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The Countdown Is On!
The 2023 Garden Season and Opening Day for
Prickly Ed's Cactus Patch Native Plant Emporium are Nearly Here - Here's All the Dirt
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Opening for the Season April 28, 2023
There's a Live Countdown Clock On Our Website - Be Sure to Check it Out!
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The winter that never really was flew by and we are working overtime to get everything ready for opening day. We have some amazing things in store this season, can't wait to see you all! For the first few weeks of the season (also known as Manic May) we will be open:
Wednesday and Thursday from
4:00 - 7:00pm
Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11:00am - 5:00pm
Or by appointment other days & times
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As many of you already know, inventory at the Emporium is ever changing, just like the New England weather. We do not have a live online inventory or ordering system. In the Amazon era we know this can be frustrating to some, but, view it with an entirely different spin. Our vibe is the Emporium of yesteryear where you would drive somewhere, explore the offerings and enjoy the experience along the way. In the process you discover things you never even knew you needed until you saw them. Stop by often and join in the fun! Plant lists posted on our website are intended to give you an idea of the types of things that will be available beginning in May. Not everything on the lists will be available all the time and many things not listed are likely to magically appear! We will be open weekly from opening day through October this year with new things arriving all the time. We have expanded our space and our inventory significantly from last year to better meet demand.
So what will you find at Prickly Ed's Cactus Patch?
Here are some things to look forward to!
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We carry a large variety of native shrubs and perennials in a several sizes, mostly ranging from 1-5 gallon. Many native plants reach their peak later in the summer and therefore are just breaking dormancy at this point in the year. We focus on selling healthy, resilient plants. The foliage and blooms are not being forced in heated greenhouses, they will emerge at the right point in the season! Explore some of the varieties that will be available during May and early June. | We know that gardens are also about the joy that they bring to you. That's why, in addition to our many beneficial natives we also carry a line up of designer flowering annuals that will instantly add drama to your outdoor space. As an added benefit, we carefully select varieties that are especially attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies. These great plants are available in jumbo sizes and many are perfect for containers and window boxes. The majority of our annuals come from Beds and Borders, a top notch grower located on Long Island. We are really picky about our plants and they exceed our expectations each and every time. | |
Deep root landscape plugs are native plant seedlings grown in a special way that lets you to plant them directly into the ground. Many will even flower in the first year. Normally, they are sold to trade professionals and in large (50+) quantities. They are often used for restoration projects. These plugs are a great way to economically fill a landscape with neonicotinoid free, straight species, hard to find native plants. That's why we offer them for sale to you, buy as few or as many as you need or want. Learn more about some of our offerings and get plugging in your garden. | When the timing is right (normally early to mid-May) we will have a line up of warm season vegetable plants and complementary herbs for your victory gardens. Stay tuned to our Facebook and Instagram Pages for more information on the date herb and veggie plants will be available at the Emporium. Our plants are always certified organic and we carry an array of classic favorites and unusual heirloom varieties. This year we are delighted to be working with our friends at Long Lane Farm right in Warren to bring you the best of the best! Learn more about the line up at the link below. | |
Prickly Ed's Famous Red Pots
We grow some of our own native perennials here on site at Prickly Ed's. These plants are grown in red pots (to match the barn) so that you can easily tell them apart. We grow some unusual varieties, in high quality organic soil and without the use of any pesticides or herbicides. Our red pots are available starting in June and throughout the rest of the season while supplies last.
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Black Gold - Magic Dirt
The secret to great gardens starts with the soil. One of the best ways to enrich your soil is with organic compost. For decades, Rhode Island gardeners have sworn by the amazing Earth Care Farm Compost as a must have ingredient, especially for veggie gardens. We offer it in two ways. You can buy it by the bag, or go with the more environmentally friendly and economical option - bring your own 5 gallon buckets and we will fill them right up for you! We also have raised bed mix available by the bucket if you need to top off those raised beds and planter boxes.
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Rain Barrels
-Amazing Price
-Repurposed Materials --Ready to use
From Will's Gardens in Hanover, Massachusetts, we bring you rain barrels created from repurposed food grade 55 gallon barrels with the spigot already attached. Recapture and reuse rain with upcycled materials and support two local small businesses in the process. What's not to love about that?
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Buckwheat Hulls Mulch
Our personal preference is for plants packed so densely that there is no need for mulch! We also believe that leaves and other organic matter make for perfect mulch. However. sometimes there are situations where mulch is a must have and when that happens turn to Buckwheat Hulls Mulch. It will become a fast favorite!
Click Here To Learn More About Buckwheat Hulls Mulch
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Always Available - Our Signature Plant, the Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus
We offer Opuntia humifusa potted and as pads. This wonderous native plant is the inspiration for our name. Well that and Ed's sometimes prickly personality of course ;-)!
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Books and Great Garden Gifts
Need a gift for a friend, neighbor, family member or yourself? We have selected some of the very best books on nature-centered gardening and they will be available at the Emporium this season. Stop in to the new potting shed gift area to check them out.
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This Season, Don't Kill The Buzz!
An Interview With Experts - Are Mosquito Sprays Safe and Effective?
Here's the Cliff Notes - NO and NO!
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Here's an interview that you - and all your neighbors need to read! Please be sure to pass it on. Here's a quick excerpt, read the full article by clicking the link below.
