We love fall! It’s the perfect planting season for your garden or landscape and we’ve got lots of new plants and accessories on the way so need to make way. During our Gotta Make Room Sale, you’ll find some incredible deals – up to 75% off – on existing inventory (also perfect for planting now) including everything from perennials to ground covers to trees, shrubs, indoor plants and more. Take a look at this week’s e-newsletter for more details and come see us – this stuff has gotta go!!

Habersham Gardens is a longtime supporter of the Atlanta Community Food Bank and we are excited about partnering with them throughout the month of September which is Hunger Action Month – 30 ways in 30 days. Simply drop off your food goods or your gently used or new gardening tools at our Garden Center anytime Sept. 1-30 and we’ll take 10% off your total purchase!  (sorry, can’t combine this offer with other discounts).

For a list of most needed food and garden tool items, please visit their website at www.acfb.org.

Our first Indie Crafts Market will be held at the Garden Center on Saturday, Oct. 2, from 10am-6pm featuring a roster of notable Atlanta artists selling their hand-made works of art. Our Indie Market coincides with American Craft Week and we’re excited about the amazing response we’ve received and variety of art that will be available. Vendor entry fee is a donation to one of our favorite charities, Pets are Loving Support, and P.A.L.S. volunteers will be on hand hosting a bake sale to further their fundraising efforts.

Artist application deadline is Aug. 31, and our list of participants will be announced on Friday, Sept. 3. Please tell your friends, come spend some time in our Gardens and help support the local artist community and P.A.L.S. Atlanta!

Souper Jenny Incredible Flying Soup Mobile

We’re so excited about the mobile street food movement in Atlanta and love that one of Atlanta’s favorite lunchtime cafes is blazing the trail!  Souper Jenny and their Flying Soup Mobile will be at Habersham Gardens this Wednesday, August 25 from 11 am til 2 pm! The mobile menu is an abbreviated version of their full restaurant menu and soups and salads run $6/serving.  The Soup Mobile isn’t set up to take credit cards so be sure to bring cash or check.

So, mark your calendars, tell your friends and come see what’s cookin’. Then, take advantage of all that time you’re saving and browse our Garden Center for new deliveries for your fall garden!

A note from Marcie Millard, General Manager of Souper Jenny:  Patrons of our mobile food truck will receive the same high quality food items that they’ve enjoyed at Souper Jenny’s brick and mortar restaurant for years. As a member of  The Atlanta Street Food Coalition, we are enthusiastic about bringing food trucks to Atlanta. Our Incredible Flying Soup Mobile is health code approved, incredibly green (it runs on propane) and staffed by the friendliest, most informed servers in Atlanta.   Here’s a sample of our menu items:

Hot Soups:

My Dad’s Turkey Chili

Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle

Tomato Basil Pesto

Chicken Tortilla

Georgia Butter Bean

Souper Power Green 

Cold Soups: (summer months only)

Gazpacho

Cool Cucumber

Cantaloupe – Mint

Mango – Coconut    

Sandwiches:

Fresh Baguette with locally made Mozzarella,Vine Ripe Tomato and Basil from Jenny’s garden

Pepper Crusted Turkey with locally made Goat Cheese; Tomato and Baby Spinach

Creamy Brie with locally made Strawberry – Lavender Jam, Baby Arugula and Honey

House made Hummus with Fresh Vegetables

Salads:

Fresh Fruit Salad

Vegetarian Pasta Salad

Big Spinach Salad with Fresh Veggies and crumbled Feta Cheese

Cold Sesame Noodles with Ginger and Chives

Summer Chicken Salad

Vegetarian Quinoa, Barley or Cous Cous Salad

Vine Ripe Tomatoes stuffed with Tuna Salad

On Sale! Take 20% off your purchase of our select group of fresh fruiting trees when you buy a container to plant it in!

We just received some fabulous fruits at the Garden Center and want you to have first pick! Persimmons, Pomegranates, Meyer Lemons, Muscadines plus we even have Olive Trees!   Most of these fruits are hardy to 12 degrees so it may be best to grow them in a container that you can bring inside during the cold winter months. How’s that for a lovely thought? Cold winter months. Wonderful gift items are also starting to show up so be sure to take a gander at our slide show for a firsthand peek at what we’ve got going on over at Atlanta’s Best Garden Center! Then, read on and see what else is happening around here!

Just like you, we’re ready for some heat relief and looking forward to a busy fall season.  We’ve got so much going on and don’t want you to miss a thing!

We kick off our Food and Garden Tool Drive benefitting Atlanta Community Food Bank on September 1. During the entire month, we’ll give you 10% off your total purchase when you make a donation. We’re looking for gently used or new garden tools (rakes, shovels, hoes, etc.) and here’s a list of their most needed food items.  

Come October, we get even busier with our fall garden lecture series plus we’re hosting our first Indie Market @ Manchester Street – a festive collective of local arts and crafts. Habersham Gardens is a member and supporter of CRAFT and we’re joining in their national celebration of American Craft Week October 1-10. Going to be lots of fun with some mighty talented folks on hand. Are you an urban crafter? Is handmade your thing? Think you may like to participate? Simply send an email to funandgames@habershamgardens.com and you’ll receive an instant response with all the details. Vendor fee is a minimum $25 donation to one of our favorite charities and across the street neighbor, P.A.L.S. – Pets are Loving Support. Visit their website (www.palsatlanta.org)  to find out more about the important work they do for Atlantans in need and stay tuned for a complete listing of participants.

We’re also in the process of putting finishing touches on our fall lineup of lectures and workshops by some fantastic gardening experts so keep an eye on us. As you know, we’ve always got something happening and love you all being part of it. As a matter of fact, here’s a little memento of the fun we had last Spring/Summer and wonder, were you part of it? Have to watch to find out and remember, there’s more fun where this came from! Thanks for making us Atlanta’s best and we can’t wait to see you in our Gardens soon!

