Spring Is Here!

Spring is finally upon us; 

the birds are chirping, the warm sunshine is hitting our faces, and everything is fresh and new. We, Garden Valley Farmers Market, are SO excited to start serving you and bringing you the best flowers, plants and produce that North Carolina has to offer. Along with the excitement of Spring and the hope that it brings, we also have a few new projects up our sleeve, and we're excited that one of those new things is this updated blog. 

This space is here to share updates on our stores, encourage you to start thinking more locally with your purchases, and inspire you to create a beautiful gardening masterpiece of your own. And whether you're planning your next spring garden, or searching for tips for future landscaping ideas, we want this blog to be a resource and space for you to turn. We might even include a few mouth-watering recipes that incorporate our fresh, local produce that’s grown by our local farmers across the beautiful state of North Carolina. We're excited to share with you, grow with you, and learn with you. Without further ado, we welcome you to the blog of

Garden Valley Farmers Market

where we strive to plant better, eat better, and live better. 

See you soon,
Your Garden Valley Farmers Market Team

To nurture a garden is to feed
not just on the body, but the soul.
-Alfred Austin

The Fuchsia Plant

Features of Fuchsia

• Prolific bloomer from spring to fall
• Thrives in full to partial shade
• Attracts birds, butterflies and hummingbirds
• Usually a low plant that drapes over sides of containers, though under certain conditions, some cultivars can grow to be tree-sized

Fuchsia Care

Though slightly fussy about moisture and temperatures, fuchsias are still considered an easy plant to grow in container gardens. Most will thrive in part shade to full shade, but they don't like to be too hot and they especially hate dry heat.

Fuchsias are happiest with temperatures between 55-80°F, though there are some heat-tolerant cultivars that will keep their blooms up to 90°F. Fuchsias thrive in humidity, so if you live in a dry climate, you may have to mist your fuchsias to keep them sufficiently moist.

Though some fuchsias don't need deadheading, for peak bloom production pick off spent blossoms. During the blooming season fuchsias have a huge appetite, so you have to feed them regularly with diluted liquid fertilizer. Fuchsias like to be moist, but not soggy. Susceptible to root-rot, they require a fast draining potting soil and very good drainage.

How to Care for a Shrimp Plant

                                                                   SHRIMP PLANT 

Shrimp Plant Care

While these beauties aren’t fussy, there are a few things you should know about how to care for a shrimp plant to get the most from your shrub. It does best in loamy or sandy soil that is well drained. It doesn’t do well with wet feet. Well rooted plants are fairly drought tolerant, but like most tropicals, it thrives in high humidity. While they will grow in full sun to partial shade, growing shrimp plants where they receive morning sun is ideal. They need the sun to bring out the brightest colors and, yet, too much sun will cause the colors to fade too soon. Shrimp plant care should also include frequent trimming to encourage fuller growth and more bloom. Once the first bracts appear, a shrimp plant will bloom for months and then will rest for a short time before blooming again. The best time to trim and prune is when blooming begins to slow.

If you're looking for something unique, beautiful and easy to maintain, this plant is it! You can find these shrimp plants in four inch pots as well as in tree form at all of our locations!