Here's April's Under an Acre with Tom York:

Reviving Rhododendrons | Pam Buddy-D’Ambrosio

Tell Tom York that a tropical rhododendron won’t grow in Maine, and he’ll prepare the soil and put the plant in the ground to accept the challenge. Once he retired from shipbuilding in 1994, Tom’s life-long hobby of growing rhododendrons became a full-time job. Since he was accustomed to finding ways to improve ship production, the challenge to grow rhododendrons that aren’t suitable for Maine’s climate was just another test of his problem-solving skills. Tom researched rhododendrons and learned about the varieties that weren’t adaptable to that area of the country. “Historically, they are rare in Maine,” Tom says, “There are two or three common varieties, the lavender and the pink.” Tom started with the variety that he knew would grow, English Roseum. Next were the Catawba Album and Boule de Neige (one of his favorites), common to the Boston area. Then it was the West Coast’s turn when Tom tried the yellow-flowered Goldkrone. “It wasn’t hardy, but I bought three and tried them. I covered them in the fall for years, then stopped covering them and one has lasted 15 to 20 years,” he says. While Tom is finding success with rhododendrons that are considered not hardy enough for Maine, he doesn’t want to infer that it’s like growing them in North Carolina. In the time that it takes to grow a rhododendron—10 ft. in North Carolina—the same plant in Maine will be only 5 ft., but that hasn’t stopped him from growing 150 varieties, plus 12 to 15 varieties of magnolias and 20 varieties of azaleas. The Maine coast with its phalanges-like coves, inlets and peninsulas has a “rocky, boney soil,” says Tom. The soil in Bath where York’s Hardy Rhododendrons is located is heavy clay, which is not favorable for growing rhododendrons. “We raise the plants and amend with gravel and sand,” he says. The summers are cool with foggy days and nights. During the winter, the coastal temperature stays a bit warmer than inland. “The influence of the ocean keeps it mild,” says Tom. Snow cover is beneficial for the plants. “When it is -25 degrees, two inches of snow can protect the plants, although every five to 10 years a tough winter damages them, but doesn’t kill them,” he adds. Tom and his wife, Beth, have 10 acres of flat land where they have their home. Three acres are used for the business and growing areas. Tom propagates by seeds and cuttings, and buys rooted cuttings. “We do grow in the ground, but more than half are grown in containers,” says Tom. The plants are stored under plastic in 10,000 sq. ft. of greenhouse space from mid-November to May 1. Tom says, “There is no heat in the greenhouses. We use plastic to protect the plants from wind and sun damage.” He adds, “The winter sun is too harsh, with the plant dormant and the ground frozen; once the winter sun beats on it there is no way for it to pick up moisture.” The retail business is open from April to November 1, although Tom and Beth work year-round. They are there for people who want to talk about their garden plans, check out the inventory, look at pictures, and commiserate about the long winter. What were once hobby and personal gardens are used now for trials and displays for the customers who come not only from Maine, but Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Tom says 65% of their customers are females, 50+. Retail sales make up 80% of the business; garden centers and landscapers are wholesale customers. Retail prices range from $15 to $100 with sizes from 6-8 in. to 5 ft. Tom says, “The price is not based on size; some varieties don’t grow big. One plant can be 12 in. at five years and another can be 3 ft.” In 1994 when he started out, Tom says, “We advertised and got our customers through word of mouth. People thought it was unique to be growing and selling rhododendrons in Maine and not importing them from Connecticut or the West Coast.” The business was small in the beginning; there was not enough inventory. But after a few years, Tom knew how much to plant and grow. “It’s a long cycle to grow a rhododendron. It takes three years to be large enough to sell,” he says. “Our business is unique,” Tom says. “We try to grow something that isn’t available in box stores. There are plants that they don’t carry—it’s too difficult or expensive for them to grow. Big boxes have pretty standard variety,” he adds. There are times when Tom’s customers ask for varieties he doesn’t grow. “That particular variety wouldn’t do well if they’re putting it somewhere that’s not suitable. If a rhododendron dies, most people say it’s due to cold weather, but nine times out of 10, it’s something else,” he says. A few nurseries in the area have tried to grow what Tom grows. “I have low overhead and for others, there is too much time involved,” he says. Plus, you have to love what you’re doing. Tom’s fondness for the rhododendron is evident. “It’s the overall appearance of the flowers and foliage. There’s nothing like it. It attracts wildlife, birds and rabbits. The plant itself is a great plant, but there is a history, too,” says Tom. “In the past, there were a few wild rhododendrons in Maine; others came from China and the Himalayas. Plant explorers would be gone two to three years in the Far East. The communication between hybridizers in the mid-Atlantic area is quite interesting; they would correspond and cross-pollinate and share their plants,” he adds. “About eight years ago,” Tom says, “a couple in their late 80s came to Maine on vacation. They saw many plants from their younger days, including Molly Fordham that one of their friends had developed. They had never seen it flower.” Tom’s tips for other growers: “By far, the most important thing is to bend over backward to satisfy customers. When people want garden designs, they come and look at our gardens at no cost. It’s no money out of our pockets in the winter, and in the summer if they have a garden, we might lay out plants on the lawn as they would be at their house or deliver at night for them at no or minimal cost.” “If someone has a plant that has died there could be all kinds of reasons. Find out why—don’t just sell them a new one—her kid may have stepped on the plant. Replace it automatically with a smile.” “Jump through any hoop to satisfy the customer. You have to make certain they come back again.” GT

