MONTAGUE — Weesies Brothers Garden Centers marked Earth Day on April 22 by giving children the chance to plant a seedling to take home and grow. Families could stop by any of the four Weesies locations between 3 and 6 p.m. to participate in this free activity.
“This was the first time we did this,” owner Mark Weesies said, “and about 70 kids planted a native perennial in only a few hours.”
The seedlings offered were all native Michigan pollinator plants, which enhance local biodiversity and help provide reliable food sources for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Even small-scale plantings can contribute to sustaining pollinator populations.
“We chose a kids’ activity for Earth Day because they are our future gardeners and caretakers of the earth,” Weesies said. “It is so important to get kids involved in gardening at a young age so they can begin to appreciate that plants can provide us with food and beauty, and also take care of our pollinators that are so important in our ecosystem.”
Weesies Brothers Farms is a family business established in 1908 as a vegetable farm known for growing celery. In 1965, the family opened its first garden center in Montague and transitioned into greenhouse production. Since then, Weesies Brothers has added garden centers in Hart, Nunica and Manistee, along with a wholesale greenhouse operation and a full-service landscape company.
“Our company considers it a privilege to be in an industry so closely tied to caring for the earth,” Weesies said. “From growing flowers for people to beautify their homes, to growing vegetables for their gardens, to providing landscaping services, we are thankful.”
He quoted the late Billy Graham: “When we see the world as a gift from God, we will do our best to take care of it and use it wisely, instead of poisoning or destroying it.”
This summer, the Montague Weesies location will again offer its Jr. Green Thumb gardening club.
“This is a class that kids attend once a week for several weeks to learn about various gardening-related topics,” Weesies said. “Each week the kids will get their hands dirty with a new project.”
More information is available at weesies.com or on the company’s Facebook page.
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