US (MI): Horticulture hobby becomes thriving Vicksburg business

After raising five children, Bobbie Beard began to concentrate on her second passion, gardening. "I’ve been digging in the dirt since I was 7 years old,” said Beard, who lives in Vicksburg. "I’ve always loved plants -- flowers, shrubs, trees. When my kids were grown, I decided it was my turn to do something for myself."

Instead of keeping the beauty of her garden to herself, Beard decided to share it with others. At age 52, she began what is now The Flower Center Nursery in her own backyard.

“"People would come to my house to buy things," she said. "I started with 500 African violets, and then other flowers and plants followed. I loved gardening and the people who came to do business with me."

After about two years, Beard decided it was time to move to a commercial property in town. In the early 1980s, she rented a building on Frontage Road. As she got on her feet and added inventory, she and her husband, who worked full time for the railroad, slowly added greenhouses and raised beds at the store.

Click here to read the complete article at www.msstate.edu.