Seasons Change

I started the Grumpy's Garden Club as a way to get people together in the midst of a global pandemic in the Spring of 2020. It seemed to be pretty popular that first year and we enjoyed meeting our neighbors and friends outside in the vineyard, talking about plants, and garden plans, and sharing ideas of hope when everything in the news felt unsettling.

In 2021 the idea grew a bit and we hosted other vendors, food trucks, and lots more plants at our events. The King's Way Chapel became available as a venue and we even had a couple of free concerts for folks to hear good music and enjoy the company.

In 2022 we added more events in the Fall and our Mum sales were a big hit. We had the biggest, prettiest mums available for the lowest price anywhere in East Texas. That was fun, and a few folks made out like bandits. I began to start noticing some patterns in what kind of things interested people - and more than a few things they were NOT interested in. That year a couple of much larger, outdoor markets sprung up near 1650 and they offered a much more reliable level of traffic. The participation from outside vendors at our events dwindled down to very few, and then by Spring of 2023 there were only one or two.

My full-time job in construction also had me extremely busy in 2023 and I had to cancel all my Fall events due to schedule conflicts. That was a big disappointment to me, but I figured it was only one season and surely the next Spring I could resume the kind of Garden events I loved.

When Spring 2024 came I was still overwhelmed by a large construction project that was running too long. I still scheduled Garden events, but I was not always able to host them due to other obligations. Additionally, this Spring was extremely rainy and two weekend events get rained out at a critical time in the season. I had a lot of plant inventory that did not sell when it needed to and that meant I either had to care for it during our hot summer, plant it out on the property, or lose it to the Summer sun. I did my best, but not everything has survived. So, I absorb the losses.

At this point I was re-evaluating the Nursery concept. It was never really going to be a money-maker. My goal was always to provide plants at wholesale prices in order to make friends and build a network of gardeners. In a sense, I have accomplished that. Those associated with Grumpy's Garden Club are a loose group of gardening enthusiasts that make East Texas our home. We are all very different, but there are quite a few common things that unite us. I see it more clearly than anyone else because I have personally met and spoken to most of you directly. This is a good group of folks. There are about 180 of us and we are still growing.

After much discussion with my supportive wife & some serious contemplation I have decided to "turn over a new leaf" with Grumpy's Garden Club. I will no longer maintain my nursery license. This does not mean I will stop growing plants and veggies. It just means I'm not in the business anymore.

I am going to scale back my plant production and focus on edibles like Spring veggie starts, Muscadine & Grape Vines, and a fruit other cultivars that interest me & my family will benefit from. I have plans to build a farm stand this Fall near the vineyard where we will sell our Fresh Eggs, Muscadine Fruit, Jellies, and other products directly to the public. When I have plants available I will post the info on our website and they can be picked up for a donation of any amount. Going forward ALL of my plants will be available to you for donations only.

That said, I am still very interested in helping our club in any way I can. I have HUNDREDS of plastic plant pots that anyone can pick up for free by visiting the vineyard and taking them home.

Feel free to stop by anytime and grab what you like. I will leave them stacked out next to the driveway through the end of August. (The address is 9969 US Hwy 271 S, 1.2 miles north of Union Grove Stadium)

Additionally, I would like to organize free plant swaps, seed swaps, and several other events when the weather is nice. I am working on a Schedule for Fall 2024 & Spring 2025 where I plan to host guest speakers in the Kings Way Chapel to provide clinics on Composting, Organic Cultivation, Gardening Tricks & Tips, Plant Propagation, Recycling, and even Homesteading topics. Please stay in touch so that we can all benefit from these efforts. Reach out to me if you are interested in leading a clinic or discussion topic of any kind. I want to make myself and my resources available to help.

I am looking forward to what the future will hold for our little community and I expect that it is better and brighter than what we have already shared.

I am grateful for your support and your friendship.

~ Steve