Road Trip To Thanksgiving Farms to See Special African Violets

One of the best things we can do is sign up at our local independent garden centers for their newsletters and social media accounts. This way, you will be like me, one of the first to know when something special comes in, OR they are hosting an event!

Last week, Thanksgiving Farms shared on their Facebook page that Jenny from Russian Violets was going to be at their Garden Center on Saturday. Road Trip! I made plans right away to see them with a good friend.

It is always such an excellent ride to Frederick Country to visit Thanksgiving Farms. Right outside of Buckystown in Adamstown, you are greeted with such a burst of color when you turn into this garden center! While I love the painted structures throughout the garden center, it is the plants! Big blocks of color as you walk from their large parking lot to the greenhouse. Once inside, I felt like I was back home at Behnke’s with all the fabulous houseplants! Even better, they have some beautiful parrots jabbering away.

As my friend Judy and I looked around, I saw where Jenny and her husband, Dewey DeVane, had set up their African Violet Display. Small world! As soon as I saw Dewey, I recognized him. He owns Maryland Aerial Video and made this video in 2015. Check it out here! 

Back to the African Violets. Jenny brought some unique African Violets that reminded me of what my grandmother, Rose Behnke, hybridized and grew at Behnke’s.

With over 20 years of experience in collecting and growing, Russian Violets offers some incredibly rare violet varieties that were bred in Ukraine and Russia. So, of course, five ended up coming home with me!

Check Jenny’s website at RussianViolets.com for details on purchasing some of these beauties for your home.

Thanksgiving Farms hosts different pop up’s, and by following them on Facebook, I knew about this company and that they would be there. By the time I left, they were surrounded by customers!

Even better, another friend who grew up next door to Behnke Nurseries in Beltsville showed up! We had not seen each other in over 30 years but have been friends on Facebook! Joanie also remembered all the fun we used to have in the African Violet house as little girls. It was so wonderful to see you, Joanie Aquilino! I don’t care what some say about social media. I, for one, love it! How else would I have known about what was happening?