Quality is a term which is thrown about a lot these days.  Everybody wants quality.  "Sell me a quality product!"  Many products have become disposable- shoes, small appliances, lawn mowers- because it is cheaper just to by a new one rather than fix the one you have.  How did this happen?

The same is true with plants.  Many people choose tomato plants based on price and appearance. Here at Willow's Bend Farm, our heirloom tomatoes sell for $4.00 each.  It's easy to find cheaper tomato plants.  Why pay the extra money?  You are actually not buying a tomato plant.  You don't actually eat the plant itself.  You are buying the potential harvest of tomatoes when they get ripe.  Many of our customers have come back and told us our tomatoes consistently outproduce everything else in their garden.  The plants grow larger and they bear fruit like crazy.  One customer told me that just one currant tomato plant produced so much her extended family of 10 couldn't keep up.  It took a half hour to pick all the fruit.  Eventually they gave up and let some fruit fall to the ground.  She was worried about volunteers coming up this year.  This is what you are buying when you buy one of our $4.00 tomato plants.

We have our old reliable Yellow Pear plants again, as well as a red pear tomato.  Both of these varieties will have you giving away the excess.  The currant tomato is back.  We have 20 varieties of heirloom tomatoes to choose from as well as the familiar hybrids.  We did buy the hybrids from a wholesale greenhouse and their price- $1.50 per 4 pack- reflects that fact. 

Of course, we sell more than just tomatoes.  The principle is the same though.  We sell only quality plants.  You can buy a Lavender plant from us and harvest sprigs of Lavender for the next 20 years.  We have four different varieties of mint, also a perennial.  We work hard to give you a reason to make a special trip here to see us.  Please, stop by and see us. 

Alisa and I have been working like two beavers getting the farm ready for our Spring Celebration.  I must acknowledge the help of a veritable legion of neighbors and family who have come over to help.  It's the country way, neighbors helping neighbors.  I'm glad residents of Dinwiddie county still follow the old ways.  Sometimes old-fashioned is the best way.

It's all coming together.  The retail area behind the greenhouse will be clear.  We have a really neat covered area up front.  The roof is a geodesic dome designed and built by our friend Will "Papa" Byrd.  There will be flowers, of course, lots of flowers, hanging baskets, giant Boston Ferns.  The greenhouse is overflowing with little plants just waiting to get in the ground.

Our Emporium has lots of new products, too.  We have a lot more healing herbs and essential oil blends.  We are just about out of the joint relief blend.  People buy it faster than we can make it.  We also have a nice general purpose skin healing blend, and just make up an itch relief blend.  Alisa is just finishing up a group of products for fibromyalgia.

The alpacas will be back for a visit.  The chickens, turkeys, and guinea hens will be around.  We actually loaned out one of the Tom turkeys to a friend of ours who lost most of his flock to dogs.  Mr. Brown was completely dominated by our Bourbon Red Tom here.  Now he has the hens all to himself.  I suspect he won't want to come back- ever.  

It's going to be a great day.  Please come out, even if it is just to look and say "Hi."  There is a lot of neat stuff going on here these days.  Be a part.