Country Junction Greenhouse does it all

    BRADFORD — In North Bradford at the junction of Atkinson Road and Route 11 the display of flowers at Country Junction Greenhouse slows people down, as beautiful as the flowers are they are only the tip of the iceberg, just a sample of what the greenhouse offers. Owner Sally Smith says the first thing people usually ask as they round the corner of the greenhouse is, “How do you do all this?

    Sally says, “I’m the one that is here from dawn ‘til done but this is a family business. My husband Darel and my sons pitch in when I need ‘manpower.’ When we had the dairy I had a small greenhouse for my flowers. My granddaughter Heather helped me in the little greenhouse. In 2002 when the cows were sold we expanded the greenhouse together. When she went to Husson she took over the books.
    Other grandchildren help too. Even my 4-year-old great-granddaughter Baylee will take you to Lilac Lane where there are eight different kinds of lilacs. Perhaps she’ll take you to the Rose Garden to see the easy care roses. Sally Jo, 9, will ask you to put some herbs in your flower gardens for the bees and pollinators. We have over 100 different perennials to choose from.
    If Rachael is here she’ll be glad to show them to you. She and Tiffany potted many of them. Tiffany does some of everything, including the inventory. I put a weather forecast on the County Junction Facebook page every morning but Tiffany puts pictures on, showing what we have. This year we also have the help of a neighbor Rosemarie, who has a degree in horticulture from the University of New Hampshire. Rosemarie is our herb expert.”
    County Junction has a website, www.countyjunctionmaine.com. Each day Sally writes in the Farm Journal telling readers what they are doing at the greenhouse and in the gardens. There are tips on the website and the catalog is a work in progress. All month Sally has been saying, “Please don’t put your cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes out yet. There aren’t any frosts predicted but the plants will just sulk with these cool nights.”
    Sally says, “Please come by and browse. We have many other shrubs besides the lilacs and roses, including several of the new hydrangeas. All our plants are hardy in Zone 4 or lower.”