MADE HERE Johnson's Greenhouse Westminster, Vermont

A bold patchwork of color calls out as a feast for the eyes, including bright red geraniums, golden sunflowers, multiple Zinnia shades, flashy marigolds in orange, yellow and reddish combinations, and a wide selection of other lush flowers. These attract returning and new customers, along with hummingbirds and other pollinators, to Johnson's Greenhouse on Route 5 in Westminster, Vermont. &emsp;&emsp;"I'm not big like the other guys, but I try to carry a nice variety," says owner John Johnson, who began growing his own plants at his home with one greenhouse in 1988. &emsp;&emsp;As the number and type of flowers, herbs and vegetables grew, he gradually added more greenhouses and now has five of them on his property and another one at his sales center. &emsp;&emsp;Johnson says he grows 90% of the annual offerings himself from seed or uses cuttings that he buys from the Proven Winners company. He purchases most of the perennials from Kavicchio's Greenhouse in Sudbury, Massachusetts. &emsp;&emsp;"I do a lot of feeding, and the plants love that, especially the Proven Winners," he explains. &emsp;&emsp;This contributes to how his flowers and plants thrive. In addition, his sales team is attentive to them, watering as needed and removing the blossoms that have gone by to reserve energy for new blooms. &emsp;&emsp;"I have good employees, and that makes a real difference. They are reliable, are here every day, and they're all pretty knowledgeable about plants," he notes. &emsp;&emsp;Except for the mums that are watered using a drip system, he waters the rest of the plants at his home greenhouses by hand so he "can be sure each plant gets the right amount; not too much or too little." &emsp;&emsp;"Knock on wood, I've got a good well. Weather is the biggest challenge; if there's a lot of rain in the spring, it hurts the plants and business. You really need the right combination of rain and sun," says Johnson. &emsp;&emsp;Many of his customers are local, returning year after year. Additional people stop to shop when traveling by on the busy route or when they come to the Irving gas station next door. &emsp;&emsp;"This is our twenty-fifth year here, and we're going to have a customer appreciation day on the Saturday after Labor Day, September 10th," he says, adding that it will probably include a sale and maybe some pens labeled with his business name to give out. &emsp;&emsp;Johnson says the COVID pandemic has been good for everyone in the planting business, with people staying home and having more time for gardening, landscaping and other projects. &emsp;&emsp;New plant and flower varieties come out and are popular among customers, while the old standbys — petunias, alyssum, begonias, marigolds and geraniums continue to sell. &emsp;&emsp;The Greenhouse sales center opens in late April, beginning with colder-weather crops such as lettuce and cabbage. As spring continues, he says other vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, summer squash and zucchini are available, along with herbs such as basil, the most popular. &emsp;&emsp;In the flower category, his combination hanging baskets are the biggest sellers. Customers are attracted to the different varieties put together, like petunias, million bells and lobelia. Coleus, with its wide-ranging patterns, adds an accent to his planters. &emsp;&emsp;Flowers sell steadily through August when business slows down after customers have bought much of what they need but may come in for filler plants to beautify an area before a party or occasion or to replace something that may have dried out. &emsp;&emsp;In September, Johnson brings out his mums, pumpkins and other fall-related options, staying open until mid-October. After that, he closes down and prepares to re-open the day after Thanksgiving with holiday offerings that he sells until Christmas. &emsp;&emsp;He enjoys designing his own wreaths, he says. In addition, he creates kissing balls, table centerpieces and other décor. This helps him keep his prices reasonable. &emsp;&emsp;"I've loved plants since I was little," Johnson says. &emsp;&emsp;While his parents did not share this interest, they were supportive; his father built him a small eight-by-ten-foot greenhouse, and his interest grew from there. &emsp;&emsp;He worked at Agway for 14 years, took a floral design class in the 1980s and worked at Woodward Florist in Walpole for four years. He gradually built up his own greenhouse business after that. &emsp;&emsp;The horticultural business has completely changed since he started, he says. There are many more varieties — and that's what sells. Much of what he has learned has been through trial and error; he is a hands-on learner. BOX: Johnson's Greenhouse 5190 US Route 5 Westminster, VT 05158 jjgreenhouse@gmail.com Facebook: @bigjohnsonsgreenhouse