Hall Mountain Gardens Thrives in Boundary County

Blanketed by the blue sky of a sunny, Saturday morning, a denim-clad, blue-eyed woman talks about the plants she grows and sells in Boundary County.

"This year, my sweet peas are just now blooming in August, while my dahlias which shouldn't normally be blooming yet are going to town," said Gail Cathcart to a shopper admiring her luscious blooms.

Based just south of Eastport where she and her husband have lived for 34 years, Cathcart, owner of Hall Mountain Gardens, is one of dozens of growers at Saturday's Bonners Ferry Farmers Market who shares her passion for gardening.

Her booth is literally a visual feast. Under a royal blue canopy, tables burst with cut flowers in colors of lemon, magenta, delicate pink, mauve and lavender. Plates of squash, peppers, raspberries and greens punctuate the scene with pops of color. Spikey iris, wirey ornamental grass and the lush foliage of perennial plants accentuate Cathcart's bountiful offerings.

Cathcart has been a vendor at the Farmers Market for 10 years, but has had a life-long love affair with all growing things since childhood. The turning point for her was meeting and being mentored by an elderly Estonian gentleman 32 years ago who taught her organic gardening and raised-bed techniques.

Cathcart calls herself a self-proclaimed plant addict.

"I make enough money at the Farmers Market to pay for my addiction," she said. "I grow nearly everything from seed, and my seed bills are just horrible. But selling plants, flowers and vegetables allows me to do what I love to do."

Specializing in deer-resistant, hardy groundcovers, Cathcart said that she carries more varieties of sedum than most nurseries.

"Dahlias are my passion," said Cathcart. "However, I have found a variety of lamium also known as 'Herman's Pride,' the only upright lamium I know of, and now I want to dedicate an entire bed to it. My work is never done. I just keep digging up more beds and planting more things."

Hall Mountain Garden's 15 raised beds and "one, going on two" greenhouses keep Cathcart busy and active. In addition, she recently completed a major landscaping job in conjunction with her daughter on the Washington coast.

Shoppers enjoy stopping by for a friendly chat along with receiving solid gardening advice from Cathcart on a regular basis. She freely shares her expertise and practical tips about gardening in the challenging north Idaho climate and continues to be enthusiastic about the variations that each growing season brings.

"This is where Gail really shines," said her husband Marcel Cathcart. "She knows so much about plants and loves talking to people about them."