If you are in Wrightwood, stop into the quaint, cabin-style Mountain Hardware and check out their fabulous new greenhouse on the east side of the building in the nursery.

The last frost in Wrightwood can be unpredictable. When a plant nursery makes an order, not only do they have a minimum they must purchase to place the order, but they must order certain more popular plants as soon as possible, or they will be all sold out. In some cases, those plants may be delivered before the last frost for the area, which can make offering plants a risky business. Imagine if a larger order of plants arrives just in time for jack frost to freeze their delicate leaves.

To deal with this dilemma, Mountain Hardware has purchased a greenhouse that is now nestled right in the middle of the nursery to protect those first few plants delivered in the early spring. The greenhouse creates a shaded area in the summer and extends the end of the season in the fall, which sometimes can have unpredictable weather. Yard employee Eric Faulkner is super knowledgeable and friendly and was willing to give a tour of the new greenhouse. He explained the aluminum frame of the structure has two gauges of plastic to cover it. The plastic on the sides is thinner to allow more light in, and thicker plastic is on top of the greenhouse to prevent plant burn. The store purchased the shade cloth for this unit to help in summer as well, plus sliding vents in the greenhouse can be opened and closed to control airflow. Doors on both sides make a walk-through area if needed.

This is just one more way Mountain Hardware has made shopping for plants, trees, and shrubs interesting and inviting, and consistent.