“Petunia dble Purple, Petunia Elks Pride, Petunia La Paloma, Petunia Neore White, Purchased at Egan Gardens, Spring 1953”

Fortunately for me, Edith and Elizabeth kept meticulous records of plant purchases throughout the years. At the Lord & Schryver Conservancy, we rely upon those records along with hand drawn plans, notes on planting combinations and our pictorial archive to recreate the plantings that Edith and Elizabeth did over time in the Parterre Garden at Gaiety Hollow.

On a recent visit to Egan Gardens, I was happy to see the staff as busy as ever with the parking lot packed and the majority of patrons respectful of social distancing and wearing face masks.

I’m happy that we have such a longstanding relationship with this excellent grower of summer annuals. Edith and Elizabeth were long time customers and we continue that relationship today.  With the way Covid-19 has disrupted supply chains, having a local business that you can count on is a wonderful thing.

Ellen Egan graciously donated one of her Dad’s original propagation flats for a display we are working on in the Reserve Garden at Gaiety Hollow

Ellen shared some of her memories on growing up in a nursery family

Bill passed the torch to Ellen and she has kept the business going strong for decades now.

Petunias from Egan Gardens are staged in the recently restored Reserve Garden to await planting for the summer show.

Someone once said, “You can’t buy happiness but you can buy local and it’s kind of the same thing.”

Every local business that we support through this rough time builds resilience in our community and that is no small thing. By supporting local companies, we are ensuring that the money spent stays as close to home as possible, creating opportunities for those around us.

Thanks to local nurseries like Egan Gardens, Rocky Mountain Nursery, Wavra Farms, Terra Gardens and the Chemeketa Community College Horticulture program for supplying us with plants and helping keep our community looking beautiful through these difficult times.

Hope all the Mothers had a wonderful day of celebration this weekend. We wish you many happy moments to come.

Mark