How it looked when we started

Starting our new plant nursery in the Upstate of South Carolina.

Located in the NW corner of Spartanburg County.

See photos of our start-up, beginning July/August 2007

                                        

As we built and set out our first bed in late July 2007.

We had 12' used lumber available, so we built the bed in sections, each 12' long and 4' wide and laid

them out end-to-end to make a bed 48' long.

                   

We used weedblocker cloth under the beds to give us a clean surface to work with.

We knew things would be wet from the misting system, so we wanted a nice place to walk, as well as to place our sand flats and pots.

Also, we didn't want to have to contend with all the weeds and grass.

                   

First cuttings taken August 9, 2007.                  A close-up of those first cuttings.

         

Cat-proofing the sand pile.                            

               

Quick fix for shade when the temps got         August 16, 2007 Put some extensions

up around 107 every day.                                on the posts so we could tie the tarp up

                                                                           higher and get a bit more shade out of it.

         

August 16, 2007 the first section began filling fast as we stuck cuttings.

         

Shifting up into pots. August. 16.

Actually, these are rooted cuttings we bought. didn't have a place for them, so stuck them along

side the bed where they would get the overspray from the mister.

Later, we were able to get shade cloth up on the rest of the bed and moved them down to the far end.

         

Those first potted plants, joined by others.

         

Second bed in place Sept. 13. 2007

1st bed row getting full. That is why we had to add

the one on the left. 9/13/07

                   

Rosemary that we started as cuttings. It rooted nicely and we began shifting it up into plug packs.

                   

Sept. 13, 2007 Rosemary sticks in the               Rosemary cuttings and some shifted up into plugs. Many more to go.

front. Peppermint cuttings in the back.

October 4, 2007 on a cloudy day.

                   

Compare this photo with the one for                 The bright green flat is mullein seed that we

September 13. We have filled all but 2             harvested and scattered on a sand flat.

of the 4X6' sections already. We begin            There are hundreds of seedlings here.

construction of beds number 3 & 4 in                We are experimenting with this plant. It is

the next few days. Bed space fills up                 such a good medicinal plant that we want to

quickly when we begin shifting plants up           propagate it and see what happens.

into plugs and pots.

         

These pictures don't do these pots justice. Here we have some of our Gardenia potted up

for the Xmas gift pots we are preparing. We have thousands of pots in the making.

         

The pot in the center is called Cuban                 The gold variegated euonymus is looking

Oregano. It smells divine, if you like                    perky. We plan to grow these out and sell

pizza. It is not frost hardy, so I'll take it in            them next year. Beside them are pots of

during the winter. I got a dozen cuttings             Yoshino Cryptomaria - Japanese Cedar.

that are nicely rooted and will have to find

space for them indoors, too. Nice sturdy

growth, since I cut it back. Loves the

mist bed, but wants to be a bit removed

from the full flow of the mist.

October 14, 2007

         

The plants in the foreground are Boulevard Cypress. We think these are very special.        This picture is more of the Boulevard Cypress.

They are so soft and a lovely blue color. They make you want to hug them.

    

The yellow/green plant is Gold Coast Juniper. I found it at the grocery store and fell in

love with it.

    

This is an order of peppermint that we shipped September 24, 2007.

Early spring of 2008

It is so nice to run out of room and have to spread out to accomodate all the new plants this spring. Our misting beds are full of last year's cuttings. As all our rooted cuttings begin to grow up, we need space to put them to make room for this year's crop. We raked and pruned and dug and shifted and now have more than tripled our nursery area.

Here are some views of how we are expanding in anticipation of the new season.

Here is how we looked when we began. Our very first bed, before there was a thing in it. July of 2007.

(Below) Now look at what is in that same area! Below, in the photo on the left, the bed row to the left of center is the same bed as you see above.

In the photo on the right, we plan to keep the right-hand framed bed area for our ready-to-sell pots. Plants in flats will go in the section with the crape myrtle liners.

    

(Below) Then we got in all the crape myrtle liners and had no place to put them. They are down the hill on this section of ground cover.

We have lots of sand flats already filled and waiting new cuttings. We had to move the remainder of the last load of sand in order to make living space for more plants.

Flats of shifted up and ready to sell plants will live in this area, as well as flats of liners we buy in from other locations.

    

In the first photo above, on the left, you can see a corner of new ground cover.

Below, you can see where that ground cover is located.

This strip is going to be where we put all our stock plants and anything else we are not yet ready to sell.

Coming soon: More photos of Janice & Patty working with plants, so you can get acquainted with us, as well as our cuttings.