Families, friends, and lovers browsed through four separate greenhouses, each flowing with an array of plants and flowers under the July moon at Fields Farm and Garden's very first Full Moon Market event yesterday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
"She's tired me out," US Air Force Veteran Ed Crane said, softly grinning as he patiently rested on a little wooden bench surrounded by lilies and hostas. "My wife, Donna, is the little redhead running around here. She just loves plants. We bought a bunch of dying Walmart roses, and I thought they were going to die. She brought them back to life. She's got the magic touch."
Mr. and Mrs. Crane celebrate their 55th marriage anniversary on July 22, equally thankful for the opportunity to make new memories together doing all of the things they love.
Many local plant enthusiasts remembered when Gregory Gardens grew "plants for the north" on the property. When the 43-acre plot of land was sold to Joshua and Angela Fields last August, worry seemed to be the only thing in full bloom.
"We didn't know what we were going to do with it," Fields said, relating what happened next to Kevin Costner's cornfield baseball diamond in 'Field of Dreams.' "I design kitchens for a living. I was a stay-at-home mom for eight years. Josh is in the US Coast Guard."
Rumors and whispers encircled their new home, sprouting a once-in-a-lifetime idea that would forever reshape their lives.
"We are not gardeners," Fields said. "We are new gardeners. We didn't know that Gregory Gardens had been such a big deal. Everywhere we went, people wanted to know what we were going to do with the property. We had no idea we were going to do this."
Fields asked the former gardeners of Gregory Gardens if they would like to help reimagine the gardening shop. The girls hopped on board, wholeheartedly.
"Everything just fell into place," Fields said. "Living all over with the coast guard, we have grabbed ideas that we loved from different places. In New Jersey, there was a flea market open once a month, and they would put on events like this. I thought, 'Let's do it.'"
Full Moon Market was born. Every month, under the full moon, expect Fields Farm and Garden to invite the public in to browse for flowers in its lit greenhouses.
"We have always felt that if opportunity knocks, you just need to be prepared," she added. "That is what we are doing. Everything has lined up in life and fallen together for this to happen. It was meant to be."
The couple share an eight-year-old son and four-year-old daughter. Each love devoting their spare time to the new family hobby — gardening.
"Our son, he wanted a forever home," Fields said, happy to provide just that in an area they have all fallen in love with. "Our daughter will be walking around and come back with a potted plant. She is just so proud."
"But don't touch her petunias," Fields added, jokingly.
Josh Fields said it was the welcoming and loving Eastern Upper Peninsula (EUP) community that inspired the family's new Fields Farm and Garden business.
"This community has been great," he said. "They have been nothing but welcoming. It is crazy. I am going to cry talking about it. Everywhere you go, you talk to people and they are so excited. We love the idea of keeping a tradition alive."
Fields Farm and Garden opened for its first season on April 29. It will stay open as late into the year as possible.
"We are talking about selling Christmas trees and mums," Fields said. "We will bring in trees until we can grow our own."
For now, shop around for annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, veggies, herbs, seeds, tools, and more.
Fields Farm and Garden is located at 3290 East 9 mile Rd., Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. It is open on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is open Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. The next full moon event will be in August under the Sturgeon Moon. Learn more here.
