Many of these greenhouses/nurseries are Amish or Mennonite owned and are closed on Sundays and certain holidays, such as Ascension Day, in addition to most Christian religious holidays. If in doubt, it is best to call (although some have no telephone). Also, it is not unusual for these nurseries to accept only cash or check, no credit cards. Often roads are one name on the right of an intersection, quite another name on the opposite side. Any given road can have 3 or 4 different names as you go through various small settlements. Be especially cautious of farm equipment and Amish buggies. DO NOT tailgate. There are several blind intersections, so stay alert.
Marian Martin’s on Route 322 east of Route 897 (5489 Division Hwy [Rt. 322], Narvon), 717-354-7546, email – [email protected]. Located 5 miles from the Honey Brook traffic light at Rt. 10. Watch on the left for a pale yellow barn w/dark green trim. Marian’s driveway is immediately beyond the barn. It's easy to miss the sign and when you first arrive it doesn't look like much but if you look closely you will find some wonderful and unusual plants at terrific prices, e.g., DLC hellebores, tenders, cutting edge new intros, nice rock garden plants. David Culp of Sunny Border Nurseries shops here which says it all - Marion has a great interest in hellebores and has many of David's Brandywine hybrids. Visa accepted.
Briar Rose Greenhouse 1581 Briertown Rd, East Earl PA 17519, 717-354-2167. Steve & Ruth Garman. M-F 8-8, W & S 8-5. No Sun- days. Turn left out of Martin’s onto Rt 322, then take the 1st left onto Briertown Rd. Greenhouse is straight ahead. Beautifully kept premises. Excellent plant material in prime condition at remarkable prices. Wrought iron tuteurs. Ornamental grasses, hostas, vines, perennials, some shrubs, excellent, jam-packed $11 hanging baskets. Expanding next year to become even larger.
Sauder’s East Earl Rd. From Briertown Rd, turn left onto Rt 322, then first left AFTER Rt 897, onto East Earl Rd. Less than a mile on the left. Conifers and shrubs at good prices. (Next door to Sauder’s is Horst’s Greenhouse. They do annuals and water plants.) http://www.saudersnursery.com
Conestoga Nursery 310 Reading Rd (Route 625) East Earl, PA 17519 (717)445-4076 Go back to Rt 322, turn left onto Rt 322W, then turn right onto Rt 23. At 2nd left, turn onto Rt 625N; Conestoga is about 2 miles north, on the right. Shrubs and trees at very good prices. A few perennials. Good place to buy tree peonies. Closed Tuesdays.
Spring Grove Nursery & Landscape 1476 Union Grove Rd, East Earl PA 17519, 717-445-4186. Henry & Marian Huber. Turn right out of Conestoga and about 1 mi, watch for the 3rd street on the right - Union Grove Rd which veers off to the right. Watch for Spring Grove Nursery a short distance after the next intersection.
Food Stop. Horst Farm Market Rt 625 Reading Rd, Bowmansville PA. 717-445-9514, Paul Horst. Good stop for sandwiches at very inexpensive prices. Roast beef, ham, turkey, Italian subs, hoagies. If you are a very determined plant hunter on the run, you can call ahead and they will make the sandwich and have it ready for you.
Black Creek Greenhouses 211 E. Black Creek Road, East Earl, PA 17519, 717-445-5046. Turn left out of Spring Grove Nursery, then a quick right at the intersection, then right again back onto Rt 625N. Watch for a yellow sign on the right, about 1.2 miles; turn right onto Black Creek Rd. Greenhouses are on left. Large selection of annuals and perennials, tropical, herbs, many unusual and/or new including Blooms of Bressingham - all at very good prices. Inexpensive, imported pots. Garden supplies. Wooden, metal, & willow trellises/ arches at good prices. Huge greenhouses. Bathroom.
