It always starts the same way: “Baby plants are here!” This is the beginning of spring at Ebert’s Greenhouse. At the first sight of the semi truck pulling into the driveway, a spark of hope is felt. And in that one phrase, there’s an emotional shift felt inside our business- a small but hopeful one, knowing that planting season has finally arrived. There isn't one employee who isn’t excited to see our first arrivals and get their hands dirty. Watch how our bare greenhouse transforms magically into the start of a plant paradise!

Our Soil Bay is ready and filled to the brim with soil pallets, containers, and trays piled high, accompanied by the infamous ‘workhorse’ of the Bay: The flat-filler! Our giant red friend automatically condenses large bales of soil and fills containers and trays with rich soil fast– because once the plants arrive in the greenhouse, everything moves fast! The freshly filled containers make their appearance on a conveyor belt with a slight puff of dust from the working machine. Our team is working quickly, moving the containers onto the aged-but-sturdy cart that rolls them out into the greenhouse. The containers are set on the tables in neat rows. The task makes for a full and tiring work day- but the anticipation of planting makes it so much more enjoyable!

Now, there’s no delay in unloading the baby plants from the large semi truck.

Boxes upon boxes are unloaded with careful urgency. The “babies” are rolled on tall carts from the crisp air into the warm, earthy environment of the greenhouse- their leafy contents still green but promising color and life. They’re taken right into their first home- the Westbrook. This will be their haven for the next several months-  where they’re treated with love and care and admired by our staff every day!

The plugs are being checked in by our experts, inspected for any damage, and their health is being confirmed. They’re organized strategically by kind- now they’re all set to be carefully tucked into the dirt!

Eager hands dig into the earthy soil with practiced care. There’s no better smell than the Westbrook alive with new beginnings! Laughter, chatter, and radio tunes mingle with the hum of greenhouse fans. Crisp breezes brush the team’s skin as the windows open up periodically to vent. It’s such a happy time- spring isn’t just on the way… it is here!

Throughout the month of February and into March, this large greenhouse is completely comprised of clipboards, “plant check-in sheets,” pencils, scissors for trimming, plant tags, color-coded flags used by the grow team, hoses, containers filled with rich, damp soil, and hundreds of plug trays. It’s a sensory experience that everyone lives for here.

It’s time for Recipes! Our owner, Mark, and our annual team carefully craft the perfect hanging basket “recipe” with unique color and flower combinations to create something truly stunning. The plant tags, showing the kind, variety, color, and care tips, are stuck inside the soil of a container- that particular recipe is for a certain group of containers. Our team members follow this formula- they choose the correct variety and poke the tender plugs carefully out of their tray onto the soft soil. Then, one by one, careful hands place the plants in the soil-laden container, so eagerly awaiting their flower friends. Each plug is spaced meticulously in the container- not too close but not too far from its other buddies- to ensure proper growth. Each container holds about six or seven different varieties, and several of one variety. Freshly planted, everything looks so small and tender, though with much potential. The plugs will grow quickly, flower, and completely fill out the container into a vibrant and lush hanging basket that finds its final home in your garden!

The final step for these combo baskets? Their “hangers”- it’s what makes them hanging baskets, after all! Our skilled employees enter with strong and gloved hands to twist and work wire hangers on each and every basket- by hand! Talk about tired hands after a day’s work…but it’s a job well done!

When winter is still technically hanging on- it’s full-blown spring inside the Westbrook at Ebert’s. It’s warm, inviting, and completely busy- but it’s where we thrive!

Stay tuned for where our planting journey takes us in March! Lots more planting, plucking, trimming, and preparation are sure to be in store… but the excitement that builds among us employees is still more than the workload!