Queen Bee’z Lawn & Garden

Queen Bee'z Lawn and Garden is the family garden center and farm store on Panama Avenue in Prior Lake. It was Waderich Feed and Garden until 2018, when Crystal Dahlberg, who had worked there since she was 12, took it over. Five greenhouses start planting in February, and spring is the big season: annuals, perennials, vegetable starts, hanging baskets and patio pots, plus bulk dirt, rock, mulch and sand by the load. Summer is the kids' farm camp and party bookings; in fall the farm store runs self-serve, exact cash or the card kiosk, while camp is in session.

It is also one of the more inventive small businesses in town when it comes to events, which is why it shows up here so often: an Easter egg hunt on the farm in spring, Bros, Beers and Blooms (BYOB, build a planter for Mom before Mother's Day), Fall on the Farm in early October with food trucks, pumpkins, mums and animal feeding in hourly time slots, and the Christmas Market in the Greenhouses, which last year filled greenhouses 2 and 3 with 40-plus vendors for five weekends from mid-November, Santa included. Prior Lake Events lists each one as it is announced.

Hours change with the season, so check queenbeezgarden.com or the Facebook page before you drive out. No pets on the property, dogs included. Phone: 612-388-0323.