February 2021 - 42

5 MINUTES WITH ...
5
MINUTES
-WITH-
JARED HUGHES
Where did the name Groovy Plants Ranch
come from?
When I was in college, I really wanted to grow some things
but I was working full-time as a retail manager and also going
to school full-time, so I needed something I could grow that
was very easy and low-care because I didn't have much time
to dedicate to a crop. That's when I discovered succulents
were pretty easy to propagate and grow. They just made me
think of the '60s and I've always kind of liked classic rock
music, so that's where the name started. [Succulents] had a
heyday back in the '60s, and they came back into popularity.
So that's where it started - it started with the succulents.
What has surprised you about adding a retail
store to your wholesale nursery business?
The response from the community. We picked a location
in a small-town area, and the number of people who flock
to the nursery surprised me. And then on top of that, this
cult following that developed around it has been really
staggering - I just never expected it.
I also didn't expect people to use this place we've
created as almost like a meeting place for families and
friends to get together, so that's been very surprising to
me and really a very positive byproduct of creating this
business here.
What is your biggest goal for 2021?
It's a two-part goal: I would like to improve on our sales
this year, which have been astronomical for us. In addition,
I have big plans for our online store. I want to greatly
increase the sales through our online store, which has
been going really well, and we're working very hard at it.
Hughes holding his hybrid 'Canary Wing'
begonia (an all-gold variety of the garden
favorite 'Dragon Wing').
By Teresa McPherson
Jared Hughes is co-owner of Groovy Plants
Ranch with his wife Liz. Jared is a GPN
Magazine 40 Under 40 alumnus.
Can you share a bit about your background?
I have an associate's degree in landscape design and
architecture degree from Columbus State Community
College. I worked in the trade for 10 years at Foertmeyer
& Sons Greenhouse Co. in Delaware, Ohio, working under
Mark Foertmeyer.
About five years ago, I had the opportunity to purchase
Groovy Plants Ranch (at the time it was called Fargo Herbs).
It's pretty much been an amazing journey so far. I would say
for the most part, I've learned through the trade.
42 | LAWN & GARDEN RETAILER | FEBRUARY 2021
What do you love about your job?
I love being able to work with great people. We have
an amazing staff at Groovy Plants Ranch - they're true
professionals, and it's just a joy to be able to work with
such great people. Also, being able to serve a community
that really loves our business, it's a joy working with the
consumers that we have. We have it too good.
What keeps you up at night?
In January and February, greenhouse heaters. I have a
lot of stock that I maintain throughout the year, and even
though I have sensors and alarms in place, I still lay up at
night wondering if anything is going to shut off.
What is your favorite plant to grow?
As a gardener, my favorite plant to grow would probably
be the hardy banana Musa Basjoo.
It grows so rapidly in the spring and summer, all the
way to a hard killing freeze, and it's just a joy to grow. You
start with a tiny little thing in the spring, and then by the
end of the season, it could be 15 to 20 feet tall. They're
very dramatic, and they're just fun to grow. I think that's
probably my favorite plant to grow as a gardener.
February 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2021
