About Lil' Ladybug
Lil' Ladybug Greenhouse and Gardens is owned by Pat and Karen Runkle. Eight years ago, Pat was hungry for a fresh, good-tasting tomato for his hamburger in the middle of April. Pat and Karen decided that if they wanted a fresh tomato and couldn't find it, surely there were other people in the same predicament. Lil' Ladybug was born at that moment and has been raising garden fresh tomatoes as well as a full line of vegetables ever since AND all 'Fresh from the Earth' just like grandma used to grow.
In the last eight years the Lil' Ladybug has grown. Lil' Ladybug now has 13,500 square feet under plastic which houses tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. We also plant an acre of sweet corn in addition to our 2 acres of outside garden. The outside garden includes all of your favorite vegetables - green beans, carrots, lettuce, spinach, onions, potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, a wide variety of squash, beets, just to name a few.
The second year of business, Lil' Ladybug added a greenhouse which included annuals and a few vegetables. Over the years the greenhouse has tripled in size and now includes a large selection of vegetables, bedding plants, perennials, hanging baskets, landscape pots, roses, grasses, onion sets, potatoes to name a few. Karen, a master gardener, is available to answer questions you may have regarding your flower beds, vegetable gardens or landscape design. Between Pat and Karen, they have over 100 years of gardening experience to share with you. (Boy, that makes us sound older than the dirt we work in)
The first year we successfully raised 2,000 pounds of fresh tomatoes and sold them at two markets. With the help of four employees 2009 produced 16,000 pounds of tomatoes along with all the other vegetables. We are currently serving three markets as well as a vegetable stand on the farm.
In the fall we will open our pumpkin patch with crafts, special family days, carriage rides, and activities for the whole family. As the fall festival approaches, look for advertising to schedule your weekend event.