x
Breaking News
More () »

A stroke of luck in time for spring for locally owned gardening store

As we hear the birds chirping we are reminded that spring is right around the corner. You may be looking at your dulled yard wondering how to bring it back to life. Folks in Findlay hoping to spruce up their gardens have a new place to shop, but the store's name and location may sound familiar.
Garden store preps for springtime

FINDLAY, OH (Toledo News Now) - As we hear the birds chirping we are reminded that spring is right around the corner. You may be looking at your dulled yard wondering how to bring it back to life.

Folks in Findlay hoping to spruce up their gardens have a new place to shop, but the store's name and location may sound familiar.

The owner took dozens of trips loading and unloading his truck back and forth from Lima.

"Folks are wondering what we're doing up here in Findlay," said Owner John DeHaven.

The tough economy and a very rough winter hit a gardening store in Findlay hard, but DeHaven says they are back in business and looking forward to the seasons to come.

Opening day wasn't as easy as just flipping on a sign at DeHaven Home and Garden Showplace. Five months after closing the doors to its Findlay location, the 61-year-old business, also located in Lima, is restocking its shelves.

Owners say business suffered last year, after a steady down-hill slope.

"Garden centers and nurseries were extremely affected by the housing crisis. Coupled with that, in 2010, we decided to close our landscaping part of our business," said DeHaven.

But now he says they're getting back to the basics. Not only is the store taking landscaping jobs, they're even renting out space inside to two other businesses.

"Things change. That's how business is sometimes. You can't keep doing what you're doing. Sometimes you have to make adjustments, and that's the adjustments we're making right now," said DeHaven.

With spring just days away, the store is hoping to see a big increase in customers after one very long winter.

"We're really coming into our busiest time of the year. General, from now, March, really through the summer is our busiest time," said DeHaven.

Some of the 25 employees laid off when DeHavens closed last October could be rehired. Anyone looking for part-time work is welcome to stop by and fill out an application at the store on US 224 East.

For more information on the business visit www.dehavenshowplace.com

Before You Leave, Check This Out