Chenier’s Greenhouse in Gladstone displays their colorful hanging baskets and variety of flowers in their showroom. Nick Chenier and Co. have been prepping for the spring season since the end of February. (Escanaba Daily Press photo)

ESCANABA — As we bid winter goodbye and welcome summer, local greenhouses are ready with the blooming products they have grown throughout the winter months. May marks opening season for these local businesses, which have recently begun welcoming local green-thumbs into their colorful showrooms.

Nick Chenier, co-owner of Chenier’s Greenhouse, has been working on this year’s products since the end of February. While the winter weather may not have been favorable to the growing process, Chenier is more than satisfied with his results.

“Our growing season has been going very well,” Chenier said. “While the weather has not been ideal, with many days of clouds and limited sun, our product looks great.”

Chenier’s Greenhouse, located at 4458 20th Rd. in Gladstone, is a family-owned and operated greenhouse that has been in business since 1979. Chenier’s offers a full selection of annuals, vegetables, perennials, trees, shrubs, and hanging baskets.

Chenier’s also has a Memorial Day weekend fundraiser.

“We are looking forward to our Honor Flight Fundraiser on Memorial Day weekend,” Chenier said. “We will be selling flower pots, with all proceeds going directly to the Honor Flight program.”

For those looking to start their own flower garden, Chenier offers a few tips.

“It is ideal to water in the morning. As the saying goes, ‘Don’t put your plants to bed wet,'” Chenier said. “Before watering, check to see if the planter is still heavy or wet. Most beginner gardeners tend to over water.”

While marigolds, petunias, and begonias are great starting flowers, Chenier notes almost all of the plants that the greenhouse sells are easy to take care of. However, the greenhouse is always open to those with gardening questions and are eager to share some tips and tricks when it comes to planting and growing.

“As long as you check on them daily and fertilize them once a week, you should be good to go,” Chenier said. “Also, remember the phrase ‘right plant, right place.’ Check to see if your plant prefers sun or shade.”

“We are excited to welcome back customers,” Chenier said. “This time of the year is special because we get to see all of the products that we spent three-months growing scattered out and about in the community.”

Dan and Theresa Doyen, owners of Seven Acre Garden and Gifts, began their growing season on March 1. With 85% of their plants being germinated in house, the couple has a wide variety of flowers available now, with additional vegetables, perennials, fruit and ornamental trees, and shrubbery debuting near the end of May.

“It has been a cold spring, but we have everything planted,” Dan said. “We will have a lot of plants coming out over the next few weeks that are still in their pluck trays. They are still babies yet.”

Seven Acre emerged out of humble beginnings. Located at 5253 I Rd. in Escanaba, the business began as a vast hayfield sitting adjacent to the Doyen’s home. Considering that the couple has always enjoyed gardening, they decided to transform the empty field into a fully functioning greenhouse and gardening center.

“We were given the opportunity to purchase some greenhouse frames from a business that discontinued,” Dan said. “So we put out an offer, and after it was accepted we took everything down from that location and repurposed it all here.”

By everything, the sellers meant every last brick on their property. With a little help from friends and family, the Doyen’s were able to give a new life to the old greenhouse frames, paver bricks, and miscellaneous supplies left behind by the sellers.

“That’s how this place was created,” Dan said. “Every stick and brick and stone was all put here by friends and family. It took us three years to get it to where we could open the doors.”

While the COVID-19 pandemic hindered normal store operations for all small businesses, Seven Acre’s grand opening was set for the spring of 2020. With their sales building not yet up to commercial code, and people being prohibited from congregating, the couple had to find a way to push through the pandemic setbacks.

“We did what we had to do, so we screwed our register system to a desk and wheeled it onto the front porch every morning,” Theresa said.

After overcoming these hurdles, and finishing the construction of their sales building, Seven Acre has been able to operate more efficiently.

“I was always concerned that I was going to be sad when some of the flowers and baskets that we made had walked out the door,” Theresa said. “But, it is a really good feeling to see how happy it makes our customers.”