Wimberley Gardens beginning to sprout

As the Wimberley Gardens nursery approaches its first anniversary, things couldn’t be rosier.

Owners Jennie and Matt Horvath have survived their first year in business. Over the months, they have grown and learned the business and the future seems bright. As they head into the spring planting season, Wimberley Gardens, at the corner of 2325 and Green Acres, will have twice the stock as last year, a full line of seeds, a landscaping service and a lawn-care crew.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 20 percent of the small businesses in the United States fail in the first year. By the fifth year, the failure rate is about 50 percent. Clearly, the Horvaths have beaten those odds. Their connection to the community is apparent as vehicle after vehicle on busy 2325 honks greetings to the young owners standing out front.

The first year presented some special challenges. Money was tight and the hours were long. Jennie, who was a hair stylist, and Matt, who has spent many years in the landscape business, took over the property that was the longtime home to Miss Mae’s Bar-B-Q in January of 2018. In the nursery business, March is prime time. That meant they had just a short time to clear the overgrown lot, reconfigure the interior of the building and order inventory.

“We had a two-month, 10 hours a day, seven days a week cleanup project with a lot of help from friends and family,” says Matt. “We knew we had to be open by spring break. It was crucial. We pulled it off, by the grace of God.”

They financed Wimberley Gardens from their own savings as well as loans from friends and relatives.

When opening day rolled around in early March they were completely unprepared for the reception they received. They were inundated. “On that first day we went home and asked ourselves what just happened. It was so busy we don’t even remember our first customer,” says Jennie. “We knew what we were getting into, but we didn’t expect that.”

“We are more prepared this year,” says Matt. “Last year it was a race just to get the plants in.”

The Horvaths expect to carry twice as much inventory as last year. They have added some side services, as well, to keep things going during the slower fall and winter months. In the fall, Wimberley Gardens added a lawn-care service and a landscaping crew. In all, the nursery has 12 employees.

Wimberley Gardens stresses customer service with a personal touch. There’s always someone around to answer questions. Matt and Jennie tell their workers to learn one new thing about the plants each day and a year later they will be pretty knowledgeable.

“They can get expert advice here. That makes a big different to a lot of folks,” says Matt, who studied healthcare management at Penn State University, but found he likes the nursery business much better.”

The nursery got through the slow months by offering pumpkins and, later, Christmas trees and wreaths. “We bought a conservative number (of Christmas trees) and they were half gone by the first weekend,” says Matt.

They were sold out by Dec. 9.

Needless to say, they will place a bigger order next Christmas.

Besides a more extensive inventory, customers can expect an expanded gift shop area and a potting station, where, for a small fee, people can plant their purchases on the spot.

“Jennie has a good feel for style and a good sense of what people are looking for,” says Matt.

The biggest challenge of the first year? “It was just feeling unprepared for the summer heat, unprepared for the infrastructure. We were moving plants from the sun to the shade constantly.”

The couple is busy these days getting ready for the spring rush. The gift shop is getting new shelves.

The plant area is getting cleaned up and organized. “There’s always something to do at a nursery, no matter what the season,” says Matt.

After the months leading up to their hectic opening, the couple, who has three daughters, did manage to slip away for a vacation to Durango, Colo.

The most rewarding thing for the Horvaths is the people they have met. Customers often come in and thank them for being open. “We have had overwhelming support from the community,” says Matt. “It takes that support to be successful.”