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er EE PI SDs. em is erg rm mang a ROBIE ID PERG Pa. 4 - "WEEKEND STAR" FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2001 Business bloomed for 47 By Heather McCrae Weekend Star For 47 years Bob and Vivienne Eckel of Robert G. Eckel Greenhouses & Irrigation have been ser- vicing gardeners with quality plants and sound advice. That same service will continue but under a different name now. On Nov. 2 the Eckels sold their nursery and are moving on to another wel- comed stage in their life - retirement. The beginning of the nursery and their marriage both happened in 1954. "Mums were the main attraction back then," Mr. Eckel says. "There wasn't too much traffic on the road then (Highway 12) so I would sell them to other florists in Toronto." In the early 70s they put up a new greenhouse at the front and began sell- ing box plants. Soon after they intro- duced gardeners to gera- niums in colours of purple, white, pink and red. "There weren't too many colours back then," Mr. Eckel says. Later, when the hot pink ud "Veronica" geraniums came in they literally stopped traffic. "We put mother plants in the flower boxes out by the road and you could hear the squeal of the brakes all day," Mr. Eckel recalls. "People had never seen such a beautiful new geranium and were slam- ming on their brakes to view the new variety." A few years later the Fischer geranium was brought in. A deep orange/red hue with dark green leaves, it was also a hit with gardeners. This year Eckels' Greenhouses on Hwy. 12, south of Myrtle, offered over 40 different varieties of geraniums, as well as a large assortment of other box plants. A lot of faithful cus- tomers have come by, year after year, to buy their plants, some as far away as. Scarborough, Cobourg, Aurora, and Peterborough, as well as many local customers. In 1967 the Eckels got into the lawn irrigation business and began installing sprinkler sys- Fax 434-5229 Mobile 718-6436 "Where Quality and Service C carpet & Sales, Service & Installations -- Carpet & Upholstery Steam Cleaning - 24 Hour Service Flood & Smoke Damage Emergency Service Shop at Home Service Expert Restretches & Repair Service Port Perry 985-1645 -- Oshawa 728-6070 Chidiiig Studio Portraits | Upstairs at Reid's) id KY Phone 905-985-9772 for info & bookings November 10 & 17 10am-4pm : J All portrait packages include: 4x6 proofs, negatives, and Photos on CD! Effervescence Photography - 905-985-8963 ifs UAE PIZZA, SUBS * &WINGS 80 Walter St, Port Permy 905-985-8448 tems in lawns. "When | started in the sprinkler business | was one of six sprinkler busi- nesses to start up in the GTA. Now there's over 100," Mr. Eckel says. Another feature was added four years ago when the Eckels began installing water gardens. Running a nursery means a lot of hard work and long hours. "lI remember getting up at 6 am. to transplant seedlings in the spring before getting our three children up for school," Mrs. Eckel says. But there is a brighter side, too. Spring comes early in the greenhouse. "It's nice to see things growing and blooming while there's still snow outside," she adds. The decision to retire came on June 30, 2001, one hot and humid day. Dropping into the kitchen chair after working outside Mr. Eckel said, "there comes a time when you have to stop". That's when his wife got him to write what he had said on a piece of paper THAN Susan. and had it dated and wit- nessed. Three weeks after Mr. Eckel signed the note the business was sold and the deal closed Nov. 2. Now living in Oshawa, and with lots of gardening space, Mr. Eckel says he'll Thinking about Quitting Smoking? Then this is for you! If you would like to receive 3 FREE package of information to help you w> plan your quit smoking attempt wp set your quit date ws understand the importance of support ws plus many other tips. Please call Durham Region Health Department at 1-800-841-2729 ext. 2272 or email us at smoking.cessation@region.durham.on.ca Hi) 4 plant his own raspberries and black currants, as well as his best tomato plant, the Super Fantastic. "It's one of the earliest plants and produces a big tomato - hamburger size." The new owners, Branko J] > os your Christmas Party at The Front Porch Cafe £9 Bistro Jeaturing Jazz i ENTRES INCLUDE: Sole Florentine * Vegetable Lasagna * Roast Beef w/Yorkshire Pudding * Seafood Pasta * Home Made Bruschetta Bread 187 QUEEN ST., PORT PERRY dining-out-directory.com/frontporch.html Call for reservations 905-985-7224 years K YOU FOR ' YEARS ~__BOB & VIV After 47 years in the horticulture business, Bob and Vivienne Eckel have sold Robert G. Eckel Greenhouses & Irrigation to Branko Ralij and his wife Ralijc and his wife, Susan, will continue to operate the nursery. And Sharmen Porter, who has worked for the Eckels for the past seven years, including the last three as manager, will continue in this role. 20 piece pizza with 1 item K 11 Ib. wings & garlic bread