Homestead Gardens: Rooted In The Community

Fall is the best time to establish your plants for next year.”

Aimee Miskimon

Pumpkins and hay bales are in, humidity is on its way out, and the team at Homestead Gardens wants to get you set for next spring, now.

“Fall is the best time to establish your plants for next year,” said Aimee Miskimon, general manager of Homestead Gardens in Severna Park. “We will continue to get fresh inventory so that our fall gardeners have everything that they need to have a good planting season and allow those plants to establish over the winter months so that in the spring your garden is robust and beautiful.”

Pointing to a hydrangea past its summer prime, Miskimon explained that now is actually the perfect time to put the beloved summer stunner in the ground. The slightly cooler temperatures and more frequent rain showers make for ideal conditions for the thirsty plant and less maintenance for the gardener. Though the plant may present as bare sticks in the dormant winter months, patience in the process will pay off next year.

Another advantage to fall planting is the ability to see the product in a more mature stage. Miskimon said it’s common for customers to purchase young plants in the spring, and possibly not account for the amount of space they will take up as they grow. Waiting until fall allows for a more complete picture of what the selection will look like in a yard or garden, particularly when it comes to trees.

Homestead Gardens is offering local gardeners more than just planting materials this fall. The center is hosting a free educational series called “Garden Chores and Coffee” every Saturday in September and October, explaining in-depth the steps to take to ensure a beautiful spring.

Hayley Bush, Homestead Gardens’ marketing manager, explained that these types of events have traditionally been available at the flagship store in Davidsonville, and the staff is excited to begin offering them in Severna Park.

“Even though we’re 25 minutes down the road, it is a different gardening journey here in Severna Park,” Bush said, explaining that the high volume of oak trees in Severna Park creates a need for more shade-loving plants for the local clientele. “We’re hoping it turns into this little garden community over a cup of coffee.”

While the lectures and coffee are free, it is recommended to reserve a spot ahead of time.

Like well-established plants that require attention and care over time, so too do businesses. One way that Homestead Gardens has adapted to customers’ requests is an expansion of Evelyn’s Boutique, which features high-end women’s apparel and accessories. This season, customers will find the boutique area doubled in size and selection.

Shoppers will also find pet care items moved to the front of the store, highlighting the array of organic and high-quality pet food Homestead Gardens has to offer.

Sometimes, change is provoked by external forces. For Homestead Gardens, that came in the form of a new neighbor earlier this year. Rise Up Coffee Roasters, a popular Maryland coffee chain, opened in the adjoining business space formerly occupied by Zachary’s Jewelers. With a door open between the two businesses, freshly caffeinated patrons can sip as they shop.

“It’s really become a win-win kind of relationship for our community and for us,” Miskimon said. “You can get yourself a cup of coffee and start at the front of the store and go to the back of the store and just check so many things off of your list.”

What started decades ago as a family roadside produce stand is now a bustling three-store business, with roots firmly planted in the community – both literally, from the plants grown in the Davidsonville greenhouse, and figuratively, through partnerships with smaller businesses and commitment to various local charities. Homestead Gardens’ third and newest location is in Smyrna, Delaware.

The Severna Park store alone has donated hundreds of dormant perennials to the Friends of Anne Arundel County Trails, whose Master Gardeners plant them along the local trails for patrons to enjoy in spring and summer.

“They’ve remained so true to who they are as an organization,” Miskimon said of the Riddle family, who founded Homestead Gardens in 1973.

When Miskimon began at Homestead Gardens roughly one year ago, she arrived early her first morning to walk the entirety of the store before it opened. The feeling she experienced as she roamed each aisle is one she aspires to share with her customers.

“I want them to come in and I want them to feel like this is their happy place,” she said.

Homestead Gardens Severna Park is open from 9:00am-6:00pm daily, and is located at 522 Ritchie Highway. For more information, call 410-384-7966 or visit www.homesteadgardens.com.