Have you ever thought about brewing your own beer?
If so, you can easily grow your own hops, too, thanks to the Oak Park Conservatory’s Spring Market where, beginning March 2, you can buy the hop plants needed to get started on your own personal brewery.
It’s not too early to be thinking about spring planting, and the Conservatory, 615 Garfield St., has changed the name of its annual bulb sale to Spring Market, because it will include “so much more than bulbs this year,” including the new, trendy addition of hops, said Conservatory director Patti Staley.
“I’ve never grown hops personally,” Staley said. “But so many people in Oak Park are into it.”
Grab a hop and shop ’til you drop for rhubarb, asparagus, onions, shallots, garlic, a variety of potatoes, and some great fruits and berries including Chicago Hardy fig, elderberry, and strawberries.
“These are the first ones to be planted — they prefer the cooler, spring weather,” said Staley. “Some will come as bulbs, roots or tubers that will sprout once you get them in the ground; some will come as very small plant sets, such as the strawberries that are just starting to wake up from the winter.”
This is the Conservatory’s second year offering early vegetable and fruit crops to the community as a precursor to its annual plant sale held the first weekend in May. The Spring Market is part of a trio of markets it holds throughout the year, including the Fall Market and Winter Greens Market. The Spring Market includes early vegetables and berries that favor being planted early in the growing season, Staley said.
“It’s definitely not too early to be thinking planting,” said Staley. “You just need to know what the vegetables are that prefer to be planted early in the spring, such as potatoes and onions, versus those that like it warmer, like tomatoes and peppers. You can really extend your growing season each year by growing these vegetables, and they are remarkably easy to grow.”
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The Conservatory is a great source for the community to learn about gardening and through the markets you’re provided with the education and materials to do it yourself at home, said Staley. The markets help offset the costs of the Conservatory, which is free to the public to visit, said Staley. (And did you know that 1 to 3 p.m. every Tuesday, the Conservatory offers a free, weekly plant clinic, run by a horticulturist?).
“We do markets like these at the Conservatory for many reasons,” said Staley. “First and foremost, we love plants, and we want you to as well.”
“Throughout our various offerings at the Conservatory, including our special events, markets, classes, camps, birthday parties for children, event rentals, and gift shop, we have goals to bring in a source of revenue to offset the operations costs of the Conservatory,” she added. “It is a great way to offer products and services to the public that they are looking for and to help the Conservatory.”
The Spring Market is actually not just a one-day event. It begins March 2 and runs through early spring while supplies last, said Staley. All plants come with directions and everything you need to grow. If the weather isn’t helpful for planting when you purchase, all the products can be held in a cool location until you’re ready, Staley said.
“We only stock once, so shop early if you have some favorites you know you want to try in your garden this year,” she said.
Felicia Dechter is a freelance columnist for Pioneer Press.