FARGO — Jared Hughes had a dream, one inspired by the 1960s.
“I started Groovy Plants Ranch when I was 18 years old, around 2006. I started growing succulents because I was in college and I needed something to grow that was easy and fairly self-sustaining.”
Jared was also working at a Delaware area greenhouse full-time.
Groovy Plants Ranch is a family-owned greenhouse. Owners Jared and Liz and the staff are passionate and knowledgable about plants.
“I bought one rack of plants and was able to turn those into several hundred plants, working farmers markets and selling my succulents,” he said.
Succulents store water in their leaves and thrive in dry conditions and are able to live where rainfall is scarce.
“Succulents had a heyday back in the ’60s. Those were the days of macramé and potted plants. I always liked classic rock music too and it’s was a perfect mixture … lots of groovy plants.”
Five years ago the couple purchased the property at 4140 County Road 15. and Jared believes “the stars really aligned for us.”
This fall there are plenty of other items to choose from on the grounds, which includes a refurbished one-room schoolhouse. It was built as the Pagetown school in 1869 and was a one-room schoolhouse until the early 1900s.
“We have an amazing selection of carving pumpkins and heirloom pumpkins, all those funky ones everybody loves. We have bulbs for spring flowers in the schoolhouse right now. Our mums are perfect gumdrops with tons of flowers on them just cracking color.”
House plants are also popular items and there is a greenhouse full of cacti and succulents.
You can call 740-675-2681 or visit their website: groovyplantsranch.com or Facebook page.
