12/15/2020 - By William Buehn

Mary Horsman
Territory Manager—Horticulture
(919) 349-6882
mkhorsman@harrells.com

With over thirty years in the industry—from retail to fertilizer sales—Mary knows her stuff. After graduating from NC State with a degree in Horticulture, she began her career managing a garden center in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she fell in love with the business. She quickly developed a passion for every part of the industry, from the different plants she sold, to the people that grew them. She says, “I actually love plants and gardening—it’s one of my hobbies—so that part of it has always been great for me, but it’s also all about the people. The people in the nursery industry are just really good people that even if they weren’t your customers, they would still be your friends—just salt of the earth kind of people.”

Mary’s been with Harrell’s since 1999, beginning her sales career in Raleigh, covering parts of North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland for about a decade until a serendipitous turn of events found her trading her winter boots for Florida flip-flops. She and Marshall Horsman (former Harrell’s Horticultural Technical Manager in Florida, now grower consultant) were getting married, and a spot had just opened up on the Florida team. So, in 2011, she left her network in North Carolina and headed south. It was a tough transition, for sure. She laughs, “It was a lot harder than I anticipated. I didn’t really know anyone in Florida, let alone anyone in Florida horticulture.” But, eventually her experience and passion for the business prevailed, and she was able to grow a new family of customers in Florida.

Now, she’s at home in Florida, thanks in large part to the people around her, like the Women in Horticulture group that she’s a member of. The group is mainly made up of nursery owners and other women in the industry, who (at least until recently) get together once a month to network, share ideas, explore the industry, and participate in various fundraiser events.

When she’s not working, you might find Mary gardening, reading, doing yoga, or walking her pup, Ziggy. We’re so grateful to have Mary on the team, and we’re proud of her dedication to the people, like you, that make this industry great!