Randolph’s Greenhouses in Jackson, Tenn. is closing its retail business, but owner Rita Randolph has plans to start a mail order plant business.
The family business has been in operation since World War II, but the 10 greenhouses on 20 acres were in disrepair and the business was no longer turning a profit. “The last few years have shown no profit, and there wasn’t enough money to fix everything and be financially viable,” Randolph said.
Some of the Randolph’s property will be sold or auctioned and the old greenhouses will eventually be taken down. According to Randolph, the business plans to sell about 15 acres and keep the area a clean, grassy space surrounded by trees next to her home.
Randolph has been in the green industry since childhood. She started off filling peat bags, then sowing seed and later, giving garden club talks for her mother. “I’ve always had the ability to pass on my enthusiasm to others,” she said. “That kind of energy is contagious."
Randolph’s customers were disappointed by the news, as many of them had been lifelong fans of the business and personal friends of Randolph’s. The greenhouses were famous for small gardens and container plants, often helping customers find the right plants and designing planters.
“The biggest part of building customer relations is providing good service,” Randolph said.
Randolph plans to continue sharing her knowledge of plants through speaking at trade shows and workshops, sharing new plants and writing.
Randolph’s new mail order business, Rita’s Rare Plants, will feature her collection of non-patented plants, hard-to-find hydrangeas, blooming shrubs, vines and perennials. She will also be offering Rita’s Gold Boston Fern, a handful of tropical plants and semi-hardy plants like the new Colocasias from Brian Williams. “I can tell you that there is always a new plant coming along or rediscovered, and we look for beautiful foliage as much as flowers.”
For more, visit the Randolph's Greenhouses website or their Facebook page.