Milmont Garden Nursery and Stuarts Draft

I followed the road to the river in Stuarts Draft last week, driving past the Little Debbie factory and Target warehouse in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was a pretty spring day so I let the road lead me.

Milmont Nursery. The summer annuals aren't in yet but there were plenty of other varieties of trees, shrubs, and flowers.

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
April 2014

Milmont Greenhouse: Mountain views, gardening values

 I snapped a photo while shopping the 50% off premium annuals on Tuesday at Milmont Greenhouse in Stuarts Draft. With the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background, this Mennonite-run nursery has a beautiful view both inside the fence and beyond. It's been my first choice for plants for 16 years.

 Sprinkles fell from the clouds throughout the morning before finally turning into downpours by the middle of the day.

 I was looking for flowers to fill in blank spots in pots that had been planted with Milmont products in the spring.

The sale on hanging baskets and premium annuals began July 2.

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
July 2, 2013

What does Mom really want for Mother's Day?

Mother's Day is almost upon us and it's time to think about what Mom really wants for her special day.

According to news reports, the #1 Mother's Day wish this year? An iPad.

Yeah, right. When my husband and I had two young children and I was a stay-at-home mom as well as a homeschool mom while we (sometimes barely) made ends meet on one income, we had absolutely no money for something as pricey as an iPad. Heck, I don't even have one now.

So let's get more realistic. This is not a pie-in-the-sky list of gifts for Mom ... these are do-able for families. With two grown children of my own, I've had lots of Mother's Days over the years so some are from my personal wish list.

Time: The thing I craved more than anything else when my children were young: time alone. I love my children and was grateful to be able to raise and educate them myself. I love my husband who worked hard, thus allowing me to stay home with the kids. But a 24/7 mom needs a little down time. A weekend taking the kids camping or to the grandparents' house would be great. However, most moms would settle for one day or even a few hours of "just her" time to do whatever she wanted ... read, Facebook, time alone in the bathroom. (Ever notice how little fingers fit under bathroom doors ... "Mommy?")

Someone-else-cooked-it meal: Any meal planned and cooked and dishes washed by someone other than Mom is a treat. I consider myself a pretty good cook and actually enjoy spending time in the kitchen, but the drudgery of planning and having meals ready every day of the week can wear on a person. To be able to just walk in, sit down, and enjoy a meal is an easy fix. Can't cook? Bring it in ... pizza, takeout, fast food. During those cash-strapped years when our kids were young, we couldn't afford restaurant takeout but hamburgers or pizza filled the bill.

Gift certificates to Mom's hair salon: Haircuts, coloring, and whatever else is pricey. With little ones, moms spend those precious dollars on family-necessary items and not herself. Pamper her by making it easier for her to pamper herself.

Gift certificate for spa day(s): Locally we have High Tech Salon in Verona with a luxurious spa in addition to the usual hair care. Something like that could give Mom several hours of relaxation.

Gift certificate to a garden center: If Mom likes to garden or even just have pots of colorful, summer flowers around, a gift certificate to a garden center like Milmont lets her pick out the plants she wants. And babysit the kids for her so she can enjoy looking and choose her plants without chasing kids or pulling little hands out of tender plants.

Plants: Already-planted hanging and potted flowers make it easy for Mom.

So as I look back on the days when my now-grown twenty-something children were little, I enjoyed the handmade, crayon-lettered cards they made as they poured their little hearts into the messaging. Breakfast from the hubby was nice, too.

The years roll forward, kids leave the nest, the stranglehold of tight finances lets up, and this year my grown kids who now live away from home are treating me to an extra-special day. To all those moms out there ... Happy Mother's Day!

Milmont Nursery ... 2011 autumn season

What's more fun than Customer Appreciation Day at Milmont Nursery? This Saturday in Stuarts Draft ... all your autumn decorating items with mums in all sizes and colors, pumpkins, corn shocks ... giveaways, BBQ, kettle corn, free ice cream and, best of all, a gorgeous view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
15 September 2011

It was a Milmont day....