It’s the Size of Their Hearts … & Their Veggies | Pam Buddy-D’Ambrosio

As part of GrowerTalks’ 75th anniversary retrospective, Under an Acre will highlight growers who have shared their insights since this feature’s debut in 1985. Stephen Radcliffe, his wife Gaynor, and their son, Rob, were the focus of Julie A. Martens’ Under an Acre article in January 1989. Rob’s wife, Rosemarie, and their son, Andrew, have been integral additions to the family business, which is in its third decade of operation as Lakeview Gardens in Lefroy, Ontario. Stephen Radcliffe, and his wife Gaynor (from left) opened Lakeview Gardens in the 1980s and now run it with their grandson Andrew, daughter-in-law Rosemarie and son Rob. Located 45 minutes north of Toronto, Lakeview Gardens sells wholesale and retail, with wholesale comprising the majority of the business. Rob would like to expand the retail portion, saying “Retail has seen a steady increase for 10 to 12 years and has held that level.” The wholesale customers include three garden centers; a chain hardware supplier with four locations; two large, established cemeteries; local landscapers; three grocery stores that sell plants in May and June; horticultural societies; the town’s parks and recreation department; and for 25 years, Deerhurst Resort, the largest in the area. Stephen says, “It’s a good, loyal group of clients.” Most of them have been with Lakeview Gardens for 20 to 25 years. In 1989, there were 21,000 sq. ft. under cover. That area has been enlarged to 25,000 sq. ft. “We took down a greenhouse to put up a 24 ft. by 54 ft. retail area; it’s modern and energy efficient with roof venting,” Rob says. The area is customer-friendly and protected from the elements. Rob says, “There was an outside area to walk, but when it rained we’d lose customers.” The transformed area now has an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere. The aisles have room for shopping carts and wheelchairs, but Rob says they make sure the customers don’t have to use carts. “We take the plants from the customers and do the running instead.” “We do the full range,” Rob says of the plant selection: 11,000 flats of annuals in packs, including 1,200 flats of veggies; 4,000 10-in. hanging baskets; 10,000 4-in. pots of geraniums; 6,000 4-in. planter material, 500 2-gal. heirloom tomatoes (50 varieties); 4,000 4-in. pots of herbs (25 to 30 varieties); approximately 2,000 1-gal. perennials; and 1,000 4-in. perennials and more. The spring crop goes in during January and ships out from May through June to the wholesale customers. When Andrew’s not taking care of the plants, he’s making deliveries. He meets with the customers, answers questions and offers advice. Stephen finishes growing the crop for three to four weeks, either pushing the crop or holding it. At the end of May, they begin work on their specialty summer crop of English cucumbers. Sixteen hundred to 1,800 plants are grown in the greenhouse in 18,000 sq. ft. From July to October, thousands of cucumbers are handpicked and hand wrapped. The cucumbers, as well as greenhouse peppers, tomatoes and mini cucumbers are brought to farmers markets. One stop is Holland Marsh, the veggie heartland of Canada. Rob says, “At