Opening Day rescheduled for Sunday, April 21!

Welcome to Contrary Mary’s! We are a small, family-owned greenhouse located southwest of Chicago, and we specialize in unusual perennials, hostas, peonies, and unique fruits and vegetables that you won’t find at big chain nurseries. We can help you find the perfect plant for your sunny (or shady, damp, dry, etc.) spot to provide color and texture. Our plants are perfectly suited to our Midwest environment in Chicagoland; all of our perennials are hardy to at least Zone 5, and are plants that I think are excellent additions to everyone’s garden (gotta haves!) Our 2013 Catalog is available, too! It is chock full of great information and is a great reference. Please call us at (815) 521-9535 or e-mail for availability if you are coming for something specific.

Flood waters are receding! We are planning on opening for the season on Sunday, April 21!

A hosta display bed at the farm
A hosta display bed at our farm

Spring has finally sprung (I think)!

Although it’s been rather strange weather-wise this spring thus far, we are oh so ready for the season to begin! We’ve got over 600+ varieties of HOSTAS (Including over 100 new ones this year!), 100+ PEONY varieties, 60+ HEIRLOOM TOMATOES, and tons of other heirloom PEPPERS, CUKES, MELONS and other veggies  to tempt you with (yes, you NEED them!) We of course continue to have scads of unusual perennials, vines, and grasses too! If you are coming for anything specific, please remember that plants wake up and also grow at their own pace and we do sell out, so feel free to call or e-mail us for availability.

Farm Hours

effective April 18, 2013

* Tuesday - Saturday 9 am - 6 pm
* Sundays 10 am - 4 pm
* Mondays closed

Upcoming Seminars - Sunday, April 28

To help you decide which of our yummy veggies to grow (‘cause there’s LOTSA tempting varieties!), we are putting on a seminar “Got Heirlooms??? — Contrary Mary’s Tenaciously Terrific Tomatoes and Other Awesome Oldies”. There will be two presentations, both on Sunday April 28, 2013. The times are from 10-11 a.m. and a repeat from 3-4pm. PLEASE call or e-mail to pre-register; it is free but I am asking that you bring a $5.00 donation for the Kendall County Food Pantry (we gotta give back!) We’ll also be offering special deals for seminar attendees, so be here or be square! I’ll also be presenting other seminars periodically, so check back for more details!

Contrary Charlie and Leon, our beekeeper
Contrary Charlie &
Beekeeper Leon

Honey is here!

We still have some of our all natural wildflower honey left from last season! Don’t wait too long ‘cause we do sell out and won’t have any more until we harvest again in September. Our bees are awesome (but Contrary of course!). If you haven’t tried it yet, you don’t know what you’re missing!

Don't miss treasures ...

We have a plethora of display beds for you to wander through, filled with 500+ varieties of specimen Hostas, 60+ kinds of Peonies, and tons of unusual perennials. It is great to be able to see what your new additions will look like once they get a bit bigger! We also have Hosta and Peony propagation beds so you can see our babies growing up and maturing! You can also visit with the Two Best Shelties in the World ( Jamie and Duncan), our three Pygmy Goat Weeders (Robbie, Bertie and Isabella), our one dumb (but loveable!) Daffy Duck (Nod). We also have a new Greenhouse Greeter Cat Rosie, who just LOVES company!

We’re located near the intersection of I-80 and I-55 (see us on a map!) To get to our farm and nursery from Chicago and suburbs, take Interstate 55 south to the Route 52 exit and go west (towards Shorewood). We are approximately 7 miles from that point. Once you reach the intersection of Route 52 and Ridge road (a 4-way stop), keep going straight. We are exactly 1.7 miles west, on the north (right-hand) side of Route 52. Our phone number at the Farm is (815) 521-9535.

As always, we are grateful for your loyalty, support, and patronage—we sure couldn’t do it without you!   We can’t wait to visit with you at the Farm … see ya soon!!! Enjoy life, keep smilin’, and think green!

 
Mickey
Jamie
Duncan
Mickey
always in our hearts
Contrary Mary

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Contrary Mary’s Plants and Designs
2735 Route 52
Minooka, IL 60447

(815) 521-9535
contrarymary@contrarymarysplants.com