Page 10 - MNLGA Free State Winter 2024_WEB

THIS BUSINESS OF OURS (Continued) I’m not planning on leaving any time soon, so there
will be plenty of conversations to pass on knowledge
I’m not planning on leaving any to the young generations. Lori, Rosalie and I discussed

time soon, so there will be plenty when and how to cut back our hydrangeas, with all the
permutations of old wood, new wood, and flowering
of conversations to pass on times. It’s interesting to hear their ideas about the future
and plans for them. Robert is quite interested in bar code
knowledge to the young or RDF scanners that can speed up sales and connect

generations ... when and how to information into the inventory. I’m not against that, but
I do think the programs are too expensive. The yearly
cut back our hydrangeas, with all maintenance charges I’ve heard so far are eye-popping. I

the permutations of old wood, new have some other minor concerns that keep coming up, as
I’m sure you all do too. Barcodes will have to be on a label
wood, and flowering times. stuck into the soil media or on a sticker stuck into the pot.
We reuse containers as I’ve mentioned before, and the
outsides are often dirty, so the sticker may not stick. The
other things I’ve considered are the costs, how long the
While we’re gone, the nursery will be in good hands. To my
scanners may last, and the process of getting the initial
great pleasure, Larry’s wife, Lori, and my granddaughter,
inventory of existing stock into the database. How long
Rosalie, are now working here. Both will be in the office
and challenging will this be? Here is where my wife says
and doing nursery work when time and load permits.
she will retire before starting this. Also, with the credit card
Rosalie has already taken over the marketing. The other
day, in just a short time, she updated the Facebook page fiasco I mentioned in my last article, will the company
which has been useful to us in communicating with the keep serving us next year? Maybe our MNLGA should work
public. For example, Larry posts notes about sales and on researching the costs, usefulness, ease of use, reliability,
answers questions from interested buyers almost every etc.? Or a nursery that has done this already could write
day. Larry also regularly posts photos showing plants that an article sharing the pros and cons of their experience?
have been delivered that day or are in flower. With August’s unrelenting heat and wind now in the past,
our stock is looking better. My father always said, “Plants
With my grandson, Robert, we are set for the Hemmings
look better in September and early October”. Sales were
to run this place into our second hundred years. Not bad
good through the summer temperatures and we were
in today’s business world having lasted for 5 generations
even slightly ahead in profit. Retail customers didn’t slow
since 1929.
down much, and several submitted big orders.
My contribution to helping them along with the business
will be to make a twelve-month notebook to pass along
as many hints and bits of knowledge that I can. Things With August’s unrelenting heat
like when to prune certain plants, make their cuttings, and wind now in the past, our
move them to a larger container, and when and how to
fertilize them. Even things like when plants have gone past stock is looking better. My father
too many “birthdays” here and the right time to uproot
them. I’ve been meaning to do this notebook for at least 5 always said, “Plants look better
years but there didn’t seem to be a big rush to do it. Until in September and early October”.
recently, it sat for a long time as two sheets of paper on
the side of my desk that were be covered and uncovered Sales were good through the
in the ebb and flow of other papers and trade magazines. summer temperatures and we were
But suddenly, I’m 80 with gimpy knees and my grandkids
have come into the business. It’s time for a reality check! even slightly ahead in profit.

10 WINTER 2024 • Free State News