Ashcombe's Farm & Greenhouse, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

Ashcombe's is THE greenhouse to go to in the area. Seriously, even though it is almost an hour away, I make this pilgrimage several times a year and am always glad I did.

This place is huge. Big. Parking is on one side of the street, along with the nursery for trees, shrubs, roses, etc, and then you have to CROSS THE STREET to get to the main part of the building, which includes a deli, a country kitchy store, a farmers market (in season), an outdoor furniture and sculpture section. All this is IN ADDITION to the greenhouse, which is the best greenhouse I've ever seen and by itself is worth the drive.

I will touch on the best parts, but believe me there is so much more:

• Their herb selection is amazing. I go nowhere else for my herb plants now. They must have 30 varieties of Thyme. Just Thyme! Then, maybe 20 of basil, 15 rosemaries, and a lot of more difficult to find types like borage, lovage, curry, patchouli, lemon grass, and several scented geraniums.


• There is a working beehive within the greenhouse. From inside you can see the bees in their hive, and from the outside you can see them going in and out of the building. They also sell several varieties of honey.


• They have lots of spring bulbs around easter, and not just your basic tulips and dafodils. I found a really nice Iris reticulata, which is a short iris (maybe 6") that blooms in the late winter, and they also had white grape hyacinths and blue and red large hyacinths.


• You need veggie plants? They got veggie plants. LOTS of veggie plants all summer long, depending on what goes in when.


• You need daylillies? Ferns? Hostas, irises, clematis, rock garden plants, potting soil, soil amendments, organic stuff, pots, tools and shovels and knee pads and bird houses and seed and orchids and flower or veggie seeds and wind chimes and things you never even knew existed? They've got it.


• They also have a butterfly habitat every year, from pupa on up to flying butterflies, and they have a release date event every year.


• They have classes for adults and kids, some free, and events going on all summer and fall.


• And the farmers market and deli? And bakery?? OMG fantastic stuff.

I really can't rave about this place enough. If you are a local gardener, this is a trip you must take. Please be sure to check their coupon page, their events calendar, and they do have lists of annuals, perennials, herbs and other things they will be carrying.

Ashcombe Farm & Greenhouses
906 West Grantham Road
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
Phone: (717) 766-7611

MAY HOURS: Monday through Saturday 8am-8pm Sunday 11am-4pm (Closes Sunday the rest of the year)