A Grower Perspective

Over the years, as Dave and I worked to build this nursery business, we have had countless interactions with people who share a common sentiment. They tell us that it has always been their dream to own a nursery and often they will follow this revelation with a secondary statement that they “love to garden.”

I used to try to explain that owning a nursery and “gardening” are not synonymous but I’ve come to realize that it’s pointless. There are people who have this perception and it’s impossible to change their minds.

Owning a nursery business is one of the most difficult ways to earn a living

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After the recent snow and cold I am reminded of the excitement and power of the force of Nature. I am always curious to see the surprises Mother Nature has in store for us, what changes happen and how we humans respond to this. A walk in the snow revealed a large branch came off the Douglas Fir in the far field. Another wind storm and it will be down on the ground, fuel for the next bonfire. This is a small action of nature power and one that will not require much response on our part other than to be noticed.

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We had our first annual Christmas Tree decorating contest at Pleasant Hill Nursery and it was a lot of fun. All the office staff got into it this year. (Our plant production crews took a “wait and see” approach but now say they will do it next year!) There were only two rules: 1) You had to use a plant from the nursery, and 2) You had to incorporate some handmade or natural elements for decorations.

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While for many in the American workforce a forecast of freezing temperatures and snowy weather equates to a day or two at home the nursery industry is quite different. When temperatures dip below 20 degrees there is a lot of work to be done to insure that your inventory is protected. It is best to shove as much in cold frames covered in plastic as possible but they seem to fill up fast so the next best option is to cover the plants. That is how our crews at Pleasant Hill Nursery spent Monday December 15th. We covered and winterized as much as we could preparing for the arctic blast that the meteorologists were promising. Our Brabham Road location registered 15 degrees on Monday night so we are happy that we took the time and labor to button up the nursery. There are still very cold temperatures forecasted for the remainder of the week so we can only watch the weather and wait.

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