Welcome to Cottage Garden……
A fond hello to returning plantoholics and welcome to those of you entering our website for the first time. Cottage Garden is small but packs a big horticultural punch! I started this plant zoo in my back yard on Christian Hill in Alton, Illinois (near St. Louis Mo.) in 1985. The 'Mom' nursery became 'Mom and Pop' when I moved to my Dad's strawberry farm here in Piasa IL (say Pie-a-saw) in 1987, and my husband Bill came to work with me.
What can I say? Doing what I love best, I get to buy just about every plant that catches my fancy and work with beautiful living things all the time….yes, life is good. Unlike the X-Marts, I seek out the new and unusual and my passion is displaying them in creative and innovative ways and sharing them with you.
Jean, our very knowledgeable employee of ten years, has added considerably to our nursery and we value her as much for her sense of humor as for her patience and work ethic. Not many nurseries can boast of the knowledgeable sales help like we have in Jean, and she shares freely her gardening experience of some 50 years.
Our menagerie also includes four pets….all dogs, including our rascally Jack Russell terrier, P.J., always on the prowl for squirrels, moles, and especially, treats brought to the nursery by his many devoted fans and our fellow gardeners.
A word
about our plants…..we grow on and finish all of our plant material
here on our prairie nursery in southwestern Illinois. Perennials are exposed
to a hardy outdoor climate year round, and will not require fussy acclimating
when you receive them. Plant them out directly, and watch them take off.
Annuals and tropicals are greenhouse grown, although they are acclimated
to somewhat cooler temperatures in spring before we ship them. They should
be planted out when night time temperatures remain above 50F degrees. Special
instructions are always included with your order when we deem necessary.
We are here to answer any questions you may have, please feel free to call,
email or write, as your comments
are always welcome.
Chris & Bill Kelley
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