On April 25 “Farmer Pete” Bargmann, owner of Alice Acres Farm Market and Greenhouses, will open his doors for the 2008 season. In years past this meant waves of gardeners, landscapers, and plant lovers would descend upon Bargmann’s five giant greenhouses to find their favorite horticultural delights. This year, however, Bargmann expects things will be a bit different.
With the opening of Cows and Cones, Bargmann’s premium ice cream stand late last summer, this year’s opening is sure to attract more than the usual suspects.
“Cows and Cones didn’t open up until halfway through the season last year,” Alice Acres employee Jean Scialabba explained. “So this year we’re expecting a big turnout because [Cows and Cones] did very well last summer.”
Bargmann said numerous people have already asked him when the greenhouses and ice cream shop will open. By all accounts, last season Cows and Cones became an overnight success, attracting throngs of ice cream aficionados from all over Ledyard and neighboring towns. The ice cream shop was so anticipated, more than 80 teenagers in Ledyard and Gales Ferry applied to the handful of positions available during the summer.
Bargmann and Scialabba feel this year will be even more successful, considering the earlier opening.
For those who can skip the ice cream and prefer to dig into their gardening, Scialabba said Alice Acres’ five greenhouses are teeming with annuals, perennials, vegetable plants, and hundreds of hanging baskets in a plethora of vibrant colors. In addition to the greenhouses and Cows and Cones, and with the weather warming rapidly, the Bud Crandall Memorial Pavilion at Alice Acres Farm is also available to be reserved for birthdays, private functions, and other gatherings.
Alice Acres Farm will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.. For more information, call 464-1885.