As the month of February broke records with a super early peak at Spring, many of us flocked outside to relish in its signs. We headed to parks, fields and playgrounds where we felt the warmth on our faces and it felt good… abnormally unusual… but good.  Thoughts of winter fires and a good snowstorm slowly turned to the outdoors and spring blooms, sunshine and warmth and all the things that Spring brings. As the grass started to green and the early spring flowers started to bud, my mind and the minds of many others turned towards the garden. Can we start working the still cold soil this early? What can we plant? How early can we plant? Even though a seasoned gardener knows the answers to theses questions, they still played around in our heads, as the unusual warmth tempted a sound gardening mind into thoughts of behavior that would spell doom to a garden. For this warm up in February would be sure to herald doom for a garden if we acted upon our impulse and these notions that come with it would be shattered with the first flakes of snow that would be sure to fall in March.  The month that roars in like a lion, bringing late Spring snow storms, typically mid March and then figures out what season it really is supposed to fall into…brings greener grass and a calming of the banshees by the end. 

Speaking of seasons, as we vacillate between welcoming warmth and finger chilling cold in the barn as we prepare for our upcoming Spring Barn Sale, our thoughts are rooted in the garden as well.  Each of our Barn Sales at Life’s Patina are centered around a theme and upon buying at the Atlanta Home and Gift Show in early January, I had decided that the theme of this upcoming Spring Sale would be the garden. Each of our sales also involves a local charitable organization or non profit that we like to both introduce to the community and raise funds for. Typically, I like to incorporate the charity with the theme if possible. This sale was no different and we are thrilled to announce that we will be benefiting the non profit organization Greener Partners with our upcoming Spring Barn Sale. Greener Partners is a tremendously positive force in our community and we’re honored to partner with them for our Spring 2017 Barn Sale Season. 

Based in Norristown but serving all of the greater Philadelphia region, Greener Partners employs community farms and mobile education programs to build healthier communities through food, farms and education. With their dedication to increasing public access to nutrient rich and locally grown food and teaching communities how to prepare healthy meals, Greener Partners distributed 15,500 pounds of fresh food to local families in need, organized over 500 farm education sessions in local schools, and donated 4000 pounds of farm fresh food to local hospital patients in need in 2016 alone.

To learn more or get involved, visit the Greener Partners website here.

Greener Partners will be making a brief presentation about their mission at our Spring Preview Garden Luncheon on April 6th. An event that both allows the attendee to get a first peek at our new Barn Sale offerings while benefitting Greener Partners. To learn more about it, click here.

They will also be making hands on presentations and green smoothies the next day, Friday April 7th which is the first day of our Barn sale where we are open from 10-5 to the public and all are invited to join!

As we batten down the hatches for a forecasted Nor’ Easter to hit these parts in a couple of days, we will be jolted back into winter and thoughts of Spring will be a distant memory as we are shoveling the accumulated snow. The garden will be relegated to the back of our minds as it is covered up in the powdered sparkling white stuff. Take a moment to enjoy the season that got sideswiped by false hopes of spring and as the snow melts… for it always does… and warmer temperatures return, turn those thoughts yet again, to the outdoors and to the garden and join us to support

Stay safe and warm if this storm does hit and maybe just maybe celebrate the late snowfall with a festive winter activity that you did not yet partake in even though your minds will be elsewhere… like a warm beach in the following season of summer.

Enjoy and be safe!

~Meg