Local garden center expands fourfold

A local garden center that has grown quietly in the Valley for the last decade is now taking a big leap into the 12-acre site on the Palmer-Wasilla Highway previously operated as Landscape Supply.

"I'm very excited about the jump we've taken -- it's a good move for our company," said Jeff Williams who, with his wife, Rhonda, signed a lease to operate the garden center this week. The new facility will officially open its doors on Feb. 16. A liquidation sale to sell off the previous inventory -- mostly Christmas and gift items -- that stayed with the store when it was relinquished to previous owner Howard Nugent, will be held Feb. 14 and 15.

Growth has been a somewhat constant factor for the Williams' Recluse Gardens, and the expansion into a new facility is something the Williams family -- and the Recluse Garden family -- is excited about. Recluse Gardens got its start 10 years ago, Jeff Williams said, at a 700-square-foot facility off Church Road. A few years later, they moved into a 6,700-square-foot greenhouse and, four years ago, they built their present facility, which the Williamses said they will continue to operate. Recluse Gardens, a 10,000-square-foot facility located just outside Wasilla on the Parks Highway, has a different clientele, the couple said, and focuses primarily on rare plants that thrive in Alaska's northern climate. Rhonda will run the rare-plant nursery, while Jeff operates Recluse Garden Center on the Palmer-Wasilla Highway.

Operating the two facilities may seem a hurdle, but the Williamses said it would be more difficult to integrate the two. The rare and exotic plants offered at Recluse Gardens need special conditions and attention that simply wouldn't be available in a garden-center setting, Rhonda said, and those plants have generated a considerable following among Alaska gardeners.

The Garden Center, on the other hand, will cater to the broader market of Valley gardeners, offering a variety of trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials. Landscape design and contracting, Jeff said, is something he had recently added to Recluse Garden's repertoire, and it will be a part of the new Garden Center. The couple had a lot of ideas about what they'd like to see in the store's future, but said they'll be taking the process step by step, adding new things such as classes as they're needed.

When asked if they had concerns about competition from big box stores, Jeff said he believes the company's core values will prove more valuable to customers than a few cents' savings.

"We've never worried about trying to compete with Wal-Mart," Jeff Williams said. "The Valley is growing … and will continue to grow. What we supply is a good-quality product at a fair price with excellent savings. If Wal-Mart is having a blue-light special for 99 cents, we're not going to worry about it."

A key component of their confidence, they said, is their close-knit, knowledgeable staff. Several members of the management team that will be operating Recluse Garden Center are intimately familiar with the new Garden Center already, having worked there several years ago when it was owned by Howard and Ann Nugent.

"It felt like dej‡ vu to me, walking through the back door," Glenice McGuire said. "It felt like we're kind of coming home."

The team spirit was palpable Tuesday, in discussing the Williams' move. Members of the management team filtered into the office as the interview progressed, and were encouraged to contribute their ideas and asked for suggestions or details about the opening date.

"The good thing about Rhonda and Jeff is that they're not scared to surround themselves with people who are knowledgeable -- they care enough to ask questions," Susie Partin said. "That's where our part comes in -- they're super people and they care about people. That's why they made Recluse Gardens a success."

The Williamses are confident that, with three members of their management team familiar with the site, what works and what does not, they're already off to a good start -- although maybe a later start than they'd hoped. Their stock will still be arriving by the Feb. 16 opening date, but Jeff Williams said the spacious layout should make adding inventory easy.

Special orders for hanging baskets and window boxes are already being taken, Anna Adams, a former Landscape Supply employee who has been with Recluse for the past four years, said. People are encouraged to watch the sign for more information relating to hours and new offerings.