 What's not to like in a sea of beautiful colorful flowers?

 Impatiens ... they are gorgeous in shady areas and perfect for my back yard.

 Early spring flowers were marked half-price at the entrance on Friday.

 Look at that view ... the Blue Ridge Mountains never fail to awe me.

 My cart of flowers ...

 ... and Barb's cart of flowers. This was our first run of the season ... we plant and then return to buy what we need to fill in the extra places.

Again ... what's not to love about that view? Flowers ... and then mountains....

Isn't he adorable?! In my yard, he could direct the nightly symphony of tree frogs in the woods behind the house.

It was time for Barb and me to make our annual trip to Milmont ... two flower lovers buying annuals to plant in flower pots and window boxes. After a long, leisurely lunch at McAlister's in Waynesboro, we drove the few miles to Milmont Nurseries in Stuarts Draft to search for just the right flowers.

We weren't disappointed, and the place was hopping with folks doing the same. Hanging baskets, planters, do-it-yourself four-packs, and vegetables were waiting inside the hot houses. Bushes, trees, and annuals were outside where the view looked across the fields to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance. Enjoying that scenery, I never fail to pinch myself as a reminder that I'm fortunate enough to call this beautiful place home.

I also picked up some veggie plants ... jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and banana peppers. We'll plant seeds for most everything else.

The safe frost date for the Valley is May 15th so I'm not putting anything outdoors yet. They will be potted and kept close until I feel sure the cold or frost won't damage them.

It's always a good day in the Valley when it's a Milmont day....

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
29 April 2011

Milmont's spring tulips

The colors of spring in southern Augusta County.

Tulips at Milmont Nursery in Stuarts Draft while riding around the county with my mom on a rainy Saturday.

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
22 April 2011

Get your hands in the dirt....

Plants from Milmont Nursery wait to be potted ...

Hanging baskets look skimpy now but will be overflowing in a couple of months ...

Working in the potting shed under the deck ...

Lawn furniture is in place along with the hammock for summer lounging ...

Terra cotta pots wait for flowers ...

Dirt ... spring ... planting ... sunshine ... outdoors.

The past two days in the Valley have been warm with a stiff southerly breeze ... perfect for planting and working in the yard.

The flowers bought last week at Milmont Nursery have been planted in terra cotta pots and window boxes even as shrubs and flowers in the yard are in full bloom. SWAC Daughter is mowing ... laundry is drying on the clothes line.

This is the time to get your hands in the dirt, smell the clean air and green grass, and enjoy spring in the Shenandoah Valley....

Photos by SWAC Girl
Lynn Mitchell

Flowers and veggies from Milmont Nursery

Milmont Nursery's greenhouses are full of annuals for another growing season. They also have garden vegetables and perennials.

Photo by SWAC Girl
Lynn Mitchell
22 April 2010

This is why I haven't been to Milmont yet ... frost warning for Augusta County

The warm days and 85-degree temperatures have been tempting me to buy outdoor summer plants and get them planted. However, I've lived in the central Shenandoah Valley region for 14 years and have learned to be patient in a region where the frost danger is not past until around May 15.

Sure enough, there is a frost advisory in effect for Augusta, Page, Rockingham, and Shenandoah counties tonight, according to WHSV TV-3. That means tender newly-planted veggies and flowers may be killed by the cold if left outdoors or uncovered.

It's difficult to wait when the warm breezes stir ... but wait, I will, before investing time, energy, and money into beautiful flowers and vegetables that I want to see produce into the summer.

My buying trip to Milmont Nursery will have to wait a bit longer....

Get your hands in the dirt....

Plants from Milmont Nursery wait to be potted ...

Quince bushes are in full bloom ...

Hanging baskets look skimpy now but will be overflowing in a couple of months ...

Working in the potting shed under the deck ...
Lawn furniture is in place along with the hammock for summer lounging ...
Terra cotta pots wait for flowers ...
Redbud ...
Wisteria ...