Esbenshade’s 1749 Bowmansville Rd, Monkton PA 717-445-6055. Return to Norman Dr, turn right, back onto Rt 625. About
.5 mile, turn right onto Bowmansville Rd. Espenshade’s will be on the left about 2-3 miles. Large selection of good annuals, perennials, shrubs, greenhouse and tropical plants, plus all the items found in a Waterloo-type store, but less expensive. Bathroom.
Food Stop. Boerhringers Ice Cream. Local favorite stop. If it’s a nice day, this is a good place to enjoy a hand- dipped ice cream. Picnic tables near a stream with a great floor show of mallards with their offspring. Hot dogs and other quick sandwiches. Bathroom.
Out of Esbenshade’s, make a left back on to Bowmansville Rd, bearing left where it forks to Rt 272. Make a left and Boerhringers is less than .25 mi on the right.
Nice Stuff, Adamstown, Rt 272, just north of Rt 897. Continue on Rt 272 for a short distance. Watch for a large sign on the left for Nice Stuff. An assortment of good collectibles, etc., some possibilities for garden ornaments. Chimineyas, clay pots, iron work, 50% off most items.
The Potting Shed 148 E, Farmersville Rd. Ephrata PA 17522 717-354-8484. www.pottingshedantiques.com Nancy & Sam Russell. From Nice Stuff, turn left and follow signs for Rt 222S, left to Rt 322, turn left. Continue for several miles and turn right onto E. Farmersville Rd (at Martin’s Bike Shop). Go 2 miles. Just before the Farmersville Equipment (on left) will be a sign for The Potting Shed (on right). Go up a very steep macadam lane, then a slight slope to the shop on the left. English troughs, staddlestones, chimney pots at a nicely landscaped country garden. Several charming old outbuildings serve as their shop. Antique tiles; garden artifacts; grinding wheels; assorted vintage tools; vintage seed packets and catalogs. No plants, but a very interesting stop.
Newport Greenhouse, Rt 772 just south of Intercourse on the left. Nice selection of pelargoniums, many annuals grown from seed, some nice hybrids, well grown and good prices, including hanging baskets. Pots, wrought iron shepherd’s hooks, sturdy square tomato cages. Inexpensive planted containers. From The Potting Shed, go back to Rt 322, turn right onto Rt 23, proceed about 2 miles through New Holland to 4th light and turn left onto Brimmer, which becomes New Holland Rd. Continue about 5 miles to stop sign at Rt. 340. Cross Rt. 340 (Old Phila Pike); turn left at the next stop sign which is Rt 772E/Newport Rd. Watch for Newport Greenhouse on left.
Shreiner’s Flowers 286 Old Leacock Rd.Turn right out of Newport Greenhouse onto Rt 772 W. Take the 2nd left onto Amish Rd. Veer right onto 2nd road, Harristown Rd. After about a mile, Harristown will jog right, then as it jogs left, you continue straight onto Frogtown Rd. Turn at the 4th left, Harvest Rd (about 2 miles). At the 2nd left (about 2 miles), turn onto Old Leacock. After the railroad bridge and just before the bridge over the creek is a tall vertical yellow wooden sign on the right for Shreiner’s Flowers (there is a mailbox 286B Mowrer). Turn right and continue past the house, veer to the greenhouse. After you have looked in the large greenhouse, be sure to go through to the 5 or 6 greenhouses beyond the big one. Not many exotic plants,but they do have a lot of interesting plants at a very reasonable price.
Cherry Lane Greenhouse Ben Fisher, 2816 N. Cherry Lane, Ronks, 7177-687-6817. A source of a large gray cut leaf Centaurea that is great in containers, plus a wide variety of heirloom vegetables including tomatoes, peppers, eggplants. Also two old-fashioned geraniums that get quite tall for growing as a tower or standard; cannas (some variegated varieties), coleus. Turn left out of Shreiner’s onto Old Leacock Rd, then left onto Irishtown Rd (ignore 1st “Road Closed” sign). Make 1st left onto N. Soudersburg Rd. Turn right onto Lincoln Highway (Rt 30) past Miller’s (good bathroom/food stop), to the 1st right onto Ronks Rd, then the first right onto Cherry Lane to Cherry Lane Greenhouse on left.
