enter through vaguely colonial double 

 doors Floor is stone dust through- 

 out — the clear section holds plants; 

 the rest is a shop selling fertilizers, in- 

 sect controls, pots, quality tools 



Two years ago, in 1992, 120 square 

 feet behind the Nexus were filled in 

 and a 30x96 Harnois put up for pro- 

 duction Bill had always bought in 

 and he still finds it economically sen- 

 sible to do so with most standard 

 items But now he grows his own spe- 

 cialties — patio plants (jumbo annuals) 

 In unusual container sizes, potted pan- 

 sies for fall ("people won't buy them if 

 they're not in pots"), and — espe- 

 cially — big hanging baskets — impa- 

 tiens, fuchsia, cascade petunias — for 

 spring There's no chance of shipping 

 damage and the quality is his own 



The production house seems 

 straight-forward — double poly, dirt 

 floor, oil heat, wood-framed wire 

 benches on cinder blocks, its purloins 

 and ribs hold three layers of hangers 

 But the house is divided into 17 auto- 

 matically controlled growing zones — for 

 variations in water and feed — and 

 steady temperatures are maintained 

 by a SensorStat control The sides roll 

 up, giving good ventilation on warm 



days, as well as a chance for people 

 driving by to see what's blooming — 

 and ready for sale 



THE RETAIL SIDE is primary now. but 

 design work is an essential part Em- 

 phasis is on helping customers choose 

 appropriate material — material that 

 matures to the correct size, fits the en- 

 vironment, is easy to maintain The 

 staff will make suggestions, and — if the 

 customer is serious — physically set up 

 an arrangement of the material on the 

 lot Bill can also create a design 

 packet that includes a site plan, de- 

 scriptions and prices of all material 

 used, and information on its care 

 There's a charge for the packet, but if 

 the customer buys from Rockingham or 

 has Rockingham do the installation, 

 this is subtracted from the bill 



Bill's less casual about giving infor- 

 mation than he used to be — he 

 doesn't want people to "take my 

 ideas, then go somewhere cheaper " 

 but the willingness to find the right 

 material and to spend the time need- 

 ed to do this correctly is one of Rock- 

 ingham Acres' major selling points 



ANOTHER AREA of concentration is 



water gardens "Our family loves to 

 hike and camp." Bill says, "and what's 

 the real attraction of camping by a 

 stream'^ It's the soothing, peaceful sound 

 of water ") These mountain streams is 

 what he says inspired his interest in 

 water gardening Water gardens can 

 do well in the average New Hampshire 

 yard — "they don't need to take up much 

 room and are relatively care-free; if 

 you cover two-thirds of the water sur- 

 face with plants, their nutrient intake 

 will use excess nitrogen and prevent 

 algae build-up;" there are many plants 

 that can survive our winters and fish 

 (usually gold fish or koi) can survive as 

 well if water depth is three feet below 

 ground level and the surface is kept 

 open to allow oxygen intake 



"People like instant results," Bill 

 says, "and placing a water lily in a 

 pool is about as "instant' as you can 

 get Add a few more plants, some fish, 

 maybe a waterfall — it can be as simple 

 or as complex as you want" 

 Rockingham offers water plants as fa- 

 miliar as cattails and as exotic as bam- 

 boo (most are grown in a heavier mix 

 and stored under microfoam in winter; 

 dormant water lilies are kept under 

 three feet of water), a wide range of 



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