farmers markets, we meet new customers; we have a good following and it’s a source of advertising.” The majority of their retail customers are females age 40 and above, but Rob and Stephen want to get the younger generations interested in gardening, too. The Lakeview Gardens’ onion growing competition encouraged customers of all ages to grow vegetables. In the last two years, Rob has seen a 15 to 20% increase in retail sales of vegetables. “People are very much concerned about food safety with no pesticide use,” Stephen says. Using the Kelsae Sweet Giant that can reach 16 lbs., Rob and Stephen invited customers to grow their own. Rob says, “Sixty to 70 people bought onions, but when the competition day arrived, only 20 people joined the contest. It was disheartening.” Customers of all ages entered the contest, but it was the children’s efforts that Rob and Stephen wanted to promote. “With the children under 16, we knew they grew it themselves if the onion weighed less than a pound, but others, whose onions weighed over 3 lbs., had help from adults,” Rob says. In 2000 at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, Stephen won the Champion of Champions, beating out pumpkins and squash with his 5¾ lb. onion. What do you do with an onion that big? “We ate it,” says Stephen. They’ve broken records with the tallest kale grown in a pot inside a greenhouse where it stayed for 21 months until it hit the 14-ft. ceiling. It was moved outside, strapped to a barn then carefully transported to the fair for judging. The kale reached 17 ft., 9.5 in. Lakeview Gardens is open from late April to late October. “In July we have an Herbal Open House—the public is invited to tour the gardens on the property: the herb garden and English perennials garden. Rosemarie and Gaynor make jams and jellies, and customers sample herbal treats,” Rob says. This July will be the 18th year of the open house, which attracts 800 people. The entire property covers less than 3 acres. The two Radcliffe families share different portions of the home on the property. Stephen opens his personal gardens to tours. Rob says, “The public is encouraged to walk the gardens.” Tips from Rob: “The owners do the work. Because we’ve stayed our size, we’ve been able to roll with the recession.” “Being small, you have more control over your greenhouse; in the spring, there are three other employees. Our family volunteers their help with the Herbal Open House. Gaynor and Rosemarie take care of the retail and put in the crops in May. They are the wrappers and packers of cucumbers. With no disrespect, Mum is like the Energizer Bunny.” “There are not a lot of upgrades. We do have a plan to update the structure ourselves, one step at a time.” “What started as a hobby three years ago has grown into sales. We have six beehives and have harvested 350 lbs. of honey. We hope to grow to 10 to 12 hives.” “With the use of biological controls, the use of fungicide has decreased.” Tips from Stephen: “We’re very involved in the local community, and we offer personal service and high quality.” “We can experiment with small changes and we’re able to move with changes sooner.”  GT Pam Buddy-D’Ambrosio is a freelance writer in New Rochelle, New York

