Today we’d like to introduce you to Diane Wavra.
Hi Diane, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Growing plants has been a part of the Wavra family for many years. Dan started growing his own cannery crops right out of high school. Diane taught school for a few years, and then took time off to raise their kids with the intention of someday going back to teaching. One spring when the boys were still small, Diane turned the farm office into a greenhouse. Every morning she would move the plants from the desk and floor to the outside deck, and return them in doors at night. Dan, growing tired of having to wait for the plants to move in order to enter the office, decided to build a small greenhouse. Dan and Diane agreed on a 30’x50’ so that the boys could have a sandbox in the back, and plants in the front.
In the fall of 1999, Dan surprised Diane with a 30’x96’ greenhouse so that she would never run out of room and try to move back into his office. Then in November, God surprised them both. Diane worked all winter planting for her yard and garden. Friends and neighbors started coming by to see what was going on. With just a table, calculator and by appointment only rule, Diane’s extra plants were sold out by Mother’s Day. Just a month later, Catherine was born, joining big brothers Andrew and Steven. Since it was obvious that Diane was not going back to teaching, Dan expanded the greenhouse once again so that the kids would have a bigger “playhouse” and a college fund.
The kids have now grown and continue to help around the nursery, running different departments of the family nursery. Over the years, a houseplant shop was added, along with Proven Winners, Hanging Baskets, unusual perennials, northwest natives, trees, shrubs, pottery, seeds, Espoma soils and fertilizers all making Wavra Farms a one stop shopping experience.
In 2023, Diane and Dan started The Indoor Winter Market at Wavra Farms. Their purpose was to give their customers a place to visit and shop and also allow 55 vendors a place to sell their goods in the winter-time when other markets were closed. This market also made it possible for Wavra Farms to stay open year-round. It was a win for all.
We are now entering our 26th year as a retail nursery. Wavra Farms is a family owned and operated business with close ties to the community. We have maintained ongoing support for many local schools and non-profit organizations. Our mission is to deliver the best products, the best service, and to give customers the best value for their money. Our best customers are those who have had the best results in their gardens with our products and advice. Come and explore Wavra Farms and Nursery for the first time or as a returning friend and remember HAPPY GARDENING.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
One season while I was selling wholesale, it started to rain mid March, and it continued to rain all of April and May. Garden centers canceled their orders because they could not move what they had in stock. I had to dump a lot that season.
Trying to decide if I wanted to stick with wholesale or change to retail only. The kids were little and it was hard to keep loading them up and delivering anyways.
I chose retail so that I could interact with customers and grow only as much as I could sell on site.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
At Wavra Farms we specialize in hanging baskets and unique plants. All of our annuals are grown on site and the public appreciates being able to watch the plants grow and mature. When we start baskets in January they don’t look like much as my customers start coming more frequently they see the growing process.
Since I started out my journey in education, I enjoy getting the public excited about gardening by teaching them how to be successful at it. I offer classes like How Not to Kill your Houseplants, The Year Round Vegetable Garden, Rose Pruning/Care Seminar, All about Tomatoes, Terrarium Ala Carte Workshop, etc
Four Years ago I started an Indoor Winter Market at Wavra Farms. As a place for my customers to hang out and shop during the winter months when other farmers markets are closed. Vendors needed a dry place to sell their wares when other markets are closed. It was the perfect scenario. It only runs on Saturdays from 10am-3pm from October to Mid-March. This year we will have 60+ Vendors selling bread, jams, honey, jewelry, paintings, coffee, woodworking, bath and body products, the dye, mushrooms, produce, meat, and more
What sets us apart from others is that we provide personalized attention to helping customers find the right plant or fertilizer for their garden. We have all of our perennial plants alphabetized making it easy to fine what the customer is looking for. We also categorize all of our plants by sun loving or shade loving taking part of the stress out of plant shopping
What makes you happy?
Interacting with customers and solving their gardening problems.
A trip to the garden center should be a relaxing escape from day to day life. Customers come with an idea in mind and my job is to make their idea work for their space. Some come in because a plant is dying or maybe it has holes in the leaves. My job is to take their stress away by providing support and a game plan.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wavrafarms.com
- Instagram: wavrafarms
- Facebook: wavrafarms
