AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler
Brought to you by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi
and Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services
Busier than ever since founded in 1973 by the late Don Riddle, Jr., Homestead Gardens at 743 W. Central Avenue in Davidsonville is celebrating its 50th Anniversary.
It’s the anchor location for the popular Homestead Gardens Severna Park at 522 Ritchie Highway and a draw for many Severna Park residents over the years. The Davidsonville store boasts an impressive 174,000 square feet of retail space with another 35,000 square feet in the Severna Park branch.
Signs posted by every entrance along the Davidsonville garden center’s vast property proclaim its owners’ thanks for customers’ support over the past five decades.
A powerhouse in the greenhouse and gardening industry today with several divisions and three retail stores, (the third is in Smyrna, Delaware) the business had surprisingly humble beginnings.
Riddle, a native of Hyattsville, enlisted in the U.S. Navy upon graduation from high school in 1966. Returning home after his stint in the service, he attended the University of Maryland majoring in horticulture.
His passion for plants, in combination with his family’s longtime success in truck farming – a practice common in Severna Park in the early 20th Century – was the inspiration for starting Homestead Gardens. With support from his parents Don E. Riddle, Sr. and Evelyn Riddle, he started his business in the back yard of the family home in Hyattsville.
The business grew rapidly, and in 1973, Riddle incorporated Homestead Gardens, moving to its present location in Davidsonville. In the late 1970’s, he built the greenhouses and pavilions that are the signature draw for the Davidsonville outlet.
During the same period, Riddle created the company’s Greenhouse Production Division to supply the retail store as well as to sell wholesale plants to businesses, organizations and churches throughout the Metro D.C. area.
In 1980, the Homestead Gardens Landscape Services Division was established. It’s headquartered in one of two beautifully restored homes on the property. (The other is used for the accounting and administrative staff.) Additional structures acquired by the company include an attractive but spacious barn that is currently used for storage.
In 1985, the company purchased additional land on Governor Bridge Road in Davidsonville to introduce a Wholesale Production Division for selling supplies to independent landscape contractors and to supply Homestead Gardens’ retail store with the bulk of its annuals, perennials, and nursery stock.
The greenhouses are filled to the brim with those annuals, perennials, vegetables and herbs and walking through one is a feast for all the senses.
Trellised gardens in the open spaces out back hold myriad tropical and shade loving plants. Just beyond them are white tents set up for outdoor entertaining. Homestead Gardens works with 500 non-profits on various drives and events ranging from a huge fundraiser for the Anne Arundel County Food Bank to a Future Farmers of America barbeque.
Everywhere one looks, there is something beautiful to see. Even areas featuring garden plants and herbs are overhung with baskets of flowers in every color of the rainbow.
A lot of work is required to keep all those plants thriving and the interior and exterior of the greenhouse/pavilion complex in tip-top shape. There are 120 year-round employees plus 150 seasonal employees. Work is going on continually throughout the complex.
Watering is a constant… 
…and painting of outdoor planters by Edwin Siembieda time-consuming.
Indoors, the pavilions carry everything from garden seeds, fertilizers and gardening equipment to pet foods and supplies, and even baby chicks in April. There are also high-end barbeque grills and outdoor furniture for lounging or dining.
One of the most special spaces in the pavilions is Evelyn’s Boutique named in honor of Don Riddle’s mother with an extensive collection of casual clothes, handbags, hats and other accessories plus decorative items for the home.
In 2010, Riddle and company further expanded Homestead’s footprint by opening the Severna Park branch at 522 Ritchie Highway, adopting many of the design elements and retail practices of the original store. The building in which the Severna Park outlet is located, along with Zachary’s Jewelers, has a history of its own. After beginning its life as a supermarket, the edifice became home to Frank’s Garden Center for a number of years. For a brief period, it was occupied by West Marine Boating Supplies before being taken over by Homestead Gardens. It was a perfect size for creating a smaller but amazing version of the original location.
In 2021, the company completed its expansion by purchasing Ronny’s Garden World in Smyrna, Delaware to become the third retail branch of Homestead Gardens.
From the moment he opened the Davidsonville location in the 1970’s till his death in 2011, Don Riddle implemented his ideas for transforming Homestead into a destination Garden Center offering a series of events and festivals throughout the year to coax customers into taking a drive into the country. Succeeded by his son Brian Riddle, the company has retained those innovations and created new ones for all three branches.