Dirt ... spring ... planting ... sunshine ... outdoors.

The past two days in the Valley have been hot with a stiff southerly breeze ... perfect for planting and working in the yard.

The flowers bought last week at Milmont Nursery have been planted in terra cotta pots and window boxes even as shrubs and flowers in the yard are in full bloom.

This is the time to get your hands in the dirt, smell the clean air and green grass, and enjoy spring.

It's spring in the Shenandoah Valley....

Photos by SWAC Girl
Lynn Mitchell
April 28, 2009

Milmont flowers and spring

Entrance to Milmont Greenhouses

Milmont entrance to outdoor garden area

Perennials, trees, and shrubs with Blue Ridge Mountains in background.

Front drive into Milmont. These flowers will be overflowing their borders soon.

We are still three weeks from our last frost date in the Shenandoah Valley because, traditionally, May 15th signals that it is safe to plant outdoors. But many buy annuals early for planting in pots and flower boxes so that, if frost or a cold snap comes, they can be set inside. Meanwhile, the plants get a jump on growing and we have mature plants faster.

Today I met a friend at McAlister's Deli in Waynesboro where we ate lunch on the patio in the warmth of a Valley spring day overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains, and then we headed 10 minutes south to Milmont Nursery in Stuarts Draft. I buy my flowers from them every year ... they have a gazillion varieties, they guarantee the health of the plants, and the greenhouses are clean, neat, and enjoyable for shopping. Everyone is friendly and helpful, and the view of the Blue Ridge is astounding.

I stocked up on annuals and picked up the first of the garden veggies requested by SWAC Husband. These will be covered on cold nights and will be fine, and then I'll go back to pick up other fill-in annuals and veggies.

It was low 80s today and sunny, and should be even warmer over the weekend. Everyone was out in shorts and t-shirts ... Milmont was hopping with gardners ready to get a jump on the season and get their hands in the dirt.

It's spring in the Shenandoah Valley....

Photos by SWAC Girl
Lynn Mitchell
April 24, 2009

It's a Milmont day in the Valley ...

It's late April and time to head to Milmont Nursery in Stuarts Draft to buy annuals and garden veggies for this year. Just as I've done every year -- I posted photos of this family-owned plant nursery last year -- I'm heading there with a friend to peruse the greenhouses and find the tried-and-trues as well as some new flowering plants. Today should be mid- to upper-70s in the Valley ... a great day to celebrate spring at Milmont!

Photo by SWAC Girl
Lynn Mitchell
April 25, 2008

Milmont Greenhouse in Stuarts Draft ... fall mums are in

Milmont Greenhouse always has a huge selection of fall mums ... but this year they have outdone themselves. These large ones are $15 each in a variety of colors.

When is the last time you saw a mum in a bushel basket? These giant beauties are $25 each.



As always, the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains rise in the background....

Milmont Greenhouse is run by Mennonites who work hard to provide an experience that is asthetically pleasing when looking for flowers. The brick flooring of the greenhouses along with the abundant displays of hanging baskets, vegetables, flowers, shrubs, and trees makes shopping there a pleasant encounter, and the huge variety of plants and garden needs makes it a one-stop location.

I have written about them in the past because their products are healthy and always perform well in flower boxes and borders. When I moved to this area in 1996, I was introduced to Milmont by fellow home school moms ... and have been going back every year since.

They are moving out their summer flowers with sales going on at this time (see their website) but fall vegetables are in stock, and the mums are being shipped in and are gorgeous.

If you are in the Stuarts Draft area of Augusta County, be sure to stop by Milmont Greenhouse even if it's just to take in the scenery and look at the flowers.

Milmont is open Monday through Saturday from early morning until 5:00 p.m.; closed Sundays. They are located on Rt. 340 approximately one mile north of Stuarts Draft, VA (on the Waynesboro/Stuarts Draft line).

Directions to Milmont: Take I-64 to exit 94 (Waynesboro). At the traffic light, turn left onto Rt. 340 South and drive 3.5 miles to Milmont on the left.