Penny and Handy McPherson

It was 1989, Handy and I had just gotten married the year before. I’d always loved plants; my Mama had a greenhouse when I was little, and I enjoyed watching things grow. I had a knack for it too, so we started the business on a farm that had been in the McPherson family since 1839. We built a lean-to shelter next to one of our buildings, and grew and sold 25 ferns that year. The next year, we picked up a greenhouse that a farmer said we could have if we took it down and got it out of his way. It was overgrown, but with some work it was like new, and I had space to grow the business. Four years later, Handy took a leap of faith, quit his job, and came to work with me.

I made lots of contacts, and we were blessed by doors opening and being given lots of opportunities. Now we have the equivalent of nearly four acres of ferns, bedding plants and annuals under plastic. Our clients range from golf courses and chain stores to municipalities, and we have customers in four states. It’s been such a great journey, but one memory that really sticks out is when we won the bid to do the beautification for the 2005 US Open in Pinehurst. We provided more than 50,000 pots of all different kinds of annuals; they really looked spectacular on the roadways and roundabouts. Today, we’re proud of the pots we do in downtown Whiteville, we think it helps show off the town.

People say they can tell our ferns from anyone else’s, that they speak for themselves, and it’s because we use a special formulation for the soil and fertilizer; it really holds water and allows the plants to flourish. Last year, we opened a retail space in front of our greenhouses so we could sell directly to the public. In March, when the weather starts to turn, we’ll give updates on Facebook on when our weekend kickoff sale will be held. And people are ready! It makes me so happy to see how excited they get, especially after a cold winter, to get some ferns for their front porch and plants for their yard. We’ve met so many great people and made so many friends over the years, we’ve really been blessed by God. When you’re doing something you love, what could be better than that!