Southern States is pleased to join gardeners throughout the nation in celebrating April as National Garden Month. Whether you are growing your favorite flowers or raising delicious vegetables for your family to enjoy, gardeners know that growing things is a great way for the whole family to benefit from the relaxation and healthy activity that planting and tending a garden can provide.

For more than 85 years, Southern States has been helping our customers grow, and if you have ever considered planting a garden, April is a great month to get started. Flower beds add color to your yard and can even improve the value of your home. Vegetable gardens can provide your family with nutritious snacks and meals from late spring through early fall, and with simple home canning recipes, you can extend that enjoyment year-round.

Raising a home garden is also a great way to teach your children where many of their foods come from. Better yet, help them plant and grow a small garden of their own. Gardens don’t have to be limited to homes with big back yards. Apartment and city dwellers can make use of raised bed and container gardens right on their own decks and patios.

Join the millions of Americans who are discovering the pleasures of gardening. Celebrate National Garden Month in April, by planting a garden, and enjoy the beautiful and healthy results of your efforts for many months to come. For more information on National Garden Month, visit the National Gardening Association’s website (www.garden.org). Be sure to stop by your local Southern States retailer for all your garden needs.

Southern States is a Richmond, Va. based farm supply and service cooperative, founded in 1923, that now has more than 300,000 farmer-members. As one of the nation's largest agricultural cooperatives, it provides a wide range of farm inputs, including fertilizer, seed, livestock feed and pet food, animal health supplies and petroleum products, as well as other items for the farm and home. The cooperative serves its members and non-member customers through 1,200 retail outlets. Please visit our website at www.southernstates.com.