Located in a residential area of a blue-collar town, Glenwild tries to keep things low-key, in tune with the neighborhood. The retail store is in an old, rustic building with rough-sawn boards as siding. The main room features a large stone fireplace, not currently in use, with smaller rooms added over the years.
The nursery is hilly in parts, which presents challenges but also adds character. Scattered around the grounds are a few concrete pools, one with a waterfall, some stone steps built by the original owner and an old fountain.
“We must be creative to stay in business in the close shadow of many big-box stores and big garden centers,” Bross said. “And creativity is what keeps us all excited.”
Due to customer demand, Glenwild added small-scale holiday decorating. The holiday wreath classes and cooking class with a local chef have waiting lists.
Glenwild has long carried a large selection of organic products. Bross brings her passion for environmentalism into the business. Although Glenwild does sell chemical products, Bross hopes they’ll eventually be seen as a last resort. She envisions solar panels on the buildings someday, and maybe a community garden onsite.
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Favorite products
Mycorrhizal products
The landscape department at Glenwild depends on SoilMoist products and Roots products with mycorrhizal fungi, which have helped plant survival rates quite a bit. The products are also sold in the retail store.
For more: JRM Chemical, SoilMoist, (800) 962-4010; www.soilmoist.com. Novozymes Biologicals, Roots, (800) 342-6173; www.rootsinc.com.
WindchimesGlenwild has sold Woodstock Chimes in the gift department for years, and they keep selling well. Many varieties are available, including fountain chimes, and Glenwild reports the company has been great to work with.
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Organic planting mix
Coast of
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Green goods
Euphorbia Diamond Frost
“I love this plant completely,” Bross said about Diamond Frost, noting it doesn’t fade in any weather. “It looks gorgeous with other flowers, like a fluffy cloud mixing in. I planted it all over in my yard -- sun, part shade and even shade. It’s drought tolerant, doesn’t need a lot of fertilizer and needs no dead-heading.”
For more: Proven Winners, (877) 895-8138; www.pwcertified.com.
Physocarpus opulifolius Summer Wine
Summer Wine is a shrub with a beautiful burgundy color. “Ninebarks are native to this area,” Bross said, “and that just feels right. They are very easy plants to take care of and are deer-resistant, too.”
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Acer palmatum ‘Sango Kaku’
“Coral-bark maple is great,” Bross said. “It tolerates partial shade and is an incredible contrast with other plants. Its leaves are a golden green, and its bark is an amazing red color that gets stronger as the weather cools.”
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