Zook’s Greenhouse 423 Gridley Road, Lancaster. Another source of the large gray cutleaf Centaurea - they call it “large cutleaf dusty miller.” Leaving Cherry Lane Greenhouse, stay on Cherry Lane across Ronks Rd; continue across Lancaster Pike (Rt 30) to the T at Rt 896. Turn right, then less than a mile take a left onto Rockvale Rd which takes you behind some red brick buildings. You will have one stop sign and pass the back end of a golf course on the right. Slow down, it’s easy to miss the street sign. Take the second right (just after a low stone wall) onto Gridley Rd and look for Zook’s sign; turn into the greenhouse on the right. This is truly an Amish greenhouse!
BeechTree Farm 1249 Penn Grant Rd, Strasburg. 717-687-6671. Victoria Mowrer, Marilyn, Weaver, Dolly Mowrer. Open Wed through Sat; and by appointment or chance. Charming, charming! Not a great many plants, but an amazing place. Garden ornaments, stone furniture, birdhouses. An antiques barn, gift shop with artistic lamps, funky gift items. Property is beautiful and well kept. Be sure to go to the back of the buildings and look down at the view of the creek. Picnickers welcome. Turn left out of Zook’s driveway back onto Gridley Rd. At the T, turn right onto Rockvale, then left onto Strasburg Pike. Take the 3rd right (about 2 miles) onto Edisonville Rd. Go about 1 mile and turn left onto Village Rd (Rt 741) and continue for less than a mile. Turn right at Penn Grant Rd (before the cemetery). Turn right at the T (staying on Penn Grant). Watch for the 2nd property
- sign for BeechTree Circa 1818. The driveway is just after a rail fence at a huge copper beech.
Food Stop After leaving BeechTree Farm, if you turn left onto Penn Grant, then right onto Village Rd (Rt 741), you will go into the charming historic village of Strasburg. Restaurants, deli, shops, interesting architecture.
Shenk’s Ferry Wildflower Preserve “one of the most impressive wildflower areas in the eastern US.” 73 species of wildflowers that are almost at peak. The is an interesting side trip. NO PLANTS for sale. Great picnic stop. From BeechTree Farm, turn right out of the driveway onto Penn Grant and continue several miles, then turn left onto New Danville Pike south, to Conestoga. In Conestoga, veer left onto River Corner Rd. After 1.3 miles, go straight through the intersection onto Shenk’s Ferry Rd. Turn left on Green Hill Rd. The road becomes dirt until the preserve entrance is reached after .7 mile (through a tunnel and bear left 200’). Open during daylight hours for walkers.
Groff’s Plant Farm 6128 Street Road, Kirkwood, PA 17536, 717-529-2249; [email protected]. Open Sundays in summer except Father’s Day. This nursery doubles every 2 years. Historically good plants, good prices, excellent selection, though the last few times I have been there I’ve been disappointed. Now they are larger and better known the prices seem higher. Return to Village Rd (Rt 741) and turn right toward Strasburg. Turn right onto May Post Office Rd. and continue to Rt 372; turn right toward Quarryville. Turn left onto Rt 472. Now look carefully for a painted red brick church, Wesley Church, and turn right before the church, kind of a V, not a 90 degree right turn. Go to stop sign (I think it is a T in the road) and turn left, go over bridge and turn right onto Street Rd, Groff’s is on the right. Turn into the drive, Go past the Native Plant Nursery (wholesale only) to Groff’s straight back at the end of the road.
C.M Metal Craft, Quarryville, 717-786-2225. On May Post Office Rd before you get to Rt 372, look on the right as you are driving toward Groff’s for a man who makes inexpensive garden ornaments out of iron.