TIME to gather your seed-starting supplies!  We are ready with everything you need for your seed starting in 2014!

Seed-starting soils

10 am - Bidders Preview Auction Beauties

11 am - Exciting Auction Commences

3 pm - End of an Exhilarating Experience

FREE ADMISSION - open to the public, so grab a friend and join us in the fun. This live auction will offer over 300 blooming or near-blooming size orchids, from well-known growers coast to coast,

Hawaii and private collections. There will be lots of very rare and unusual orchids. This is one of the largest Orchid Auctions in the country.

The fun starts this way: First check in at the front desk and receive a numbered paper plate and pencil. Browse the auction room and take note of which exotic orchids you want to bid on. Write the number down so you won't miss the plants when they are brought up to the auctioneer. When the auction starts,raise your numbered plate to bid on your dream orchid. Repeat this step until

you are the winner. Your winning orchid will be taken to a secure holding area with your number on it until you check out at the cash registers.

You can click here to contact the NCOS directly.

To register for this trip, Click Here

For the first time, the nation's first, largest and most beautiful Flower Show will join with the country's most exciting art museums to create ARTiculture! 

Art and horticulture are part of a mutual admiration society that has been played out across centuries by the Masters, both gardeners and artists. Whether in a Wyeth landscape or a sweeping vista of bulbs blooming in colorful combinations, inspiration flows from both worlds to create a masterpiece on canvas and on the land.

This year's Flower Show celebrates and joins together these highly regarded museums with some of the nation's finest landscape and floral designers to create a living canvas in ARTiculture.

January's Gardening To-Do List


January's  Flora Feature: Woodland Wonder 

LAST Week for Houseplant Sale