New Growth at Homegrown Hettie's

Jenny Scarborough
Hettie during her Ocracoke childhood, reading to her younger brother David Tolson and Sam Walters.
Hettie during her Ocracoke childhood, reading to her younger brother David Tolson and Sam Walters.

Gardener Hettie Johnson wanted to make Ocracoke beautiful.

"She helped with the plant sale at school for years and years.  Mom opened the greenhouse because she loved plants and wanted to offer a wider variety at different times," said Hettie's younger daughter, Heather.

The small garden center catered to islanders, selling plants that Hettie had successfully cultivated in her own Ocracoke garden.  The greenhouse is on Tolson family land that Hettie inherited, near horse pen point, with the blue-green water of Pamlico Sound nearby.

Hettie ran the nursery full time for two years as a "labor of love," said Heather, and then returned to cutting hair, keeping the center open part time.  After Hettie's death in 2007, the greenhouse was used as an informal community kitchen garden by Heather and a few friends, and rented to local landscapers.

Last year, Jennifer Rich re-opened the greenhouse and nursery as Homegrown Hettie's.  After moving full time to Ocracoke in February, 2011 Jennifer realized she was "too hyper" to not work, and started looking for opportunities that would benefit the community.

The weekend of Ocracoke School's annual spring plant sale was the only chance islanders had to buy plants locally. 

Fig trees in the greenhouse
Fig trees in the greenhouse

Mary Bassell pointed out the opportunity to Jennifer, who has "had my hands in the dirt my whole life."  Five generations of her family have run Watkins Nursery in Midlothian, Virginia.

Hettie's husband, Jake, was willing to lease the property, and Nathan Spencer donated a trailer.  "Everything kept falling into place," said Jennifer, who got the feeling that "You're supposed to do this."

She focuses on ornamental and edible plants that thrive on Ocracoke. Ruella, or Mexican petunia is popular, easy and spreads nicely.  Ice plant has pretty pink-purple flower and is a "no brainer," said Jennifer. Rosemary, oxalis and vinca vine do well in sandy Ocracoke gardens.

The day she showed me around, bald cypress shoots were just starting to bud, and the greenhouse was full of potted fig trees ready to head to new homes.  "I'm trying to propagate stuff that grows well here," said Jennifer.  More trees and shrubs will be arriving soon.

New Growth at Homegrown Hettie's

She will be offering a lot of succulents this year, to tempt off-island homeowners and those with less time to spend in their yards.

Camillas just arrived, and Jennifer pointed out encore azaleas, a new variety that blooms three times a year. "Knockout roses do great here too," she said, and "Everybody likes confederate jasmine."  Oleanders bloom vigorously in front of many Ocracoke homes.

Jennifer gets additional ideas from Ocracoke's many green-thumbed residents, like Kevin Hardy, Amy Hilton, Cindy Fiore, Dee Keel and Newt Sharber.  Ocracokers have long grown food for the table, which is how Heather said her mother, growing up on Ocracoke, learned to garden.

For those with less experience and confidence, Jennifer said, "Try something easy, like peppers.  You don't have to have a big garden."

New Growth at Homegrown Hettie's

"Hettie is the reason this place is here," said Jennifer, who said last year was about building the business, and this year she hopes to make a modest profit on her labors.

It's nice to see the property cheerful and full of life and growth, said Heather, who has many happy memories of the "amazing" gardens Hettie planted where ever she lived.  Hettie's encyclopaedic knowledge of plants, as well as her talent for using herbs to fashion natural remedies continues to inspire Heather.

New plants will be arriving weekly, said Jennifer, who encourages people to "just drop in."  She keeps Homegrown Hettie's open seven days a week mid-March - late June, and late August - October, from about 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with shorter hours on Sunday.  Homegrown Hettie's is a little hard to find for those not in the know.  Ask a local for directions!

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