This past weekend Gary and I visited a garden shop in the middle of urban Charlottesville, on Preston Avenue, half a mile from the Downtown Mall and a mile from the Rotunda. Fifth Season Gardening Company (with stores in Asheville, Carrboro, Greensboro and Raleigh as well) has been in Charlottesville since 2009, but until this weekend we had not been there. It’s a wonderful example of urban repurposing, its location having originally been an automobile dealership and auto repair shop. And in its current incarnation, it turns out to be a large, well-stocked, organic garden shop and nursery, with offerings including hydroponic gardening, beer and wine making, and “Urban D.I.Y,” to quote from its website, http://fifthseasongardening.com/
Having had a couple of weeks now of snowless weather, with warmth trying hard (in two steps forward, one step back fashion) to move into the area, it was exciting to walk through the large and varied indoor spaces of this shop, with its light-filled showroom windows in front, and spaces both small and cavernous leading off to the back, seeds, tools, gloves, décor, beckoning beyond every turning.
Most exciting, however, was walking out the opened doors in back and coming upon a well- stocked nursery of flowering plants, trees and bushes. Despite a chilly breeze, it truly felt like spring had come.
And in fact, there are signs of spring all around. While it seems like most of our trees and flowers are quite behind this year, the white blossoms of the pear trees on Preston Ave itself flushed out this past week, seemingly overnight. The venerable weeping cherry in Lee Park, across from the McIntire Building where the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society is now located, likewise. Daffodils have burst out all over town, and in our yard, and yesterday our first two tulips appeared. Plus, and wonderfully, the grass is greening, various shades of Kelly green, moss green, soft in some areas like
fine baby hair, rougher in others. Raking up some lingering leaves from last fall on Saturday afternoon, I uncovered our first violets of the year, white and purple, finely veined.
fine baby hair, rougher in others. Raking up some lingering leaves from last fall on Saturday afternoon, I uncovered our first violets of the year, white and purple, finely veined.
We are going to do a vegetable garden this year, after a long hiatus. We’ll be using raised beds. Gary is building an eight foot fence to ward off our recurrent deer friends. (Just week before last I saw one in the early evening, standing not more than three feet from our living room picture window. He looked at me, I looked at him, and he slowly moved away from the bird feeders that he had probably been
nibbling at, still looking at me, in no real hurry. And this past Sunday morning, I noticed two separate deer families, one in our back yard and one in front, simultaneously trolling for food opportunities.)
For the last couple of months I’ve been perusing seed catalogs, and yesterday I went back to Fifth
Season and chose some seeds. I hope we can nurture them well.
nibbling at, still looking at me, in no real hurry. And this past Sunday morning, I noticed two separate deer families, one in our back yard and one in front, simultaneously trolling for food opportunities.)
For the last couple of months I’ve been perusing seed catalogs, and yesterday I went back to Fifth
Season and chose some seeds. I hope we can nurture them well.