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Road Trip

Some of you might recall, a few years ago we had a wonderful guest writer for our blog, Jessica Crawford. Jessica’s Garden was about her family, her garden and redoing her old home. Since then, many new and exciting things have been going on for Jessica and I wanted to share them with you.

Jessica has been selling the unique treasures that she finds and repurposes at different shops in the area. One place was the The Mill At Keymare. Last year the opportunity came about to purchase the business and Cotton & Co. Vintage Boutique was born. After months of hard work which I enjoyed following on social media, the Grand Re-Opening was held last weekend. I am in awe at what she and her husband did to this old mill. The finished project is a beautiful, airy place that holds many different vendors showcasing their terrific products.

You can follow her on Instagram and check out some of the photos of the journey to her dream.  Here is a small description from her Facebook page: “We are a vintage boutique. Featuring approximately 15 unique and high quality vendors, with their own spin on vintage. All the way from primitive to retro and everything in between, including farmhouse, mid century and industrial.”

Last weekend my daughter and I along with my granddaughter drove to Keymare to attend the grand opening. It was fantastic! One of my favorite things was the Maryland General Store that Jessica incorporated into the building. Filled with everything Maryland; jams, aprons and more in- between. I loved everything, but the honey candy was the best!

While, yes, it is a distance from Behnke’s, it is well worth your time, especially if you love a good road trip. In nearby Union Bridge and Westminster, you will find some great restaurants after you stop in at Cotton & Co. When you do, say hello to Jessica and tell her that her friends at Behnke’s sent you.

by Stephanie Fleming, Behnke’s Vice President

Stephanie Fleming was raised at Behnke’s Nurseries in Beltsville. Her Mom, Sonja, was one of Albert & Rose Behnke’s four children. She was weeding from the moment she could walk and hiding as soon as she was old enough to run, so many weeds, so little time. Although she quickly learned how to pull out a perennial and get taken off of weed pulling duty.

This Post Has 6 Comments

  1. I grew up in Greenbelt and the Behnke Nursery was one of my favorite places to visit as a child. I have called Keymar, MD my home for the past 23 years, and have been to the Mill several times. So nice to stumble on this blog. Especially excited to reconnect with Behnke’s and visit the new store!

    1. It really is such a small world. I have know Jessica since she was a little girl who grew up as a close friend to my daughter. We are all so excited and proud of this new chapter in her life. I hope you get a chance to see all the changes she and her husband have done to the old mill. And maybe take a road trip of your own back to see us at Behnkes.

  2. Hi Behnke-friends! My family has loved your nursery for at least two generations and were so sad to hear you’re closing. We think your business gives so much value to the community, and we were curious to know if there was any interest in selling to folks who would want to keep it open. We will plan to call or stop by as well, but good luck in the meantime!

    Thanks,
    Mairead

  3. So sorry to hear that Behnke nursery is closing. I have been a customer since 1991. I wish all the staff and the owners luck in their future endeavours. I will miss this place.

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