Business profile - Duck Creek Gardens

When Duck Creek Gardens opened in 2013, it was a fresh business venture for Betsy and Howard Downey. As its previous incarnation, Ellsbury’s Greenhouse, was a well-known area go-to for all things plant-related, the transition was nearly seamless. Betsy recently talked about what it was like starting a new business venture alongside the Downey Family Farm. From the transition and its challenges to what she enjoys about the business and the inventory she is able to offer customers, Downey says it is all in a day’s work.

Is this a first time business venture for you?
Yes. We had not had greenhouses prior to this.

How was the transition?
We bought the business for the property. The 24 acres it sits on is adjacent to the Downey family farm. The greenhouses were here and the former owner, the late Gordon Ellsbury, had wanted to grow some flowers again. We had talked with him and decided to partner with him to reopen the greenhouses with the Ellsburys for the first three years we were here and then he retired. The business transitioned to just Duck Creek Gardens when he retired in 2016.

How did you come up with the name Duck Creek Gardens?
Duck Creek runs along the back of the property.

Is the entire 24 acres business designated for the greenhouse business?
No. There is about 11 acres of it that are tillable, so we grow hay. And then you can pick berries on those acres, too.

What types of items do you carry?
We carry bedding plants, perennials, a few shrubs. We can get trees for people, but I don’t keep them in stock. We sell some vegetables – pre-season and seasonal – and black berries, black raspberries, red raspberries and strawberries. We also have the Downey Farm freezer beef here, too.

What pre-season vegetables do you offer?
We generally will have broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, potatoes, sugar snap peas, green beans, lettuce, spinach and kale.

What are the most common requests you get from customers?
The perennials and hanging baskets are our biggest sellers.

What are your hours of operation?
We are generally open from the first of April through the end of October. We are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays.

What has been the biggest challenge running the business?
Just learning about the plant disease prevention and insect control.

For those who read this, who haven’t been to see you, what would you say?
We have a large variety of absolutely beautiful plants right now. We work really hard to provide good customer service. If we don’t have what they want we try to be able to get it for them.

What types of potted plants and goodies do you have on hand now?
Oh, gosh. We have tropical plants, lots of hanging baskets and planters. Lots of ferns, perennials, pansies and violas. And we also have quite a few nice decorative items as far as for garden decorations or things that could be hung in your home.

Is the business venture what you thought it would be?
Yes. It is a lot of work. I probably work harder than I thought I would. It is a lot of physical work, but I certainly enjoy it.