Archive for November, 2007

Mr. and Mrs. E. P. Dingman of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, describe their prefab 13- by 20-foot greenhouse as “a hobby house which we can truthfully say operates profitably -both financially and aesthetically.” After his retirement from the navy, they bought a greenhouse and a year later, added a potting shed, 13 by 14 feet; then fluorescent lights in under-bench areas, thereby doubling capacity.

As their stock increased, spurred by favorable word-of-mouth advertising, buyers began visiting them. In addition to African violets, gloxinias, and other gesneriads, the Dingmans now sell annuals and perennials profitably.

African Violets Increase a Small Inheritance

When the Claybornes of St. Petersburg, Virginia, came into a small inheritance, Mr. Clayborne bought used material and built a greenhouse for African violets some of which had captured ten ribbons at the Richmond Flower Show. “Stop at the African Violet Hobby House,” their sign invites. Since Mrs. Clayborne works as a nurse, she has limited time for sales-just enough to meet expenses. Currently she is taking a florist course and has a standing sale of a few arrangements a week, proceeds from which go to the purchase of more African violet stock. It is the Claybornes’ aim to make their business profitable enough to support them upon their retirement.

From One Small Greenhouse to a Series

Edna Roberts in Maine started her greenhouse-for-profit in a glassed-in chicken coop, but now she is the owner of a whole range of greenhouses! Since the African violets she raised in her makeshift house were good enough to win prizes, she decided to sell some of them. Now she stocks the very latest as well as “the best of the older varieties.” Florists in nearby towns use her as their source of supply. The important thing is that she first made a success of a small greenhouse, and then went on to larger and more profitable ones.