Is handmade your thing? Then we want to hear from you! Habersham Gardens is hosting our first-ever Indie Market on October 2 and we’re searching for Atlanta’s craftiest folks! We don’t have too many rules other than your work needs to be original and made by YOU! That, and we’ll ask that you donate a minimum of $25 to P.A.L.S. (Pets are Loving Support) in lieu of a vendor fee. In the words of P.A.L.S. Executive Director, Kevin Bryant:

“Pets Are Loving Support is a 501 (C)3 Organization that for the past 20 years has been providing not only free pet food but cover’s the expense of spade/neuter, exams, shots, heartgard and flea preventive for the pet companions of persons living with terminal illnesses, disabilities and senior citizens.

We currently care for over 500 pets on a monthly basis.  Because we receive no state or federal funding we rely soley on the kindness and generosity of individuals and businesses to fund our services.  Currently our biggest needs are financial due to the huge cost of vet care.  Every dollar helps insure no pet goes without the needed medical care they each deserve.”

Space is limited and our focus on selection of participants will be variety. So, if you (or friends, family, neighbors or colleagues) work in jewelry, textiles, paper, found art, whatever – send an email to funandgames@habershamgardens.com with the subject line INDIE MARKET. We’ll shoot you back an info email with ALL the details.  Crafting for a cause is fun – don’t miss it! Application deadline is August 31 and participants will be announced by September 3!

We loved having students from Emory Montessori visit with us this morning! Ms. Khan and her associates brought a crew of super smart, extra cute and very well-behaved kids by for a tour of Habersham to learn a little more about gardening from Landscape Designer Kara Hames. Apparently, they are already seasoned horticulturists and Kara couldn’t stump them with any of her gardening questions. After the tour, Kara treated them to bottles of cold water, icy popsicles, a blue souvenir rock (Habersham Rocks!) plus they got to take home a free Ice Plant for their own gardens. Pretty cool morning, we’d say!

It may be hot in Atlanta but we’ve got some pretty enthusiastic gardeners out there who LOVE a bargain as evidenced by the steady stream of folks we’ve seen the last few days! Customers have been leaving with great deals on annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs and hitting the jackpot at our 75% off table, mostly filled with containers and hard goods.

We just received fresh shipments today of a great assortment of plants and guess what? We’re giving you the same discount on the new stuff as the plants we already had in stock! How’s that for a little summer pick-me-up?

These photos were shot this afternoon. Take a look, don your sunblock and shades and come see us soon as the sale ends July 31!

If you know Walt and Deb Harrison, founders and owners of Habersham Gardens, then you know that they are true advocates for animals and have their own personal menagerie to prove it. That’s why it’s no surprise that they now have this adorable puppy in their possession and need help finding it a great home.

Walt was driving Saturday morning out to the family farm and turned onto the gravel road leading to his destination. Who do you think was sitting right smack dab in the middle of it but none other than this precious little guy. Valentine had apparently been “put out” on this lonesome country road with no collar, anemic, dehydrated, malnourished and consumed with so much hookworm that he was bleeding. Minutes later he had Deb on his cell, “Company’s coming for supper.”

Harrison resident dogs Rembrandt, Puddin’, Molly and Gardener all welcomed him with open paws. Their cats didn’t give Mr. V as quite a warm and fuzzy but all managed to get along. Deb carried little Valentine to their vet who gave him fluids for dehydration and meds for the hookworm but decided not to start his shots until he has built up some strength. At the rate he’s going, that shouldn’t be too long. He certainly has enough energy to melt your heart and an amazingly sweet dispostion to have endured such neglect during his young life. His small frame and petite paws lead us to believe he won’t grow too large making him a great candidate for intown living although we’re certain he’d love a large fenced yard to romp in as well.

If you or anyone you know has been thinking about adopting a dog, please contact Deb Harrison at deb@habershamgardens.com.  Include a little about yourself and the home you can provide for this little bundle of love!  Please spread the word and help us find Valentine his forever Valentine(s)!

Every year, Creative Loafing hosts a reader’s poll and gives Atlantans an opportunity to vote for their favorites in over 300 categories.

We would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it if you would give us your vote this year under “Garden Shop“. Just visit the CL site here and the “Garden Shop” category is near the bottom of page 5 under “Consumer Culture“.

Remember, you have to vote in at least 5 categories for your voice to be heard so make it easy on yourself! In addition to voting for Habersham Gardens as BEST GARDEN SHOP, feel free to vote for us under categories like these, too:

Off the Beaten Path Tourist Destination (We love it when folks from other locales drop by and check out the Garden Center because they’ve “heard so much about us”! Just recently, we had some visitors from a small village in the South of France drop by because they’d found our website online. C’est magnifique!)

Free Thing to do in Atlanta (Ever need a quick attitude adjustment or looking for some new inspiration? Drop out for an hour or two and come meander through our beautiful gardens, smell the flowers, pet the kitties. It’s therapy, Habersham-style – and it’s free!) 

Local Place to Commune with Nature (Birds, bees, flowers and trees – we got ‘em all and more!)

Place to Score Affordable Art (We have a great selection for the home and garden! Michael Holbrook’s original ironworks fly right out our gates!)

Local Place to Buy Indie Crafts (From Haitian folk art to handcrafted leaf vessels, you never know what fabulous original handcrafts you’ll find!).

But remember, our fav-o-rite category is BEST GARDEN SHOP, page 5, Consumer Culture, 4th category up from the bottom!  We would truly appreciate your vote there for sure and hope you’ll cast yours soon as the poll ends July 31st. Please tell your friends and family, too. We’re counting on you and appreciate your support!