Here's the February Under an Acre feature with Jack Kaskel from Red Buffalo Nursery.

Naturally Native Pam Buddy-D’Ambrosio

People who have dreams of saving the world put their spin on how they’ll get it accomplished, whether with super powers or colorful costumes. Jack Kaskel’s vision begins with the restoration of wetlands, prairies, savannas and woodlands of Illinois and Wisconsin. He doesn’t need a cape to do the job—just the cooperation of Mother Nature and like-minded neighbors. Jack and his wife, Maurine, own Red Buffalo Nursery in Hebron, Illinois, a small village six miles from the Wisconsin border. With an entrepreneur for a father, Jack was destined to strike out on his own and leave a computer-programming job behind. In the early 1990s, he volunteered to restore savannas and prairies in the Chicago area. A stewardship at a grove and marsh conservation area led to graduate work in geology and environmental studies and a volunteer position on a natural areas restoration project. In 2000, Jack started Red Buffalo Nursery—part-time for five years and full-time since 2005. The name of the business came from a friend who read PrairyErth (A Deep Map): An Epic History of the Tallgrass Prairie Country by William Least Heat-Moon. “Red buffalo” is a Native American term used for prairie fires due to the noise and color. Jack and Maurine purchased 20 acres on which they have their home and the nursery. They restored 18 acres and use it as a seed source for the nursery. A remnant sedge meadow occupies a portion of the property. There are 5,000 sq. ft. under cover. Jack says, “We grow grasses, sedges, flowering plants, some shrubs and very few trees; 90% of what we sell we grow from seed.” From their property, Jack gets wetland seeds from plants such as the cardinal flower, great blue lobelia, buttonbush, elderberry and bulrush; and prairie seeds from little and big bluestem grass, compass plant and gray-headed coneflower. The surplus seed is sold through Prairie Moon Nursery in Winona, Minnesota. The woodland seeds for Red Buffalo Nursery are supplied by local growers and bare root stock is purchased from growers in Wisconsin. The area, for Jack, is broken down by ecosystems rather than by hardiness zones: “fen versus bog; closest to Lake Michigan versus farther inland. We consider the soil and the proximity to the lake more than we talk about zone,” he says. There are fewer than five employees, but during the growing season they add one more person to the staff. Jack’s wife helps out with sales at the nursery and at farmers markets where they bring 20-25 species out of the 300 they grow. Jack says, “Generally, Maurine helps with guidance when I’m smart enough to ask for it and sometimes when I’m not.” On the weekends in spring and fall, customers can come unannounced to the nursery; at other times, Jack sees people by appointment. They sell wholesale and retail. Most of the customers, an equal mix of female to male, come from neighboring counties, southeast Wisconsin and Chicago, a 90-minute drive. Jack says, “People make special trips to come here, we’re not on a main road.” He says he sees “a wide gamut of customers: young people with their parents because they’re studying natural areas and restoration, or older people dragging kids with them.” The nursery has a website and Jack has done general advertising, but feels that it doesn’t entice the people he needs to attract. He advertises through the Wild Ones, a non-profit native landscaping organization of which he is a member. Most advertisement for the nursery comes by word of mouth or by being at a site. Jack says, “When we’re out working at public parks, people see us and ask questions or say ‘come to my house.’ We do like to be out in the public to educate people.” Two-thirds of the nursery’s business is the restoration of natural areas. “Our business deals more with natural areas and trying to figure out how to take the next step in restoring them,” Jack says. One of his favorite projects for its progression is Ryders Woods in Woodstock, Illinois. “It’s an oak savanna with a lot of buckthorn, honeysuckle and aggressive native species; we cleared it up and it has progressed nicely,” he says. In a year, Jack has six to 12 restoration projects in parks and on private properties, along with the ongoing maintenance of previous projects. He says of the restoration work—90% is government or non-profit-related. “The bible in our area is Plants of the Chicago Region by Swink & Wilhelm,” says Jack. A few of his favorite plants are Jacob’s ladder, trillium and trout lily, of which “a colony around a park bench looks like a society of ancient Druids. When I started with restoration in the mid-80s, I enjoyed being out with people and in the sun, but on hikes, there were so many different plants, how would I learn all of them? After 18 months I knew some plants. Now I know 2-3 dozen plants,” he says with a laugh. “This is a lot more interesting than computer programming,” says Jack. “Sitting at the computer terminal in a big office building, I had little interaction with people and was more isolated than I feel out in the prairie studying or herbiciding invasive species—you notice more isolation in a building full of people.” Jack’s tips for native growers: • Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants by Douglas W. Tallamy—“It’s an excellent intro into how native plants support insects and wildlife versus non-natives that do that to a much lesser extent.” • “When starting to incorporate native plants into your sales stock, use non-hybrid plants or seed from local genotypes: just as ornamental plants do best in a specific zone, native plants do best in a specific environment, Oregon natives thrive in Illinois, and Illinois natives don’t support California wildlife. Start with a varied selection of about a dozen species from a few different basic environments, for the Midwest: prairie, wetland (also known as “rain garden” plants), and deciduous woods. Be sure to include grasses and sedges in every sale; they are the best for keeping annual weeds at bay, for carbon sequestration, and for fuel for prescribed burns.” GT Pam Buddy-D’Ambrosio is a freelance writer in New Rochelle, New York. Woodstock Farmers Market shot this video of Jack:

Welcome!

Since June 2010, I've had the privilege to interview nursery growers in North America for Grower Talks magazine. My monthly article, Under an Acre, features wholesale and retail growers.

For the January 2012 issue of Grower Talks, I had the pleasure of visiting with Andrew Brodtman from Twombly Nursery in Monroe, Connecticut. Andrew is on the right and Barry is on the left in this photo.

