Lancaster Farms goes direct

From the Suffolk News-Herald:

Lancaster Farms in North Suffolk has delivered some good news for everyday gardeners — it now sells direct to the public.

The Plant Outlet @ Lancaster Farms opened last fall and will continue to operate on a seasonal basis, according to Christina Keeling, who does marketing for the wholesale nursery.

“We take a summer break, and we take a winter break,” Keeling said, adding that the outlet will operate March through July and then September through November.

The nursery’s leaders thought that opening to the public, after more than 40 years in operation, would “fill a niche in the area,” said Cheryl Lajoie, manager of The Plant Outlet.

“So many nurseries and garden centers are gone because of the economy,” she said.

“We do a really good job growing plants, and sometimes we grow more than we can sell. We thought it would be a win-win.”

The sectioned-off outlet was opened in the front portion of the nursery, at the corner of Bridge and Knotts Neck roads, so as not to disrupt landscaper and contractor customers, according to Lajoie.

Landscapers and contractors can send their clients to The Plant Outlet to pick out what they’d like and then have them report back with their wish lists, Lajoie said.

While nurseries and big-box stores may sell plants unsuited to the area’s conditions, everything for sale at The Plant Outlet has been grown on the farm and is proven to thrive here, she said.

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