Each and every December, grandparents, parents and children flock to the Davidsonville store to view unique displays of Christmas lights, holiday season tableaus and, of course, the store’s famed multi-track train display. They come from nearby neighborhoods and from the Annapolis, Arnold, Severna Park, Millersville, Pasadena, Crownsville and Crofton communities and as far afield as Washington, D.C.
Almost as popular in Davidsonville is the annual Crepe Myrtle Festival (to be held this year from June 13 through 17). The festival does so well that it is carried on to a lesser extent at the other branches.
Over the years, Riddle sought opportunities to give back to the community that supported him. He kept Homestead Gardens at the forefront of philanthropic activities within the community. It’s a tradition very much alive in each of the retail outlets.
Beautiful, flower-covered floats from Homestead Gardens consistently appear in the Independence Day Parades of Severna Park, Annapolis and, occasionally, other communities to the delight of spectators.
The Severna Park store has been at the very center of community activities since opened 13 years ago. It’s been a glamorous backdrop for a number of the Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber Taste & Sip events.
Generously discounted holiday items on Black Friday make the Severna Park store a very popular destination for shoppers every December.
Evergreens decorated the sidewalk at the Severna Park store on Black Friday of 2019. 
Inside, two gents chatted and got into the holiday spirit while their wives took advantage of the Black Friday sales .
The 2022 holiday season not only saw a busy Black Friday but also included Homestead Gardens Severna Park’s fun-filled Girls Night Out with food, wines, and discounts to boot. Part of the proceeds were donated to the Blue Ribbon Project.
Corks for a Cause, a fundraiser held at the Severna Park store for the Baltimore Washington Medical Center Foundation has quickly become one of the community’s hottest summer social events. For the third year, BWMC Foundation and Homestead Gardens partnered with NextGen and Fishpaws Marketplace to host the 2022 event on June 15. Tucked in amongst the flowers and plants throughout Homestead’s greenhouse and gardens were tables for 15 wineries or distributors with 90+ point wines to sample from around the world.
The fourth annual Corks for a Cause fundraiser for BWMC Foundation will be held at Homestead Gardens Severna Park next Wednesday, June 14 from 6 to 8 pm. Contact www.fishpawsmarket.com for ticket information.
Homestead Gardens’ Davidsonville location is celebrating Pollinator Month through June with lots of native plants to choose from and the Crepe Myrtle Festival kicks off Tuesday, June 13. As can be seen from a sign off one of the parking areas, the new Open Air Space for Events will soon be a reality. Stay tuned for more upcoming events and special sales by visiting Homestead Gardens – Garden Supplies, Nursery, and Landscaping.
Lisa’s Cakepops is saying goodbye to Severna Park
Lisa Edelman Schneiderman and husband Glen are retiring from Lisa’s Cakepops on June 15 and moving to Florida to be with family. We’ll all be sad to see them go. However, after 10 years of creating custom cakepops, successfully marketing them and achieving her dream of opening a storefront, Lisa is moving on.
She started the business out of her home kitchen in 2013 in Danville, California. After relocating to Severna Park in 2015, Lisa’s Cakepops was officially born. Finding space in a commercial kitchen, Lisa marketed her pops at local events, developed a lively ecommerce and achieved success after success. Having developing a lively ecommerce market for her custom pops, she opened the storefront at 836 Ritchie Highway with Glen in March of 2020 which did well. After obtaining orders from two Maryland catalog companies with national distribution, Lisa, Glen and their staff were making and shipping thousands of cakepops at a time.
Asked why they were closing the shop and moving to Florida, Lisa explained that most of their family lived in South Florida – including Glen’s father who is 90 and his mother who is 85.
“Both are doing well and we wanted to be able to enjoy spending time with them and the rest of the family. We visit Florida twice a year anyway and we figured it was time,” Lisa said.
Cakepop decorating kits Lisa designed that are especially fun for children have been a very popular item and the couple have decided they’ll probably continue to market them after they are settled.
A going away party is being held by the Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber at Lisa’s Cakepops storefront on Wednesday, June 28th from 10 am till noon.
The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center.)
and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.
