Gary Emmett is a successful gardener, and he wants you to be, too.

That’s the mission at Successful Gardens in Lovell, where Gary and his wife Brenda have done more than just grow beautiful vegetables, landscaping plants and flowers — they’ve cultivated a culture of education and support for their customers.

With a degree in horticulture and 30 years in the industry, Emmett said his goal is to share what he’s learned with gardeners in the Big Horn Basin.

“We want to be able to share that knowledge and help the customer be successful in their garden,” said Emmett. “To me, there's more to life than petunias.”

And that is evident in the six greenhouses on their lot north of the railroad tracks on Shoshone Avenue in Lovell, where local residents have gone to get their gardening fix for over a quarter of a century. 

Gardening Runs in the Family

Emmett took over the former Greenhouse Gardens from his brother three years ago, and renamed the business to reflect his goal. And in choosing to pursue a life dedicated to growing beautiful, healthy plants, Emmett was actually carrying on a family tradition. 

“Our great-grandfather came into the area in 1907, and he started Despain Nursery,” he said. “I graduated college in 1995, so for 30 years I have been in the industry in some way. Before taking over [the greenhouse] from my brother, I was the parks manager for the town of Lovell.”

Emmett and his wife, Brenda, work together to make Successful Gardens grow, with Gary as the plant expert and Brenda running the store. And they’ve brought the next generation of their family into the business as well.

“Our son Chandler, growing up, he had no interest. You know, ‘That's dad’s thing,’” said Emmett. “And now he's working here, and when we're busy, he helps run the cash registers, checks customers out, answers questions. And now he's planting.”

There are around 10 other employees at Successful Gardens, and Emmett has helped them grow in their knowledge of plants as well.

“Some started off as school moms, thinking this would be a great place to work while kids are in school,” he said. “But they've turned into more than just a part time job. They've learned to take that ownership, and they take pride in it and what they can do.”

Six Greenhouses

With six large greenhouses at Successful Gardens, Emmett has set aside individual buildings for specific purposes. For example, if a customer is looking to plant vegetables, there’s a greenhouse dedicated to edibles from herbs to rhubarb.

“With all the heirloom tomatoes and peppers that are out there, the old standards, I bring in some of the fun ones, the new ones, too,” he said. “With peppers, we range from heat all the way from ghost peppers all the way down to sweet banana pepper.”

Another building is devoted to a line of greenery that has shown remarkable resilience — hence the name, “Proven Winners.”

“They have a whole line of over performing, just phenomenal plants,” said Emmett. “And so we give them their own space, where you can look at all of the Proven Winners together.”

For those looking for plants that will bloom year after year, the perennial house at Successful Gardens is a must-stop.

“Ninety percent of all the plants that are in here are either roses or perennials,” said Emmett. “Ranging from as simple as a daylilies and bleeding hearts all the way up to the hearty hibiscus. And then, of course, 800 roses.”

And, of course, there are the geraniums, marigolds, ornamental grasses and landscaping trees and shrubs that are sought after by gardeners from beginners to experts. Emmett also stocks fruit trees (for indoor or outdoor planting), specialty tomatoes, and a large variety of orchids.

“I actually have over a thousand dahlias growing for Mother's Day,” said Emmett. 

What Works For Wyoming

Because of Wyoming’s climate, Emmett said he’s not able to start all of his plants from his own seeds. 

“If I had to start planting everything I needed from my own seeds, I would start in October of last year,” he said. “However, Wyoming weather is not conducive to that, and so we get our shipments of baby seedlings in mid-February.”

Emmett has learned much in his 30 years in the industry, especially about which plants thrive in this part of the country, and which won’t survive more than one season.

“For annuals, almost anything goes, because for petunias, marigolds, plants like that, you know they're going to die anyway,” he said. “But with perennials, I'm very specific, I can pick the perennials that I know are hardy for our area and that will survive and thrive here.”

Emmett used the example of a hydrangea, a woody, perennial shrub that is popular for landscaping.

“There's seven classifications of hydrangeas, and only one will survive in Wyoming,” he said. “So I make sure I get the ones that survive in our alkaline soils and colder climate, rather than the ones that they buy at Walmart that are nice and pretty with blues and pinks. Those are going to die.”

Joy in the Growing

With his degree and his years of experience, Emmett said he enjoys teaching customers how they can grow their own “successful gardens.” 

“I have the seeds, I have the supplies for them to start,” he said. “With my degree, I can help diagnose problems. I can offer the products that can kill the bugs or take care of the fungal problems. So forget about going to the other big box stores. They can just come here.”

And those who have questions after hours may find support online. The Successful Gardens website connects customers to their inventory and other resources, and Emmett has posted a number of YouTube videos on gardening.

“There's a place they can go to our website and sign up for a gardening newsletter that will offer tidbits, or what's in season, or what bugs to start looking for in your garden,” he said. “I can be a resource for others to be successful in their gardening adventure.”

Emmett said part of the fun of his job is seeing the joy his customers experience when they watch seeds that they have planted grow to maturity.

“I love it when customers come in, to either see what we’re doing or just to smell the dirt,” he said. “It offers hope.”