Nancy was looking for a plant called Showy Pink Evening Primrose. She had one before and really loved it, but the squirrels battered it to death as they insisted on digging up any and all the dirt in the poor plant’s pot. She has since discovered that if you put Blood Meal in a pot, the squirrels will leave it alone, so she wanted to try again.
We checked with nearly every plant shop and nursery in town, and no one had any Showy Pink Evening Primrose. Then she called Milmont Greenhouses in Stuarts Draft.
“Sure, we have a table full,” they said.
Since we were headed across the mountain to Springdale Gardens in Greenville, we made it a point to stop by Milmont on our way back. Though the address is officially Waynesboro, Milmont is located in Stuarts Draft on Milmont Drive. And what an operation!
As we pulled in, I estimate there were 100 cars in the parking lot. It was so busy that there was a young man directing traffic to find parking places. It was like a zoo. There were multiple buildings and tents and acres of tables with various plants.
“This could take a while,” I figured.
We parked and began our search. We were told that this plant would be on the “sunny plant” tables and all the plants were arranged in alphabetical order. We looked under “S” for Showy and we looked under “P” for Primrose and came up empty. We finally found a nice young lady, asked her and she took us to the “O” table. “O” as in Oenothera, the plant’s real name. Nancy picked out a nice one, then began looking at other tables.
“This could really, really take a while,” I shuddered. “I’ll sit in the car and read War and Peace while she shops.”
You have never seen so many plants and garden supplies. It was mind boggling. Vegetables, ornamentals, annuals, perennials, gifts, garden supplies – they had it all. And what nice people.
Milmont Greenhouses is owned by a Mennonite family.
It was founded by the Miller family in 1973, beginning with 2 greenhouses devoted to raising vine-ripened tomatoes.
It is still a family operation with 2 of the Miller children and many grandchildren now involved. The operation employs 33 full time people, with little turnover, so they all know what they are doing.
The business has now expanded with a new 33,000 square foot greenhouse, 4,000 square feet of cold frames, a one-acre outdoor growing space for perennials and garden mums, 12,000 square feet of garden center space and half an acre of outside sales display area. With a strong commitment to ensuring the best quality and selection, and reasonable prices, most of the plants that are sold at Milmont are grown on-site. People come from all over the Shenandoah Valley and the state to shop at Milmont. It is both a wholesale and a retail operation.
If you are a gardener or plant lover, you owe it to yourself to pay Milmont a visit – and plan to stay a while.
Go to Milmont.com for more information or directions. Note that they are closed on Sundays.