Two of Abbey Hart’s volunteer teams took a field trip to Annie’s Annuals and Perennials Nursery in Richmond last month. The goal was to see the broad variety of plants that the nursery grows and sells — annuals, perennials, native plants, landscape plants, herbs and vegetables, etc., — and to allow the volunteers to purchase plants. Some of the Arboretum volunteers had been there before; for others it was an eye-popping first-time experience.

The two groups were the Tuesday Nursery Caretakers and Friday Teaching Nursery Gardeners. They travelled by a campus van and individual autos. Despite the traffic congestion that day (a big rig overturned on the causeway, causing traffic chaos on I-80 throughout the day), everyone had a good time learning many of the plants, choosing some to purchase, and taking photos.

Annie's Annual and Perennials is a great nursery to visit, and it is open seven days a week, but check their website for times. In future issues of the Volunteer Newsletter, we want to highlight regional gardens and nurseries you enjoy visiting. If you have suggestions of places you’ve been, let us know.