New Leaf Garden Center owner Laurie Laird is ready to stop working 50-60 hours per week: “It’s time to stop and smell the roses,” she told the Bluffton Icon and Ada Icon. Laird has been the sole owner of the garden center at 0395 State Route 235 since 1991. This year, she sold the Ada location to a business yet to be announced. At the 927 E Columbus St., Kenton location, new owners will begin operating the shop in 2022.

During the remainder of 2021, the Ada store is having a garage sale of shelving and miscellaneous equipment. Both shops are having a fall planting sale of plants, shrubs and trees. Fall decor and spring blooming bulbs (tulips, etc.) are currently 25% off. Shop hours at both locations are 9:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Saturday.

Both stores will be open until Dec. 18 with cut Christmas trees, fresh cut greens, and decorations. The annual Christmas open house is November 13 in Ada and Kenton.

New Leaf has shared its monthly newsletter with 2,000 customers in 9 counties. During 30 years in business, the garden center has provided retail and landscaping services, as well as:

Advice to garden clubs, service clubs, 4-H and Homemakers clubs

Planted trees for towns, townships and cemeteries

Loaned plants for school functions, provided plants for school fundraisers

Held Spring Garden Seminars for over 20 years

Displayed at the Hardin County fair for 30 years and inducted into the Hardin Co. Agricultural Hall of Fame, 2013

Laird thanks her staff for their contributions: “I could not have done this without my employees. Between both stores and landscape crew, we have hired up to 25 people in the busy months. Tom Boehm, my head landscape foreman, designer and estimator has been with me the longest, 40 years. He also will be pursuing a different and easier endeavor.”

In 2020, perhaps because of Covid, New Leaf had one of its best years and 2021 sales are expected to be even better.

When asked how the business has changed, Laird commented. “Brand names, products are completely different. I found a plant list from 1988 and I was just laughing because most of those plants we just don’t carry anymore. It’s all new plant material, different varieties, low maintenance, lots of color.” She also notes that plant sizes have been made smaller. What hasn’t changed? Laird chuckles, “You’ve still got to water them.”