It's a Garden State of Mind at Ben's

"It's a wonderful day, everyday," according to Ben Busko, namesake of Ben's Garden of Huntington and Oyster Bay.

He feels so strongly about that statement that he put it in writing as part of his company's declaration of business.

In Busko's relatively short life—he's only 26— he has created a garden that goes beyond soil and seeds, seen as staff members guide customers to the various vignettes throughout the stores.

Those staff members are important, Busko said, adding that he is the type entrepreneur who goes with his gut when hiring and will employ only those who "love what they do," he said and he spends time matching the right person and skill set with the job.

"If I couldn't spend the day with someone I would not want them to work here," Busko said.

Apparently, several family members fall in to the category of people he can spend time with.

Ben's brother Jon, an artist in his own right joined the staff last year. Ben's mom too is involved in the business as an employee. When Ben was a child, she played the role of head cheerleader.

At six years old, Ben decoupaged his mothers cocktail table.  She was impressed. Now his decoupage pieces are one of his signatures. 

But that was only the first of his childhood successes.

At age nine, he began selling Ben's Garden decoupage anda notecards. At age 11, he send Smith and Hawken and the New York Botanical Garden a catalog and gets orders from both. Young Ben puts his friends to work in his parents' carriage house. At age 20, Anthropologie purchases his entire line and Busko opened his first store in Oyster Bay. At age 23, his work is featured in InStyle magazine. At age 24, he opened his Huntington store.

Unique displays and window views are another of the store's trademarks. Most recently the windows displayed bouquets of flowers made from dozens of recycled plastic water bottles-recycled.

The product line has grown substantially since his early days, but continues to span many price points, Busko said.

He also hopes to expand local production. While 80 percent of the store's inventory is manufactured in Oyster Bay, Ben's plan is to make it 100 percent in the future. In addition to the increasing production, Oyster Bay and Huntington retail stores are just the beginning, he said. Many more stores are in the plans.