Sprout Farm Newsletter June 13, 2026 sproutfarm.net open 9-5 daily

Hello Everyone,

The hot weather has arrived and the time to get  plants into the ground is now. June is the best time to plant perennials and it is tempting to walk into any nursery and pick out the plants that are in bloom now and neglect everything else; the plants that bloom later or the plants that bloomed earlier and have gone by. I was told by a man who maintained a large perennial garden that there are 13 two week seasons for perennials. I find that a daunting standard to apply but If June is the best month to plant and you want color all season NEXT year, then you would want to look for plants that have already bloomed, plants that are in bloom now and plants that aren't showing any color at all.  The most important thing is to get them into the ground so they can establish strong roots before the soil really heats up in July.

That brings me to Jay's annual clearance sale, which begins Sunday, June 14th, Father's Day and Flag Day. It is also the birthday of someone famous but I won't touch that. Our markdown's from last week are even bigger this week. Perennials and Hanging baskets are 40% off. Proven Winner 4.5” pots are on sale along with many other plants, There is a long list of markdowns and it will take too much time to wade through Jay's handwriting, but it's there. It is easier to list the plants that remain at regular price: Vegetables & herbs, Zinnias - Benarys, and Planters. It's not too late to start your garden or containers for your deck.

In the garden- We have lots of beautiful lettuce. We are starting to get beets and kale and chard. We do not have tomatoes yet. Jay guesses that we will start to get them around the end of the month. The sugar snap peas may be ready towards the end of next week. We have some beautiful ceramic bud vases from our friend Janelle. Small bud vases are difficult to find but they are perfect for that one (or three) special flower. We support local artists. We just don't have a lot of indoor display space.

Mimi's microgreens are fully stocked in the cooler.

People are planting cukes and every year they become a challenge or a champion. The Epic Gardener has his garden in North Carolina but he is fun to watch and has lots of good information. He is unusual because he doesn't hide his failures and every year he builds on what he learned from the previous year. While his summer growing conditions arrive in his back yard before we see ours, we gain from  his experience in little things like how to grow cukes. We do not carry the all female varieties but we do start them every few weeks because growing outdoors is always a challenge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEFvkqvpPnY&t=90s

The fish pond is down to the original lower level and we have no fish for the last year. Something is chewing up the thick lining and we are grateful that underneath that liner is the concrete pond shell. We're going to have to give some though on who or what is going after the liner. Could it be the same thing that wiped out all the fish in one night without a trace? It is a mystery but there is no rush to solve it right now.

There was a market/craft gathering at the Mashpee Commons today and it had a distinct 'dog' theme. I remembered Jessy but now that we are the owners of five cats, I felt a little out of place. The cats are taking the hot temps in stride. They hang out under the trees or the plants in the garden. We never know when they will show up, with one exception. They show up for breakfast. Even the hunter has stopped bringing in various creatures for out inspection. Wheezie and Scruffy are hanging out like brother and sister. Things may change in a couple of months. Who knows. We have reports that the kittens are all doing fine and we will be happy to share and pictures that come our way.

That's all the news for now. Stop by and see what we have growing for you.

Jay and Phyllis Sprout