‘Make New Friends but Keep the Old;
One is Silver and the Other Gold’
I learned those lyrics 30 years ago as a Brownie Girl Scout in Miss Lynn’s troop at Lake Shore. Miss Lynn put a lot of heart and hard work into troop leadership and made sure we pondered the words carefully as we learned the tune. Around the campfire at Camp Whippoorwill, my fellow Brownies and I would sing that song along with other traditional Girl Scout tunes. For some reason, those lyrics resonated in my young mind, and I pondered at length the concepts of friendship, loyalty and longevity. Years have passed but that tune always comes flooding back, bringing with it sweet memories of old friendships and the innocent lessons of childhood.
Those were the good old days!
Around the same age I began to pay attention to the vegetables Dad planted in our huge garden, and the beautiful shrubs and flowers Mom tended in our front beds. I remember perusing seed catalogs, in awe of the beautiful flowers and amazing vegetables the catalog promised, if only we purchased their seed. Giant Watermelon! The sweetest corn you ever tasted! Big, juicy tomatoes! Colorful zinnias and dazzling cosmos! I wanted to try them all and dog-eared most pages. And what a great source of education; I memorized the names of flowers and learned about planting zones, planting times and other important tidbits that have remained with me since.
I’m certain many of you can relate to the excitement that a simple seed catalog can generate!
As the new owner of Himmel’s Landscape and Garden Center, I hope that your next visit to the shop will elicit the same sense of wonder and excitement that the seed catalogs inspired in me when I was a child. You will still see your old, gold friends here at Himmel’s – Dotti, Brenda, Tait, and others. Their work and expertise are invaluable, and I’m thrilled they all made this transition with me!
We will continue to stock the highest quality plant material at a great value – favorites you have come to rely on like the annuals in Dotti’s annual greenhouse, gorgeous azaleas at a great price, beautiful crape myrtles for traditional summer color, a dazzling assortment of perennials, and more!
We will work hard to bring you the latest trends in garden décor, and the newest plants featuring bold color, texture, and hardiness so that your garden will showcase the best blooms with the longest growing season.
You can also be sure to expect some surprises – things that have never been offered before at Himmel’s!
Finally – we will uphold our mission – Helping our neighbors build a better, healthier and more beautiful world – by
- joining community efforts to improve the health of the Bay and the watershed;
- demonstrating leadership in the movement to restore pollinators;
- offering a wider variety of native plants, shrubs and trees, and – quite simply;
- developing a better relationship with you to learn how we can best meet your landscape and gardening
needs
We can’t wait to get started! So, come visit us at Himmel’s and make some new friends. And remember, whether you are planting a few seeds or growing a forest, what you grow matters.
