Great Escape: Bloom and Grow in Your Garden

Here’s a Great Escape idea that could lead to many more great escapes – right in your own backyard. 

If your idea of relaxing is making your yard and garden bloom, then take your green thumb to Soergel’s Orchards on Brandt School Road in Franklin Park on April 2 for its spring kickoff event.  Soergel’s garden center pros will teach you how to turn your yard into a delightful retreat without breaking the bank.

The event begins at noon with a light lunch of deli sandwiches, various chips and the orchard’s famous apple cider.

Lunch will be followed by a one-hour landscaping seminar focusing on budget-conscious ideas to give your yard a spring makeover. Topics will include proper pruning and mulching as well as new shrub and flower varieties to turn your yard into a relaxing space you can enjoy all summer long.

“We’re trying to promote the idea of doing it yourself and saving money,” said garden center employee Jeremy Gruszka.

After the seminar, spend some quiet time browsing the greenhouses and garden center where all items will be 20 percent off for seminar attendees.

Gruszka recommended two new shrub varieties to bring color, texture and fragrance to your landscape.  The Invincible Spirit is the first-ever pink-flowered Annabelle hydrangea.  For every Invincible Spirit plant purchased, $1 will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

His second top pick is the Bloomerang Lilac, a shrub lilac that blooms again and again from spring until the first frost. Its compact shape makes it a great choice for smaller gardens and deck or patio containers.

Speaking of containers, Gruszka said new additions to Soergel’s impressive selection of glazed pottery and other garden accessories are arriving daily.  Save time to peruse the selection of wind chimes, statuary, fountains and birdbaths – all of which can add another layer of charm to your landscaping plan.

And if the chirps and trills of songbirds sound like an appealing addition to your backyard oasis, the Soergel’s garden experts say now is the perfect time to place new birdhouses.  The garden center features a variety of handmade Heartwood birdhouses.

When your shopping is complete, finish off the afternoon by treating yourself to your first ice cream cone of the season.  Soergel’s offers a variety of classic flavors and seasonal surprises in its ice cream shop located inside the market.  If the weather is sunny, enjoy your cone at a picnic table on the deck.