Jonathan Squires, a local plant grower, travels to where his customers go, which is The Villages.
Now, he’s allowing customers to see him at his farm, Just Perfect Plants.
Villagers came to the farm for focused time with Squires to buy the ornamental and culinary plants he raised, and he developed a new Friday custom termed Village Days.
He’ll gladly answer any questions you have about what he grows, how to farm in Florida and how to deal with issues like bug pests and pathogens.
“It’s becoming more popular because they know they’ve got me for 15 to 20 minutes,” he said.
Squires’ Village Days, a long-time vendor at the Brownwood Farmers Market on Saturday mornings, drew a lot of attention from regular customers. Squires keeps Fridays open for Villagers because that’s when he invests the majority of his time loading his truck for the local farmer’s market.
On some mornings, he’ll even get to witness cycling groups and art groups arriving on their bikes to paint the natural scenery on his grounds.
“One of the bicyclists had one basil plant in his little pouch,” he said.
Villagers are interested in what Squires has to offer because he grows the plants he sells, distinguishing his plants from those found in large box retailers.
Susan Beam looked over rows of plants during a recent visit to Village Days in search of colorful ornamentals that would thrive in Florida’s environment. She’s only recently moved to the Village of Hawkins, so she’s only getting to know what grows here.
“I’m learning about what grows in Florida,” Beam said, “and that’s kind of the reason I came here.”
Interacting with consumers from The Villages is satisfying because of the potential to assist folks who are new to gardening in Florida, according to Squires.
Whether they visit the farmers’ market or the farm on Village Days, they can design their home gardens without any guesswork, he said.
Village Days are open to everyone, including those who aren’t interested in gardening, according to Squires.
“Some people might not want to be a gardener,” he said. “They might only want to pick a tomato or a pepper or a cucumber. Or they might just be curious.”
Village Days at Just Perfect Plants, 1910 Lewis Road, Leesburg, run from 8 to 11 a.m. Beginning in the fall, Squires said, hours will be stretched from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reservations are strongly advised, but not essential. Call Squires at 352-504-2481 to make a reservation.