"Each year more yards are being sprayed for mosquitos. Did you know you could be poisoning your yard but mosquito populations are not being reduced? Before deciding to spray, know the facts. Spraying can harm you, your kids, pets and your neighbors. The chemicals can also harm birds and insects that help eat mosquitos and pollinate your yard." Read on Below...
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Don't Forget About the Creatures of the Night
Did you know that there is a whole second shift of pollinators that takes over at night? Scientists are just beginning to learn about the nighttime world of pollinators, but what they are quickly discovering is the vital role that they play. You can help nighttime pollinators by minimizing the use of artificial light and planting with the moon in mind. Focus on night blooming flowers like Evening Primrose or on those with white flowers and silvery foliage like Yarrow, Rattlesnake Master, Wild Quinine and Mountain Mint. Fragrant natives like Garden Phlox and Clethra are winners too. There are a number of annuals that make for a magical moon garden, these include things like Cleome and our very favorite nighttime flower - Nicotiana, flowering tobacco. The intoxicating scent of flowering tobacco will fill your yard after dark. The flowers are as well loved by night pollinators as they are by hummingbirds during the light of day. We carry lots of unusual varieties, you won't see these in many other area gardens and they are sure to create a buzz in yours.
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Wondering What To Plant For Spring Nectar?
The sight of sleepy bumblebees waking up on unusually warm spring days has pollinator pals everywhere wondering what flowers they should be planting for spring fuel. Here in New England, the majority of our very early nectar and pollen sources come from our "woodie" native plant varieties, trees and shrubs. Native Maple Trees and Willows, including Pussy Willow are early favorites along with Native Highbush and Lowbush Blueberries, Raspberry, Blackberry and Serviceberry. Golden Alexander and Geranium maculatum are two great early native perennials. An important goal of gardening for pollinators and other beneficial creatures is to plan for successional blooming - meaning have a few things blooming at all times from March through November - or even longer. This can seem like a daunting task, but fortunately, there are a number of wonderful resources that map this all out. We've gathered up the best of the best in resources and they are all available on the Planning Your Garden Page our our Website. Dig in and get planning for gardens with long reaching impacts.
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Join Us On May 31, 2023 at Blithewold in Bristol, RI for a Riveting ;-) Program Titled
"Bring More Life To Your Garden"
From the Program Description:
"Join Cindy and Ed Moura from Prickly Ed’s Cactus Patch Native Plant Emporium to dig in to the practical fundamentals of nature-centered gardening. Using a foundation of native plants and embracing ecological principles, your landscape can become a buzzing birdscape and pollinator paradise! Through inspirational presentations and lively discussions, participants will explore ways to garden with nature instead of battling against it. Minds and hearts will opened to new ways to think about beauty in our gardens as participants examine ways to manage properties with biodiversity, sustainability, and resiliency at the root."
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Mark your calendars, the one and only Edwina von Gal of the Perfect Earth Project and 2/3 for the Birds will be speaking at Tower Hill Botanical Gardens (also livestreamed on Zoom) on May 17th from 7:00 - 8:00 pm. Her garden designs are legendary and her commitment to the earth and its inhabitants inspirational. Be sure to register and tune in! | | |
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Northeast Pollinator Pathway Initiative
Ready to join together with neighbors to create a buzz? Be sure to join the Northeast Pollinator Pathway. Fragmentation of habitat makes it difficult - sometimes even impossible - for bees, butterflies, birds (even our beloved hummingbirds) to find enough life supporting habitat. By creating corridors of connected habitat - private and public spaces - we give them a chance to survive and even thrive. To be most effective though, lots of connected properties are needed. So get involved, and encourage neighbors to do the same. If you are in or near Barrington, mark your calendars for an upcoming presentation by Barrington Land Conservation Trust Pollinator Committee Volunteers happening May 23rd at the Barrington Public Library. It is a great opportunity to learn more about the Pathway Project and how you can get involved.
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New To Our Mailing List? Be Sure to Visit Our Blog and Read Prior Editions of our Newsletter At the Links Below | |
Help Us Bring More Life to Our Region | |
We are on a mission to bring life back to area yards and gardens but we can't do it without all of you. Share this message with others using the links below. Encourage others to visit us at the Native Plant Emporium to explore the local offerings. Invite friends to follow our Facebook Page. Use our newly updated website to share out helpful resources and information to friends and neighbors who are ready to grow habitat outside their own doors. With your support positive change is within reach.
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Prickly Ed's Cactus Patch
6 Barneyville Road,
Barrington, RI 02806-2715
(401) 248-4785
Please note, use the address above for mailing or for GPS but the Roadside Stand/Native Plant Emporium is located in Swansea, MA directly next door to the address listed above. Just look for the sign and for the big red barn.
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Prickly Ed's Cactus Patch, Roadside Stand, Apothecary and Native Plant Emporium is a super small, hyperlocal, roadside stand located directly on the border of Barrington, RI and Swansea, MA focused on making the area a little bit wilder one yard at a time! Offering great native plants, prickly pear cactus, magic dirt, unusual pollinator friendly annuals, organic herb and vegetable plants, lots of solicited and unsolicited advice & random curiosities designed to get your yard really buzzing. You can read all about us on our website, including the story of where the name Prickly Ed's Cactus Patch came from. | |
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