AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler
Brought to you by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi
and Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services
A small, independent family business that got its start in Brooklyn Park in 1927, AA County Farm, Lawn & Garden continues to draw customers from near and far to its newest location at 224 Mountain Road in Pasadena. For 97 years, the store has attracted farmers, growers and homeowners with its friendly, knowledgeable staff and complete and unique line of agricultural products. Visiting the garden center is the ultimate SHOP LOCAL experience.
Since opening last December, the center has come a long way and, in the process, has transformed into a garden center you’re not likely to see elsewhere. The parking lot was fairly full as we pulled in from Mountain Road and we observed customers zipping in and out of the gardens.
A gentle breeze was blowing, setting up a pretty melody from windchimes by the entrance to the store. Inside, we found owner Cory Stephens who indicated how pleased he was with the way the garden center’s move from Severna Park has worked out.
“This has turned out to be an incredible location for us and I couldn’t be happier. I kept our crew intact and we’re off to a great start,” Stephens said. “During our six years in Severna Park, we had a lot of customers coming across from Pasadena. We’re now seeing the opposite effect as many of our Severna Park customers have followed us here. Best of all, some of our original Glen Burnie customers (who found driving to Severna Park a little too far) have come back to us.”
Pointing across the parking lot to a man getting into his car, he said the gentleman was a resident of Severna Park and a faithful customer who hadn’t realized AA County Farm, Lawn & Garden had moved. So earlier, he’d driven to the old location on Jumper’s Hole Road. Finding it empty, he’d seen the sign posted there listing the store’s new location and driven over to have a look. He was delighted to be personally welcomed back by Stephens.
As before, the fellow found in the interior of the store and its warehouse everything a farmer, gardener, pet owner or pet could wish for. From straw… to straw hats, from Cow’s Ears… to Knee Bones for canine customers, and, from animal feed… to grass seed in barrels from the 1900’s, there were products to meet every need.
Stephens said he’s pleased that there is convenient parking and customers can pull up right to the door instead of walking up a hill as before. He noted that the store’s layout allows the staff to process customer purchases much faster. it’s also helpful that more space is available to display all the products out in the open. (At the old location, some merchandise had to be stored in the back meaning employees made many trips back and forth.)
It’s been interesting for Stephens to observe the effects of inflation on what people are doing this year. He’s observed that more families are trying to raise some of their own food to offset grocery store prices.
“We figured there’d be an impact,” he said. “But nursery sales have been incredible. We’ve outsold five different growers this year and plants and herbs are moving fast. You can see that people are concerned with the economy being like it is and they’re tightening their belts. We try to work with customers to get the biggest bang for their buck and get them in and out as economically as possible. We can actually see people standing their calculating how much money they’re spending in their heads and that is certainly new for us.”
Particularly noteworthy, is the amount of available wall space that has been devoted to celebrating the history of Anne Arundel County farms through Stephens ‘collection of historic farm implements. In addition to burden baskets, dried tobacco and farm implements in homage to his heritage growing up on a tobacco farm in Millersville, there are items gathered from other local farmers as well as old photographs. On one wall, there are now pictures of each of AA County Lawn, Farm and Garden’s locations over the span of 97 years (with the exception of an empty frame at the top awaiting its photo for the present Pasadena center).
Interestingly, when people started noticing all the artifacts on the walls, they began bringing in artifacts of their own to be added. Thus, thanks to the generosity of the store’s patrons, the collection is growing all the time. The most recent addition appears on a corner ledge near the ceiling.
“A donor came in with a grinding wheel that belonged to his grandfather that he wanted me to take a look at,” Stephens said. “I asked what he wanted for it. He said he wanted me to have it, so I placed it next to a very rare old sled with wooden runners that another gentleman gave me.”
He slyly mentioned that another gift from a donor would be evident as we strolled through the plant nursery. We headed there, first stopping at the outdoor sales office where clerk Lydia Murray was helping customers. We inquired about the gift – a statue for the gardens – and were directed the end of a corridor of plants by the greenhouse. Lydia said it was rumored that the statue was temporarily being referred to as “Claude”.
We followed her directions to the greenhouse where we immediately spied the newly donated piece of garden statuary.
Elsewhere in the gardens, customers were making a beeline for a just-arrived shipment of herbs and native pollinator plants.
In addition to the wide variety of flower and vegetable transplants in the nursery, there were roses, shrubs, blueberry bushes and young trees plus charming groupings of flowers and innovative little gardens planted in stock watering tanks.
On learning last June that his lease for the Severna Park location would end in November and he’d need to move, Stephens initially wondered whether he should continue with the business.
“At age 65, I had to do some soul searching. My wife remained supportive for whatever I decided while my daughter wondered if I hadn’t had enough. But I’m not emotionally or financially ready to quit. Luckily, everything worked out for the best. Our landlord, next door to us, is wonderful. We call ourselves ‘the corner of Anne Arundel and Anne Arundel’ because he is Anne Arundel Seafood and we are Anne Arundel County Farm, Lawn & Garden. People who stop by here often end up going to the restaurant and people having a meal or getting carry-out there often drift over here.”
“It sounds kind of corny, but I literally spend about 30% of my day getting well wishes and hugs and kisses and people telling me ‘thanks for continuing on and not quitting’. It means so much.”
At the checkout counter, employees Abby Fontz and Kelly Neet said that they’ve enjoyed meeting customers, old and new, and have received many appreciative comments.
To follow what’s happening and AA County Farm, Lawn & Garden visit AA Co. Farm Lawn & Garden | Pasadena, Maryland (aalawnandgarden.com) or follow them on Facebook.
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.
