We sell only business to business

RNC is located four miles from Lake Michigan between Grand Haven and Muskegon in western Michigan.

6184 S. Quarterline Road • Spring Lake, MI 49456

PH/FAX: (231) 798-4079 (800) 798-4079

E-mail: info@richeynursery.com

Greetings from Western Michigan, “When change is necessary, not to change is destructive.” Years ago when I was cutting my teeth in the nursery business, I was working for a company that required a three year formal R & D exercise to be completed before a procedural change could be made. This was maddening at times when I could see the potential for future changes in productivity and efficiency. The senior managers though had a perspective that included what had worked in the past and they wanted satisfactory answers as to why it wouldn’t continue to work. Admittedly, I lacked that knowledge but at the time I didn’t see the need to dwell in the past. After all, we have the future ahead of us! Now I’m the senior manager and change is somewhat difficult. OK, it’s extremely difficult! But change is necessary. Richey Nursery Company LLC is planning to be around for a long time and to that end change is not only necessary, it is the future. Seth, my son, and Sam, my son-in-law, are second generation nurserymen that the propagation bug has bitten. They have been running the nursery on a daily basis for quite a while now and I have to admit that it has been a little frustrating at times. Now I’ve have ten or fifteen years yet before I become a snowbird, but they need to learn like I did. They need to make their own mistakes and glory in their successes. And yes, some things that were always difficult for me, they make look very easy. Maybe they didn’t know it was supposed to be hard. Which makes me wonder how much of change is just getting past our own perceptions. It was less than twenty five years ago that Itea was considered a southern plant and was not a commercial option in Michigan. When ‘Henrys Garnet’ was introduced to western Michigan; it received a very doubtful reception with its hardiness in question. Perceptions had to change; we now list three cultivars that are extremely useful in the north. You’ll see many new varieties listed this year. We are offering the Ball Ornamentals line of woody shrubs. These are new varieties that are not well distributed yet, but are the results of some of the best hybridizing in the world. Hydrangea ‘Bombshell’ is a dwarf paniculata that blooms all summer and yet gets only 18”-36” tall. ‘Lemon Candy’ is a dwarf ninebark with bright yellow foliage that gets only 36”-40” tall. We are offering some of Michael Yanny’s introductions from Wisconsin that include Spiraea Pink-a-licious™ and Viburnum Sugar N’ Spice™. And finally we started offering color picture tags last year on any of our offerings. We have had many requests and now we can custom produce a tag with your info if you desire. Change is necessary for growth, but changing too quickly causes clumsiness and professional ADD. Make changes wisely. I hope to talk with you soon, Mark Richey