Johnny's Market has been selling a variety of plants and produce for over three decades from their 6335 North College Avenue location in Broad Ripple.

"We've been here since June of 1975, taking over the spot from a gentleman that was retiring. We were interested in plants and produce. When we open each spring, our first season is the spring planting season," explained Johnny Deuser, who co-owns and operates the plant and produce market with his wife, Mary.

Some of the flower varieties at Johnny's Market include coleuses, geraniums, impatiens, lantanas and marigolds. Their hanging baskets are available in regular pots or moss bottoms that include Boston ferns, duck foot ivy (which is shaped like a duck's webbed foot), moss roses, New Guinea impatiens and vining geraniums. "Our spring annual flowers will be available until mid-August. At that time, we will carry mums," Mary mentioned.

"We specialize in summer produce. Our summer season includes the fancy California fruits, like avocados, grapes, mangoes, nectarines, plumbs and strawberries when the Indiana strawberry season is over. We have Northwest cherries from Oregon, Washington and Montana. We also have Georgia peaches, Indiana and Michigan peaches, Indiana sweet corn and tomatoes," he said.

"We have a full line of produce and we sell a wide variety of vegetable plants that includes fancy eggplants, Vidalia onions, peppers (from bell to hot and spicy), squash and zucchini," she said. "Additional produce, like apples, bananas, cantaloupes, cucumbers, lemons, limes, mushrooms, potatoes and watermelons are available through the summer until mid-September," she added.

"In the fall, we have pumpkins from Indiana. We have North Carolina Fraser Fir Christmas Trees that are grown in the mountains that we start selling the day after Thanksgiving. They range in size from three feet to 14 feet tall. We also sell wreaths," he mentioned.

"We're a small, independent seller and we carry a high quality of plants and produce. We buy directly from several farmers around the state of Indiana who grow a variety of produce, including eggplant and zucchini. We buy as much local product as possible. It has to be good quality. We're known for our quality of product and our service is outstanding. You can't get that from chain stores. We've known a lot of our customers since we were 18 years old," she noted. The Deusers were both born and raised in Indianapolis.

As food prices have steadily increased nationwide, Johnny's Market successfully fills a neighborhood niche like many locally independent produce retailers. Loyal customers return to find their favorite foods, flowers and plants here. New customers are discovering them as well. Johnny's Market is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and is closed Sunday. Their phone number is 257-7663.

Since their initial opening many Indiana summers ago, Johnny's Market continues selling delicious fruits and vegetables in addition to beautiful flowers and plants to patrons in the Broad Ripple community and beyond.