-»? 



To efficiently use space, Ron made his own rolling 

 benches for the two production houses. (Eventually, 

 he'll add ebb-and-flo: he sees more stringent regula- 

 tions coming and wants to be ready.) 



Right now, perennials is the area of expansion, but 

 the highest house is "our geranium house" — Ron 

 grows Goldsmith and Fischer "Geraniums is our spe- 

 cialty — we grow the best." He pots up the rooting 

 cuttings in Metromix 360 or 510 the second week of 

 February. "7500 four and a half inch — we were sold 

 out by May 20." 



Ron also grew 1600 eight- and ten-inch hangers 

 this year. Along with the ivies and rosebud impa- 

 tiens, were some that were more unusual — bracycome 

 and helichrysum; a mix of zonal and ivy geraniums — 

 and Ron hopes to add more of these unusual types. 



And the 1500 eight-inch phlox pans he grew sold 

 out. There'll be more of those next year as well. 



I r /V\ He uses integrated Pest Manage- 

 ment for his annuals. Precise monitoring using sticky 

 cards (Ron spends a couple hours a week checking 

 his cards), a strict quarantine for new material (once 

 again, a lot of checking is involved), and high stan- 

 dards of cleanliness seem to be the major elements 

 of the program. 



Cleanliness is particularly important: matting covers 

 the floors to prevent weed buildup. Dirt from under 

 the benches is swept into the center aisle, the aisle 

 is swept, then the house is vacuumed with Cindy's 

 Electrolux. 



Ron says he has insect problems down to a mini- 

 mum. Last year he spent thirty dollars on pesticides. 

 "Cleanliness in the most important aspect in pest 

 control." 



Byt other factors contribute as well. Ron likes to 

 grow cool — 60 F — and he feels air circulation is impor- 

 tant, it's a good thing, because on the crest of the 

 hill there's plenty of it. But inside the greenhouses 

 he runs fan jets and horizontal fans and uses blown 

 hot air for heat. In spring, he shuts off the fan jets 

 and the heat and lets the furnace's circulating fan 

 move cooler air up and into the plants. 



Ron's a history buff — the houses he built were ba- 

 sically colonial reproductions and he and Cindy col- 

 lect antiques. Near the retail house sets a nine- 

 teenth century "Democratic wagon," in good shape, 

 but missing the rear seat. The area behind the front 

 seat is filled with potted perennials in bloom — lu- 

 pines, lilies... And just outside the greenhouse, an 

 old wooden wheelbarrow is filled with the best of the 

 hanging baskets. These antique vehicles are potent 

 marketing tools — customers seem to buy whatever's 

 on display. 



People often have an image of how they want their 

 lives to appear, of what values their homes should 

 project. And right now in New Hampshire, a sanitized 

 version of pre-industrial farm life — weathered wood 

 and lots of something already in blossom — seems to 

 be the ideal. 



^ 



(Ledgeview uses conventional methods as well. 

 They advertise on the radio and two or three times in 

 the Monitor in May. Ron and Cindy also mail out an 

 eight-page catalog to area residents, it lists the mate- 

 rial available and has clear usable maps to both the Con- 

 cord and Loudon locations. (If you sell plants in the 

 woods, give people directions — not everyone's into 

 orienteering.) "A lot of people bring the catalog with 

 items already circled — it's definitely worth the effort." 



Above the new greenhouse, a half-acre field has 

 been built (27 loads of fill) on the top of the hill. A 

 well has been put in (20 gallons per minute — not bad 

 for ledge on a hilltop) and a drip irrigation system will 

 be installed. Matting will be laid down and the 4000 

 mums will go there. Deer will be a problem — there 

 were already fresh hoofprints in the fill — anticipating 

 all those healthy new shoots. ("Last year, they came 

 right down and ate all the hostas by the retail house") 

 This year, he'll sprinkle dried blood around the 

 mums — next year, maybe an electric fence.... 



P E R E N N I A L $ The very first year, 

 they grew a few perennials and potted them up. The 

 second year, they "began in a big way." This year was 

 even bigger. "People like perennials — they feel they're 

 getting something permanent for their money." Next 

 year he hopes to add 30 new varieties. 



Behind the newest house is a 16x96 inflation buster 

 filled with perennials. Ledgeview grows them from 

 plugs, seeds, bare root, and cuttings. Once space is 

 needed in the production houses for bedding plants, 

 the perennials are outdoors until they're sold. Most 

 survive the winter under microfoam, but last year ro- 

 dents killed nearly ten percent. 



At the top of the hill, the land levels out and be- 

 yond the mums are three flat acres of woods waiting to 

 be cut and filled with potted perennials . If automatic 

 watering is installed, Ron feels the business can grow 

 without a corresponding increase in labor. Again, he 

 hopes to grow the unusual. ("We need August-bloom- 

 ing stuff".. .and "shade plants that flower....") 



He realizes he'll have to increase the amount of 

 wholesale material sold (right now 20 per cent of 

 Ledgeview's business is wholesale) and has begun to 

 build a network of nurseries and garden centers inter- 

 ested in buying his product. 



Over and over Ron reiterates that he wants to keep 

 it a family business, but this year he wants to create 

 show gardens... 



and build another cold frame... 



and maybe grow 500 poinsettias ("just to experi- 

 ment").... 



and someday build a windmill.... 



The impulse to grow and the desire to stay simple 

 are two seemingly contradictory traits. It'll be interest- 

 ing to see where Ron and Cindy find a balance. (BP) 



Ledgt'view Grtenhouses is at I80A Bumfagon Road, Loudon, Nav 

 Hampshire 03301. The phone there is (603) 783-4669, » 



TAe Plantsman 

 20 



