BEECHWOOD — The Beechwood Historical Society has been growing and selling garden starter plants since 2015 to raise funds.

Beechwood was once a farming community. The society began looking at raising garden plants to emphasize this history, encourage local residents to plant gardens, and to have plants for their gardens. The group tries new varieties each year to see what works in the region’s relatively short growing season for gardening.

The historical society started out with one small greenhouse, then a hoophouse, and now has a seed-starting room in the basement to start plants in late February. Once the plants are big enough, they are moved to the greenhouse and then to the hoophouse.

Nearly everything planted in the group’s gardens are started in the seed-starting room. This allows enough time for vegetables to mature in the garden before fall frosts start up again.

The Beechwood Historical Society grows:

— a variety of tomatoes, including cherry;

— celery;

— broccoli;

— cauliflower;

— kohlrabi;

— cabbage;

— peppers;

— beets;

— pumpkins (field);

— summer squash: zucchini, yellow crooked-neck squash;

— winter squash: butternut, acorn, spaghetti squash;

— cucumbers (pickling and slicing);

— marigolds (for natural pest protection and pollinators);

— sunflowers (for pollinators).

Information sheets for the plants are given out and include tips on hardening off plants that were grown in a greenhouse, how to plant your plants and when to expect mature vegetables.

This year’s plant sale will begin for pre-order pick-up on May 24-25. The greenhouses will then be open to the public starting on May 26 and will remain open until the plants are gone.

For more information, call 906-284-1501. The pre-order form will be posted to the Beechwood Historical Society Facebook page, or a copy can be requested by phone or via email at beechwoodhistoricalsociety@gmail.com.

The Beechwood Historical Society is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. All funds raised through the plant sale go toward the continued restoration and maintenance of the Beechwood site.