Precious Grundy | The Lima News
LIMA — Spring is around the corner and flowers are beginning to bud. Greenhouses across the United States are preparing for the new season. Locally, the business continues to bloom.
Kayla’s Greenhouse in Lima sees the fruit of its labor every season. The husband and wife duo purchased the greenhouse at the end of 2017. Once they realized the greenhouse was for sale from its previous owner, they decided to take a leap of faith.
“The greenhouse business is big business in Ohio,” Owner Kayla Dahlinghaus said. “There are several in Lima, then the other greenhouses are kind of located on the outskirts. The annual industry is huge but you have to hit it hard in the spring. That is when everybody is ready to plant.”
Dahlinghaus also said the indoor house plant business has “taken off” as well. Other greenhouses in the area have noticed the same trend. Bloom by Spieles Nurseries in Shawnee opened its doors in 2015. Jennifer Spieles said the business was once only in the warmer months. Bloom is now open twice a week during the winter months as well.
“I think when people were at home during the pandemic,” Spieles said, “they started taking a look around their yard and they kind of got interested in doing home projects. A lot of that was like landscaping — I think the younger generation is interested in house plants and flowers.”
Indian Trail in Columbus Grove is another family-owned business. Owner Jon Neu said he has grown plants his entire life. Neu also said his family opened their first farm market in 1938 and will continue the tradition.
“We are fortunate because we draw from about 14 counties,” Neu said. “We are on a state highway, which makes it helpful. Everybody seems to like flowers; it does not matter their age. They always want a breath of spring. We have people stop in March and walk through the greenhouses and see how stuff is growing even if it is not ready for sale.”
Neu also owns the “Greenhouse on Main.” Neu said the business plants around 200,000 plants each year. “The idea of shopping locally seems to be getting bigger and better,” Neu said. “We also sell nursery stock and mulch. We sell everything to beautify the landscape, along with the flowers in the greenhouse.”
Each business is readily preparing for the next season to come and showing gratitude for community members who support them.
“The support we get from the community every year is very humbling,” Dahlinghaus said. “We do not set expectations. Everyone has a goal and the goal is to run out but we are humbled; it is just fun to be a part of people’s springtime tradition.”
Reach Precious Grundy at 567-242-0351.