Neighborly Nursery Pam Buddy-D’Ambrosio

The 12 acres that make up Twombly Nursery in Monroe, Connecticut, are surrounded by homes. While “good fences make good neighbors,” owners Andrew Brodtman and Barry Bonin believe in more than being just a good neighbor. For instance, when an elderly neighbor and her dog walked to the nursery to ask Andrew the name of a repairman, he made an introductory phone call for her. Sharing property lines has other advantages—the neighbors get their driveways plowed in the winter and their yards planted in the spring. Twombly Nursery began as a tree service business in the late 1960s. It developed into a nursery where Andrew worked upon completion of his Landscape Architecture degree. He did landscape design and installation for more than 10 years before he and Barry, another employee, bought the business in the mid-2000s. They own 3.5 acres, lease the rest of the property, and are looking into leasing additional land. The retail area, administrative offices and four-season garden cover 4 acres, while the outdoor-only growing area is on 3 acres. Hoop houses protect the broad-leafed evergreens and other delicate plants from winter wind damage. Andrew and Barry grow Spirea, Japanese maples and dwarf conifers. They grow and sell specimens of larger sizes, such as 20- to 30-ft. trees. They harvest trees at a 4-in. caliper or above. Andrew says, “It’s too easy to find 2-in. caliper trees, so it doesn’t make sense for us to grow them.” He says nurseries in the area don’t do mature trees due to lack of buyers, proper equipment or land. They buy in bareroot stock and can sell 200 Miss Kim lilacs during a season—good for the gardener who is unwilling to feed the teeming deer population in Connecticut. Andrew and Barry grow herbs and some vegetables for the hobbyists and impulse buyers. They’ve introduced a rare Twombly Red Sentinel. It’s a red leaf Japanese maple that grows 18 ft. high and 8 ft. wide, with an upright habit, and is good for smaller gardens. If they can’t find a particular specimen or they’re selling 100 to 200 of a specific plant, they’ll grow them. Andrew takes two weeks per year, one in the summer and one in the winter, to tag. “Is that a vacation?” he asks. Barry travels, also, to Oregon, Ohio and the southern states to tag material. “Seventy percent of the things that come in, we see first,” says Andrew. Oregon is a destination because, “what takes five years to grow there, takes seven years to grow in the Northeast,” says Andrew. They choose wisely, looking for the best material, the rarest and the most unusual that their customers can’t get anywhere else. Andrew and Barry are careful about what they choose for their location. “We can’t do Zones 7 or 8; we used to be Zone 6A, but after the last few winters we’re 5B,”says Andrew. “We never close,” says Andrew, but they do shut down for the winter, which gives Andrew and Barry time to make repairs on the equipment, paint, review past jobs, and place spring orders. “There’s always work to do,” he adds. The staff shifts in size from 20 to 25 during the busy season, down to five or six in the winter. Some of the employees have accrued dozens of years at the nursery—longevity is good for business as customers ask for the employees by name and will stand for no substitutions. “What we can’t do financially for our people, we do by treating them like they’re family; and as long as we’re able, we’ll contribute to their health insurance and 401(k)s,” says Andrew. Designers come from Manhattan, Greenwich, Connecticut and Massachusetts for the material they can’t find anywhere else. Andrew and Barry offer masonry services, work on others’ landscape designs, plus implement their own creations—about 50 a year. A very diverse clientele, says Andrew, can buy hundreds of plants, one plant or 10 evergreens. The landscape designer or gardener who wants a cherry tree with a serpentine trunk, an 18-ft. holly or plantings for rooftop gardens and courtyards in Manhattan knows to come to Twombly Nursery. The retail customer base is more female than male, says Andrew. Every week, two women walk the nursery, sometimes they buy, and sometimes they don’t. Andrew calls them the “Thursday Ladies.” Andrew and Barry take care not only of their neighbors, but the wildlife, too. A customer can’t have that Paper Bark Maple he purchased until the nested birds leave for another location. Money-saving ideas and tips for other growers: “Buy in more bareroot material.” “We’d love to be more energy efficient—we’d love to have the money to get a windmill.” “We’re not outsourcing. We do our own in-house advertising and email marketing to 5,000 email customers. We have a pre-sale event for email customers two weeks before the sale is open to the public.” “Our wives work in the business in marketing, advertising and bookkeeping. There is flexibility in having family work for us.” “We keep a reliable customer base. We have a lot of high-end buyers, but we make the people who aren’t high-end feel like they are. We give them the personal touch; we are a ‘mom-and-pop’ operation.” GT Pam Buddy-D’Ambrosio is a freelance writer in New Rochelle, New York.