Opening a Garden Center in Ayden, NC: Goodbye spreadsheets, Hello soil!

How did this journey start? After years of letting regulators and process writing stress me to no end, mounds of spreadsheets, pretending like I know it all during corporate meetings—spoiler I did not—I had a friend with a plan that I never imagined. So, when Sarah came to me with the idea of opening a garden center and later about managing it for her, I thought, “This is it. This is the fresh air I need. Literally.”

Remodeling the Space

Now, if you’ve ever remodeled a space, you know the drill: It’s a mess—and by "mess," I mean an emotional rollercoaster wrapped in rotting doors and broken windows. We’ve spent months sketching, planning, and pretending I know how to negotiate contractor estimates. We eventually decided to back off and leave that part mostly to the property owner. We’ve spent hours personally priming the outside of the building and repairing the mortar. Do we know what we’re doing? Absolutely not. But hey, it’s getting done, and that’s basically the same thing, right? We’ve read the back of the mortar repair tube, so we’re basically experts now.

Social Media and Promoting Our Activities

Oh, and the blog and social media posts. I thought it’d be easy—just some lighthearted, witty posts about the wonders of houseplants and garden life. Turns out, running a blog and social media while working partly in the Hardware store, dealing with a never-ending to-do list, and trying to pretend I’m not a hot mess is a full-time job. But hey, if I can keep a plant alive for longer than a week, I can keep this blog alive too. So, here I am, typing away about my ongoing adventures in plant sales, shop renovations, and pretending I’m a professional organizer. Spoiler alert: Hardest yet is remembering to switch Facebook profiles from business to personal. Yes, the hardware store can tell you where to find the utility policy. It’s up to date on town things!

Planning and Spreadsheets

Let’s talk planning. I used to think planning was just writing lists and maybe an occasional processing map. Oh, sweet summer child, how wrong I was. Planning involves a complex web of spreadsheets, Pinterest boards with unrealistic expectations (hello, dream greenhouse), and long days at the hardware store where I’m still pretending I know what a socket wrench is. Thankfully Sarah owns the hardware store too and I trained there the last few months so I may not know what everything is, but I do know WHERE it is! Every corner of my life now revolves around creating an experience for my customers—one where they can walk in, feel the warmth of plant-filled happiness, and think, "I need to buy five more plants today." I can’t wait to say, Mission accomplished.

Traveling and Trips

And let’s not forget about the trips. If you want to open a plant shop, you must spend hours driving around checking out local farmers. I’ve been bouncing around farms, hanging with the sweetest folks, and soaking up all the wisdom!

From touring with owners who proudly hand off the farm to the next generation, to chatting with a grower who has a watermelon in the Guinness World records and another a pumpkin, I’m in awe.

And at 40, it’s a blast to hear 70-something’s passionately invite me to join their growers’ group—no joke, they’re serious about their crops. Then there’s the orchid enthusiast treating her tropicals like children!!! My spirit was at home in her greenhouses!

These folks are a goldmine of knowledge, and I’m here for every bit of it.

In the end, it’s all going to be worth it. There’s something magical about opening a shop filled with living, breathing plants that can literally change someone's mood. I’m turning chaos into a thriving green paradise, and while the journey might be messy, it’s also full of joy, creativity, and the occasional self-doubt.

Oh, and did I mention I’m doing all of this with one of my best friends? Yes, my partner-in-plant-crime, who’s just as obsessed with leaves, soil, and the art of convincing people to buy yet another cactus as I am. We’ve spent countless hours brainstorming ideas, picking out the perfect mismatched furniture, and dreaming of opening day. It’s like a constant “plant-ternship” where we’re both learning to juggle family, business logistics, interior design, and, of course, our ever-growing plant obsession. Some days we’re in perfect sync, having the same ideas like we’ve been doing this for years. Other days? Well, we’re just two exhausted women looking at each other like, “Why did we think running a garden center was a good idea?” But no matter what, it’s an adventure we’re taking on together—and at the end of the day, there’s nothing like sharing a dream (and a greenhouse) with your bestie.

So, here’s to plant shops, blogs, and the never-ending cycle of planning and organizing that makes this whole adventure actually work. Who knew running a garden center could be so wildly satisfying (and occasionally hilarious)?