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Coopers Garden Place Full-service nursery just off the hidden path
 An old chair invites visitors to sit for a while and enjoy the beautiful landscaping at Cooperâs Garden Place.
Wilson County News
February 13, 2008
Comment on this article
FLORESVILLE â Just south of the city sits one of the hidden treasures of Floresville. Itâs a little off the main drag and you may need directions to get there, but in truth, thatâs the way they like it at Cooperâs Garden Place.
âGo just past Juniorâs on 181, then turn right on the first county road,â owner Karen Cooper said. âThat is County Road 223. Follow that about a quarter mile and you will come to a âY.â Stay to the right, and we are just down the road.â
Simple enough directions â and the drive is much shorter than one might think. Regular customers will say itâs not far at all, and anyone who has ever been there will say itâs well worth the short drive.
Stu and Karen Cooper are the owners and operators of the full-service nursery that has been providing customers with all-organic plants, trees, shrubs, and everything in between for more than five years.
What began as a hobby for the couple, who have called Floresville home for the last 17 years, has now become their full-time business. Karen left behind a career in accounting, and Stu recently retired after more than 30 years as a teacher and a coach. Karen began taking Master Gardener classes to feed her hobby, and things grew from there.
âWeâve always puttered in it,â Karen said. âIt was a hobby and grew from there.â
Like most folks who work in agriculture, Stu and Karen rise early each morning. They sleep a little later during the cooler months, but they are often up, tending to the nursery by 6 a.m. or 7 a.m. most mornings. Karen doesnât seem to mind, though.
âThe first thing we do is to check on the greenhouses,â she said. âWe have to check for water and moisture on all the plants.â
With the large variety of plants at Cooperâs Garden Place, it is important they be monitored throughout the day. Each plant has special needs, and the Coopers work hard to ensure those needs are met.
One of the ways the Coopers keep their plants in tip-top shape is through their use of all-organic feeds, fertilizers, and sprays. The Coopers donât use harsh commercial chemicals to feed or fertilize their plants, and they donât use toxic sprays to keep insects at bay. Nature, after all, has a way to balance everything, and the Coopers use those organic solutions to care for their plants.
âWe are all-organic,â Karen said. âMost nurseries have something that makes them unique, and thatâs what makes us unique. We donât use any artificial chemicals or sprays.â
In place of common fertilizers, ingredients like cedar oil and bat guano are more to the likes of Stu and Karen. Their nursery is proof that these all-natural products work, and many are available to be purchased from the nursery.
âWe have some wonderful compost material we are
getting from Waco,â Karen said with a smile. âItâs turkey compost and is so rich in nutrients.â
No, itâs not made from turkeys, but rather from their natural waste. Karen said that now is a good time to think about compost and preparing soil beds for spring planting.
The Coopers even sell an all-organic dog food for those interested. Karen feeds it to her own dog, Sheba, a large black and white Great Dane that meets each visitor to the nursery with a friendly sniff.
Another feature of Cooperâs Garden Place is the climate-controlled greenhouse. The Coopers can tell you the temperature on the east and west walls, as well as the temperature at each end of the greenhouse. A large industrial heater keeps plants warm through cold spells, and a large air-conditioning system resembling an automobile radiator the size of a movie screen keeps things cool in warm months.
Inside the various greenhouses, covers, and open areas of the nursery, everyone will find nearly anything they are after. If itâs not there, Karen and Stu say they can probably get it.
They sell various plants, trees, shrubs, and even vines. Wisteria and other vines wander through the nursery, but the Coopers have everything under control.
âStu had to cut it back several times this year,â Karen said as she pointed out the positives of a vine. âMany of them are very pretty and are easy to control.â
One aspect of the Cooperâs business that has really become popular are the ponds and water gardens. Beautiful rock fountains complete with waterfalls, natural ponds, lily pads, and fish can all be purchased at Cooperâs Garden Place. There are several on display, and each can be enjoyed with a short walk through the garden that welcomes visitors who drive up.
âYou can install these yourself,â Karen said. âThey are really easier than many people think.â
For those not interested in a day of pond construction, installation is available. There is also a âpond dayâ at the nursery, when professional landscapers give customers the opportunity to install a garden pond and learn from the professionals.
From hanging baskets and terra-cotta pots to decorative stone and landscaping structures, Cooperâs Garden Place has nearly everything you could want to beautify your own garden oasis. And as always, if you donât see what you are looking for, just ask Stu or Karen. They are always eager to satisfy their customers.
So when itâs time to start planting that spring garden, a trip to Cooperâs Garden Place should be at the top of any to-do list. Youâll be glad you made the short drive just outside of Floresville, and Stu and Karen will be happy to show you around the nursery.
For more information, contact Stu or Karen Cooper at 830-393-8847.
rmcdonald@wcn-online.com |
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