My husband, Justin, is a coal miner. He is wearing his body down really fast and he is tired of working midnights. So, we talked about what business we could to start together. We wanted one that we could make a family business, teaching the kids a trade. And we wanted to be able to help others once we got started. We decided on a nursery. We imagined a traditional nursery where customers come and buy just about everything for their backyard landscape. Right away, we both agreed that I would have to carry this dream through to fruition because Justin has his hands full working 6 and 7 days a week.
I went to the computer and immediately googled, how to start a nursery. I read a few articles about starting a traditional nursery. Then, I came to a website called the Backyard Nursery. I was so excited! The website promoted a program that teaches people how to start a nursery out of their backyard with very little investment. The website also talked about the wholesale side to the nursery business. I did not even know that there was a wholesale side to nurseries. The site was filled with so much information that I could not take it all in. And the site gave away so much free information. The site was filled with practically everything you need to know to get started. That is what gave me the clue it could be for real.
I called my mom because Justin was asleep as he works midnights. I asked her to go to the site and look at it with me. We read things together and discussed the possibility of this working. We were now both excited. When Justin woke up, I showed him the site. He too became excited. We decided that on payday we would order the program. And we did.
When we got the program, I was happy but a little less than before. I think that I was just overwhelmed with all the information. I tried to sit down with Justin and make a plan. I was a little too intense and set him off. So, after reading an email from the company about taking the first step, I decided that I needed to go outside and start getting cuttings from our plants and try to root them. Justin joined me. We were so uncertain about how it was done. But we had so much fun. We just used a tray with soil and stuck the cuttings in. We felt better because we now knew how to propagate plants. These plants that we are rooting will just be for give away. But the experience was invaluable. It was as if after taking cuttings we felt like professionals. I checked a few today and there are roots growing.
I began looking at the rooted cuttings and the unrooted cuttings(rc's and urc's) on the growers board to see what I wanted to buy. A few days before pay day, I started to order. Before I knew it I placed too many orders. Four I think. Maybe five. We shall see how many invoices I get. I am so excited. We have rooted cuttings, unrooted cuttings, and liners that will be shipped Monday or Tuesday. I don't know what to do with them but that is Justin's part. I just know that we need to start growing our stock plants now. And I ordered mums for fall. I hope that it works out to sell the mums in the fall. If not there is always next fall.
Our goal is to replace our income in two years. I just saw a person on the board who had a huge backyard nursery in two years, so I can see the possibility.
Now there is so much to do. I need to print a copy of all the invoices we have paid. I need to start a file for our business. I need to make letter head for our business. Oh and how about applying for a nursery licence. That will be necessary before we can sell anything.
I am so very excited. But just a warning to all you newbies: other people will be negative. Don't let them steal your dream. They don't know the information and opportunity you have your hands on. But truly, you have found a pot of gold.
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