Horta-Craft Ltd Grows into the World of Retail Gardening Horta-Craft Ltd, a family-owned national distributor of plant tags and print signage for the horticultural industry, has launched a new division under its banner. Located at 4836 Egremont Drive, northeast of Strathroy, HC Gardens opened in May and offers a complete line of quality annuals, trees, house plants, gardening supplies and tools – everything you need for successful gardening. Owner Paul Lofgren saw an opportunity to fill a gap in gardening services in this region of Strathroy-Caradoc. He and his wife, Crystal, wanted to expand their business, and retail gardening was the natural next step. “We love helping people to enjoy gardening and be successful at it,” says Paul. “We want to inspire and encourage an interest and joy in gardening for everyone, even kids.” Besides plants and gardening products, HC Gardens will host workshops on different topics to help educate and foster that love and sense of fun in growing things. They also have a blog on their website and a social media strategy that includes shar- ing gardening and plant care tips. The Lofgren’s dream of a garden centre has been three years in the making. While the pop-up-style operation they opened in May is not quite what Paul envisioned, the lesson for him was in realizing they could get the business started and build toward that final vision. “It requires adjusting your expectations,” explains Paul. “Things aren’t what I envisioned yet. We’ll keep building on what’s here now, and in 20 years, it will be interesting to look back over the process.” Paul is happy to provide for the community’s gardening needs, but he’s also proud to be a local employer. Many staff from Hor - ta-Craft and HC Gardens live in Strathroy-Caradoc.
What Paul loves most about going into the retail gardening busi- ness is sharing his love of the growing process with others. “There is movement throughout it. It’s so rewarding to do all the required preparation and maintenance to then feel satisfaction when you finally see results. I want to help people experience the beauty and sense of fulfillment from their own efforts.” HC Gardens is open Monday to Wednesday from 10 am to 6 pm, Thursdays and Fridays 10 am to 8 pm, and Saturdays 9 am to 4 pm. They’re closed on Sundays. You can also order online. For more details, find HC Gardens on social media or visit hcgardens.ca.
Issue 44 - June 2024 Page 9
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