Local Woman Sprouts New Greenhouse Venture

Lisa Cote has been grooming, pruning, trimming and feeding vegetation for years, but when she got inspiration to start her new business, she said "at first I didn't know if I could grow."

Once the groundwork came together for Lilly's Place Greenhouse, though, the longtime landscaper and florist found her thumb was more green than she thought. Since the North Hampton greenhouse , Cote said the business — and her passion — has been flourishing.

"There's nothing more pleasing than taking a box of something I grew and placing them on someone's property," said Cote. "People are buying something I grew. Nothing's more rewarding than that."

Cote owns her own landscaping business, the Practical Gardner, but she realized roughly three years ago after ending a short stint in an office job at Timberland that the area didn't have many small greenhouses.

She's run a roadside flower and produce stand at Morning Glory Farm — Cote's home — for the past eight years, and Cote decided to fill the hole in the market by building an electric, flower and vegetable-filled greenhouse on the 40 Post Road property.

Cote said her goal isn't to compete with large nurseries; instead, she said her focus is on a small-but-wide selection and a continuation of her "real honesty" with her customers — especially since they've helped her discover a much deeper level of passion in her field.

"I've always had a love for the outdoors, but not like I do now," said Cote. "I really have the bug now."

Cote said she hopes to eventually make the greenhouse a full-time business and move away from her landscaping, which she does in the mornings before opening the greenhouse. At the moment, though, Lilly's Place is a seasonal business open on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The greenhouse will soon sell chicken eggs and honey, the latter because the farm also has honeybees. Cote said she also plans to sell pumpkins in the fall, and she hopes next year to install a hot house and expand her vegetable selection.

More information about Lilly's Place Greenhouse or the Practical Gardener is available by contacting Cote at 964-3685.