Habig Garden Shop and its green trowel at 5201 North College Avenue has been a northside landmark for generations of Indianapolis gardeners and horticulturalists. Store manager Steve Habig discussed its history and his roots in the family business.

"My father, Frank, grew up on the south side of Indianapolis where his family owned a goat farm. Our family has been in the agricultural business since 1915. He went into the feed (animal and food supply) business after returning from World War II. Back then, not many people had gardens, but my father saw a niche for a garden supply business that he developed from the existing feed business. As the city's population started growing, he saw a need for garden shops, opening a downtown store on Madison Avenue and a second store at 38th and Sherman Drive. Those stores later closed, but as people began moving north, the College Avenue location opened in 1952 with shops in Nora and Carmel to follow. (Habig also has an eastside store at 1105 North Arlington Avenue). That's how it evolved," Habig recalled. "The Nora store that opened around 1980 was initially built as a honeymoon cottage that my father purchased and restored before the area was developed," he added.

"After I graduated from Ball State University with a marketing degree, I went into the family business where I began growing and selling roses in Carmel prior to the shop's opening. It was one of the first businesses in that area around 1979 (located at 15311 North US Hwy 31). I worked there for about 12 years and have been working at our North College store for about 15 years," he explained. Steve is among four of seven family members working at Habig.

"My brother, Rick, graduated from Purdue University with a hotel and restaurant management degree while my sister, Lynn, graduated from Indiana University with a nursing degree. They each had their own careers, but eventually came into the family business. Rick manages Habig's Nora shop while Lynn manages the Carmel location where our brother, Chip, also works. He previously worked on the family farm," Habig mentioned. They are still involved in farming, as they rent land to growers.

Habig's College Avenue location has the look and feel of a neighborhood garden shop with each change of season. In the spring, they sell many annuals and perennials. During summer, they answer customer questions in addition to selling flowers and garden supplies. In the fall, pumpkins, Indian corn and squash are popular. Christmas trees and garland are available during the holidays as Habig is open evening hours. A Santa Claus hat appears on the 16-foot trowel during this time. Store hours are shorter in January and February as they visit trade shows and learn about new products for the next gardening season. "Each season, you see different changes going on," he said. They are open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. When the trowel was briefly removed for repair and restoration, many customers were looking for it when locating the shop.

Habig's garden supplies include a variety of tools and pottery. An enclosed compost container is recommended that won't attract rodents like an open container. Rain barrels trap water for future use. Maintaining a sense of the environment in using what Mother Nature gives the gardener can yield productive long-term results.

Organic gardening has grown significantly in recent years as Habig has met customer demand in this area.

"We sell a lot of natural and organic products. We're a strong believer in that. People are more interested in growing their own food. They want to eat healthy foods and have become more conscious of the environment. We're in tune with that. Organic fertilizer has a lot of soil amendments that feed the soil, which in turn feeds the plant. You have to be patient in working with and building up the soil's nutrients. By the second and third year, they begin to grow. A recent customer used an organic fertilizer to help her tomato plants grow where the ground was depleted of essential nutrients. She returned to store to tell me how well it worked," Habig said. If a customer has a problem with weeds or growing plants, we ask them questions to determine how to best help them. We don't just sell products, but educate our customers and sell them the correct product for their gardening needs," he emphasized. Many of Habig's loyal customers recall visiting the store as kids and have developed life-long friendships.

They also carry an assortment of aromatic plants, each having a distinctive scent.

"We have a wide selection of herbs like basil, chives, fennel, lemon rober scented geranium, Mexican bush sage, mints, peppers, pineapple sage, rosemary, sweet leaf (which is used as a natural replacement for sugar), sweet basil and thyme, in addition to organic vegetables and heirloom plants. People have become more interested in herbs for cooking, gardening and medicinal uses," he noted.

Deb Stanley co-manages Habig's Nora garden shop (located at 1225 East 86th Street) with Margie Hesler, who has a horticulture degree from Purdue University. Ms. Stanley described some items sold there.

"We sell a lot of tropical plants (palms, mass canes, bonsai), orchids and cactus. We have a huge array of pottery and hammocks with stands. We'll open our produce stand on July 7th. We sell a lot of local produce [as available], including corn, tomatoes, peaches (from New Haven, Michigan), Decker (Indiana) melons and zucchini. The corn is bi-color and fresh every morning for a month. This coincides with our annual sidewalk sale from July 9 through 11 where an assortment of items will be available, like organic and synthetic fertilizers, rain barrels and composters," she explained. The Nora store's phone number is 251-3708 and their hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Habig's Nora garden shop is located behind the cottage, which sells garden décor items in addition to gift lines. Their merchandise varies with the changing of seasons as Ms. Stanley mentioned, "We have a big pumpkin and gourd business after the summer. During the holidays, we sell Christmas and flock trees in addition to greens and roping (swag). Flock trees are sold only at the Nora store. They don't need to be watered, you just spray snow on them," she said. "I worked at the Grande Greenhouse on the Westside that is now closed before working at Habig and have worked with plants for over 20 years," she added. A teacher by training, Ms. Stanley educates customers about the various flowers and plants Habig sells. Her career has been blooming ever since.

Frank Habig's vision of a neighborhood garden shop has expanded to four locations now operated by Chip, Lynn, Rick and Steve. Habig Garden Shops provide beautiful flowers, plants, garden supplies and more as they continue growing with the seasons in and around Indianapolis.