6/30/2020 - By Mark Clikas

As kids, Garrett and Hunter Buckley would grow oak trees from acorns for their parents’ nursery, (Buckley’s Nursery) in Big Point, Mississippi. Sure, they got a little extra spending money for their efforts, but the true blessing was simply their contribution to the family business. Over the years, the brothers garnered an appreciation for their nurseryman heritage, growing different shrub varieties for their parents until striking off on their own in 2007 to form G&H Nursery (also in Big Point). 13 years later, the nursery—specializing in woody ornamentals like Azalea and Ilex—is thriving. The wholesome horticulture operation is keeping things in the family, too, and just like back when they were kids, Garrett and Hunter are working with their parents again. Although, their roles look a little bit different this time around. 

Now at the helm of their own family business, the third-generation nurserymen say that it’s been a “blessing” to work alongside each other and their parents. Always more interested in the hands-on, growing side of the business, the brothers recruited their parents onto the payroll several years back, trusting them with some of the more administrative aspects of running the nursery. Their mom, Dena, is now the Office Manager and their dad, Bart, is their Salesman/Manager. Dena and Bart love working for their boys, (especially Bart who enjoys now getting a “paycheck AND a vacation”), but their industry influence on their sons started a long time before their involvement at G&H. 

The brothers have learned so much over the years from their family and from those around them. “We have been so fortunate to have grown up with family and close friends who have been in the nursery business. They have all been a huge help to us,” says Hunter. That influence goes back further than their parents, though, all the way to their grandfather Lacy Goff (Pawpaw) and their great uncle Murray Goff. Both Lacy and Murray started their own separate nurseries back in the mid-70’s. Though they each ran different nurseries, there was still a family feel to their efforts, as they always worked at it together and helped each other out along the way. Then, when Bart and Dena got married in 1989, Lacy and Murray helped the newlyweds start their own nursery, Buckley’s Nursery, which ultimately fostered the brothers’ growing passions and planted the seed for G&H. Now, in keeping with tried-and-true family tradition, the growing operations at G&H offer a glimpse into the operations of those older family-run nurseries. “We pretty much do things the way our Pawpaw, Great Uncle, Daddy and Momma did things,” says Hunter about running the nursery, adding, “They always incorporated their fertilizer. They used old cement mixers to mix the soil. We now use feed mixers; we can mix more soil at a time with the feed mixers...They do an awesome job of getting our soil mix very consistent.”

That consistency is key to getting the “quality product at a fair price” that G&H prides themselves on. Also always open to helping others in the business—as their parents, grandfather and great uncle did before them—they don’t mind sharing some insights into their recipe. They like to start with “a good soil media, with the proper pH, and a good fertilizer with minors” in their mix. With each of their 4 feed mixers, they can mix about eight and a half cubic yards of soil at a time using mostly pine bark and some pine shavings, which also serve as a good visual consistency indicator. They then add 150 pounds of Harrell’s custom blended 16-6-11 POLYON® controlled-release fertilizer, 32 pounds of Harrell’s custom blended 17-4-9 fertilizer, 25 pounds of Harrell’s Booster Plus with 0.20% Talstar, and Lime. Hunter appreciates the custom blended fertilizer that their Harrell’s Rep, Mark Clikas, helps them with, saying it “puts a good dark green color to the plants, good control release in the summer and good longevity.” Their approach is living proof that consistency-in equals consistency-out. A walk around their 40-acre facility will quickly convince you. They truly relish the opportunity to invest their time in the process and to pour their passion into their products. Hunter says “Garret and I love the growing end of the business. We are out in the fields, on the potting machine, mixing soil, fixing things that break and in the office. We are all over the nursery every day.” It’s all hands-on, everyday for the brothers, and they’re thankful for that. 

From Boxwoods to Hydrangea, Juniper to Gardenias, they’ve really focused on achieving a high-quality product and letting the rest take care of itself. They even pass up on some of the industry standards, like tradeshows, opting instead for a simpler approach. “We have learned if we grow a quality product, most of the time the plant sells itself,” Hunter humbly explains. With this straightforward approach and their quality-focused operations, there’s no doubt that this no-fuss, family business will be keeping its customers happy for many years to come.