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small nursery operation

Hi Anne:

Regarding your post on your "dream" of running a small nursery: I've
been there, done that, so I can give you some advice.

The most important advice at this point is not technical information but
the strength of your desire to really work at making your little nursery
a success.

Are you willing to devote considerable attention to such an operation?
Will you pledge to stay with the business through good times and bad,
when the plants need care and you'd rather "goof off" for a day or a
weekend or holiday? A lot of backyard growers think running a small
nursery would be just wonderful. I've known those who have been
successful and those who have not, mainly because they discovered there
is drudgery in running essentially a one-person nursery. 

The "fun" idea has soured for some because of the hours involved, the
constant care of plants required, dealing with the public and
governmental types, adequate pricing so you actually "grow" some money
to repay you for your efforts, reasonable pricing so you don't scare
people away, etc.

You must be present to care for the plants -- watering, fertilizing,
weeding, etc. You can expect to be visited by people who, if you run a
nursery from your backyard, will come at off hours when you're not open
for business. They like their free hours but have no idea that you want
free time, too, so they come before or after your business hours.

You must be able to educate people about growing your plants. You'll be
answering many questions about location, sun/shade, fertilizer, water,
why is the plant you sold me now sickly. You must decide whether to
exchange a dead plant for a healthy one (even if the buyer was the
slayer). You must be prepared to take "guff" from people who know they
are always correct and you must be somewhat crooked for selling a plant
that "won't grow."

My favorite story: I sold two dozen strawberry plants to a couple. About
2 or 3 weeks later, I was asked to come to their garden and look at the
plants. "They're all dead," the wife exclaimed. "What kind of plants did
you sell us?" she asked, insinuating that I had performed a dastardly
deed upon them. I went, I looked. The husband had put in all the plants
upside down. The roots were exposed; what had been green leaves were
buried in the soil. The plants were dead. I explained the situation; the
wife berated the husband (who got mad at me because I hadn't told him
how to plant them). They wanted their money back. I declined, saying
they had planted them wrong. They did not visit again, and I'm sure they
had nasty things to say about me. The moral of the story: always ask a
customer if he knows how to plant something and take care of it.

Other questions you need to answer: How big do you want to get? Will you
offer many perennials or a choice, limited selection? You can't compete
with the big nurseries in numbers, but you can compete by creating a
"niche" nursery offering certain perennials of excellent quality at
reasonable prices.

I did such when operating a small perennial nursery specializing in
hosta. I offered some 30 varieties, selling them in one-gallon pots at
prices lower than the big nurseries. I had customers coming from as far
as 100 miles away (word of mouth advertising). I offered many of the
usual popular varieties plus some out-of-the-ordinary varieties, in all
sizes from miniature to huge and in variegated, blue, gold and green
shades. I also sold a limited selection of daylilies and a few other
perennials, but concentrated on hosta. I also offered a landscaping
consultation and/or design service (for fee), which helped bring in
extra bucks. I didn't get rich but it was fun. I ran the nursery in a
large backyard, while working for a garden center that purchased many of
my hosta wholesale for resale.

I had to give up the nursery a little over a year ago due to illness. We
moved to a smaller house in a larger community, where I cannot ethically
run a backyard nursery (zoning restrictions) but could sell out of my
garage ("garage sale") or at farmers markets. At this point I'm a bit
healthier but cannot return to the bustle that I once enjoyed. Can't
work fulltime at the garden center now. I'm dreaming of restarting the
hosta business but on a smaller scale. 

The more technical questions you'll have to consider include how to care
for and sell the types of plants who wish to offer, zoning, licensing,
sales tax, where you will purchase starter plants, pots and soil from
wholesalers. Will you have a greenhouse, a shadehouse? Will you grow
plants in a large garden in your backyard, digging each plant as it is
sold, or sell plants in pots? If your nursery is not on your property,
can you find a location that's reasonable in price and of easy access?

When I started, I purchased starter plants from two wholesalers and grew
them for a year before actually opening for business. I advertised in 3
area newspapers (one daily) and 2 shoppers (small ads) and in a monthly
publication for which I wrote a garden column (free publicity). One of
the papers has a garden section each spring and always sought me out for
information (more free promotion). I also spoke to garden clubs to
spread the word about my business while offering helpful information on
growing perennials.

Now I concentrate on writing articles (including photos) for
publications, teaching gardening classes (through a community college
extension program), landscape consultations and speaking to clubs. I
still hunger to run a small niche nursery, but am limited by health.

I wish you well. I hope your dream becomes reality. Remember, foremost,
that you must be willing to devote time and energy and money. This is
not always a "fun" business even though it is very rewarding.

John G. Adney
Marion, Iowa

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