A slow coming spring isn’t stopping all the activity at Hanson’s Garden Village in Rhinelander. Brent and Sue Hanson, along with their daughter, Beth; son, Eric; and an eager crew are going full steam to get ready for the gardening season. A peep into their one of their many greenhouses reveals plants of every variety well on their way to becoming strong and sturdy specimens for the garden, yard or flower box.

In fact, this past Tuesday, April 15, was the start of the early bird perennial sale. For those looking to add some plants to their landscape that bloom year after year Hanson’s has many to choose from.

“These plants will do fine on a windowsill until we get some good planting weather,” said Brent.

Another popular sale starts April 25 when bare root stock is available. This is a good time for gardeners to make selections from hundreds of fruiting trees, shrubs, vines, native trees and berry plants.

For those looking to add lots of color to their landscapes, Hanson’s offers hundreds of different varieties of flowers from asters to zinnias. New this year are “crazytunias” which are petunia plants that come in bold colors and are stocky and compact. There are also many varieties of native flowering plants that draw butterflies and bees.
  
The vegetable plant selections here are staggering. Almost any kind of garden vegetable is grown at Hanson’s including a wide variety of tomato plants, peppers, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts to name just a few. There are also plenty of seeds to choose from, in addition to garden solutions for pests and weeds. Fertilizers and gardening equipment is also available.

One area of gardening the Hanson’s have become famous for is their variety of herbs. In fact, May 1 there will be an herb basket class where participants can plant their own herbs to enjoy in a basket and use in the kitchen. On April 26, there will be a moss basket class where participants can plant their own hanging moss planter choosing from a huge selection of favorite flowering specimens.

Yard décor is always fun and Hanson’s has lots of metal and concrete figurines to choose from. There are garden flags, planters, and cute and whimsical statuary of every form from frogs to dogs. One popular gardening trend are fairy gardens and there are many small figurines to add interest to these planters as well as lots of tiny plants that work perfect in this medium. In fact, two Mini Fantasy Planter classes will be held this year. One is May 3 and the other will take place June 12.

The Hanson’s and their crew are also very knowledgeable about everything they offer their customers and are more than happy to give advice or solutions to gardening dilemmas. Brent in particular has many solutions for shoreline restoration and erosion problems. Landscaping solutions are also available.

Hanson’s Garden village is located at 2660 Hwy. G just outside of Rhinelander. It is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. After Easter they will be open on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. They have a Facebook page, and a website or email at [email protected] The phone number is 715-369-2929.