Meet the Floozies!
The Head Floozie: Denise
I have been a flower floozie since birth and love creating a place that allows me to do what I love...be around great people and in a garden setting all day! Chico has been my hometown for 25 years and I love everything about Chico and everything that can be grown here.
I fell in love with the Plant Barn years ago and dreamed of owning it and making it even more unique. I am the third owner of the Plant Barn and with the help of my great friends Nancy and Rebecca, have been able to pursue that dream and keep dreaming of even bigger things.
It's music to my ears when people tell us this is their happy place, or that you guys always make us smile and we love coming here and seeing what is new.
My favorites at The Plant Barn include Roses, heucheras, grasses, euphorbias, tropicals that will live in Chico, and anything chartreuse or burgundy. I love mixing textures, and creating containers is my favorite hobby.
I peruse availabilities at night for bedside reading and am constantly looking for what is new...I know...a Plant Nerd!! But...I am ok with that and can't wait to find the next great plant to share with my customers and friends...see you soon!
Assistant Floozie: Rebecca
I live in an old purple house with three cats whose loyalty will continue as long as I feed them their "Atta Cat". My son, Matthew, is twenty (which makes me at least that age); he is the love of my life.
I have volunteer plants as the foundation of my garden: borage, comfrey, sunflowers, and lemon balm to name a few- plus several salvias, a multitude of agastaches and varying vegetables and flowers depending on the season. I believe all colors match and will prove it to the non-believers by leading them through the paths in my garden.
Besides floozin’ with the flowers, I write and read and play dress-up whenever an event even remotely lends itself to a costume. I also sit on my porch and watch the bees and hummingbirds battle for the nectar from my Mexican sage and bee balm.
Favorite plants: lemon verbena, agastaches, pretty much any salvia, sunflowers, catmint, echinacea, cranesbill geraniums, asters, bee balm, amaranth, zinnias and many others. I’m not crazy about green shrubbery (I don’t have any), agapanthus, oleander, daylilies (until they change their name to something that doesn’t set them up for a specific blooming time), and bulbs except for daffodils.
NOTE FROM DENISE: Rebecca is the "go to" girl for herbs and cottage gardens.....AND she knows more song lyrics than anyone I know. She is a future novelist...so come meet her before she is really famous! You may not always recognize her, as she can make any day a dress up holiday!
Assistant Floozie: Nancy
I’m a native Chico-area girl, raised on my great grandfather’s
Mills Orchard Farm in Hamilton City.
One of my favorite garden memories is from my childhood home. In our yard, in the middle of the orchards, my mom gave me my own garden bed; I was allowed to plant whatever I want to in it. I planted zinnia seeds, then watered and waited for what seemed like forever. One day I finally found a bloom! Much to my amazement, it was green!! I ran inside to tell my mom about this magical occurrence: “Mom, I grew a green flower…flowers aren’t supposed to be green are they?”. Ever since then, I have been in awe of Mother Nature’s magic. I believe I was born a nature lover/flower floozie.
I cannot imagine a life with out plants.
I currently live in Forest Ranch with my husband and our cats. We love living among the native flora and fauna, and work to have a garden that
blends in with its natural surroundings.
Working at The Plant Barn is a true blessing. My spirit is renewed each day by the magic of this extraordinary place. Being here gives me a chance to be creative and help others be creative. Some Plant Barn beauties that make me smile are: Kent Beauty Oregano, Lemon Thyme, Helena’s Blush Euphorbia, all colors of Echinacea and Heuchera, Muhlenbeckia-creeping wire vine, Lonicera nitida Lemon Beauty…and of course Denise, Rebecca, and Rose!
NOTE FROM DENISE: Nancy has more talents then I can list here, but she has an especially amazing eye for design. She's a soil genius, and her passion for Natives provides us with a never ending wealth of knowledge. She is also the most compassionate person I have ever met and any conversation with her leaves me feeling like I've had my heart hugged!
I am proud to be a "Floozie-in-Training", and I feel the term fits quite nicely. In addition to my time at "The Barn", I am currently attending Butte College. My favorite classes are in the field of Environmental Horticulture. I often feel, though, that my REAL classroom is at the Plant Barn because I am always gaining valuable, real-world knowledge. Of course, I will need all the knowledge I can get in order to take my Floozieness to the next level!
It's hard to name my favorite plants, but some recent additions to my personal garden include a variety of succulents, dinnerplate dahlias, catmint, geraniums, and various herbs and lavenders. I especially like herbs and natives.
I still have lots to learn...good thing I find beauty in learning!
NOTE FROM DENISE: Sammy wandered into the Nursery and into our hearts. Her enthusiasm and passion for learning are a delight to be around. Sammy has an amazing work ethic for such a young age. She is detail oriented and sees just where help is needed. She has a great eye for merchandising and is fabulous with customers. Above all, Sammy truly is a Floozie-in-Training...just like the rest of us she can't resist a new plant, and after work can be seen cruising the aisles for plants for her own garden! We are so happy, and very lucky, that she wandered in...