Rooted in family, faith and community

The joke is that Aaron isn’t allowed to attend auctions unsupervised.

As part of his family’s Southern Illinois business, Aaron attended auctions and business sales to purchase used greenhouses and other gardening supply business equipment. The equipment was refurbished and sold to other greenhouses, growers, or horticultural businesses.

It just so happened that on President’s Day in 2008, he and his mother stopped by the former Jenkin’s Greenhouse and Garden Center to purchase some tables at an auction.

He ended up walking away with an offer for the keys to the business.

“I didn’t know it was a package deal,” he laughed.

However, during the 2008 recession, when many businesses struggled, the move seemed good for the horticulturist and his family. Despite the economic dust bowl, they could see the rich potential of the area in the pride people placed in their homes and businesses. So, as a group, Aaron and his future wife, Andrea, and Aaron’s parents, Charles and Judy Peters, decided to take the keys and invest their lives in Dubois County.

Sixteen years later, President’s Day has a different meaning for the family that has established deep roots in the community.

“We laugh about it,” Andrea said. “One little postcard can change your life.”

But the family saw an opportunity that was almost too good to pass up in a thriving area.

“Once we looked at the bigger picture, the 16-year plan, we knew it was something we probably needed to take advantage of,” Andrea said, adding that it hasn’t always been easy, but they have seen it through the highs and lows.

“God closes doors and opens doors,” Aaron added. “It is amazing the doors He has opened and closed over the past 16 years.”

Aaron points to their name, Family Roots, as the guiding principle for them and their company over the years. It is family-owned and family-operated, but they are also rooted in providing exemplary service to customers and visitors. So much so that past customers regularly drive hundreds of miles for all of their plants and garden needs with a side of instruction or advice from Aaron.

That service extends to the community around them as they volunteer and help lead events and endeavors in their hometowns of Holland and Dubois County through various committees and non-profit organizations they have been part of, like the Holland Events Committee, Holland Kiwanis, Dubois County Chamber Board of Directors, Holland United Methodist Church, Dubois County Shrine Club, Daughters of the Nile, and the Hadie Shriners, to name a few.

Or when they open their doors for tours and experiences for schools, groups and organizations. And when they volunteer their expertise to help with community projects like the Holland Commons or helping Girl Scouts create landscaping at Huntingburg City Hall.

In fact, last Tuesday, the Girl Scouts of Southwestern Indiana honored them with The Community Award. An award given in recognition of an individual or group in the community that has consistently supported Girl Scouting.

“Being a business in a small community, we feel it is important to give back to the those who support us,” Andrea explained. “We want the community to know we are invested in them. Whatever we can do to see the community as a whole thrive is only going to come back to us as business owners.”

In a way, we’ve buried the lead in this story. The story idea began with the recent expansion of the greenhouse at the Southern Dubois County business to include tropical plants. The 5,400-square-foot expansion brings the total footprint of their greenhouse up to 17,000 square feet.

The expansion provides a new experience for visitors to the business and meets the horticultural needs of the Peters’ customers. There is a demand for these types of indoor plants that has been driven by several factors, like indoor decorative trends and, of course, the pandemic.

“We have a lot of customers that want that tropical vibe,” Aaron said. “And, since 2020, we have seen a major increase in home gardening and sprucing up of homes.”

“Houseplants are considered tropicals,” Andrea added. “And we’ve seen a huge increase in indoor houseplants.”

The additional footage is already filled with plants, but once the concrete paver floor is completed, the Peters will begin using it to host events like gardening workshops, girl nights out, and even bridal showers or other occasions marked by their customers.

It’s the first step in a multi-phase investment in their business that will eventually include an expanded event center and more improvements to accent the natural beauty of the eight-acre property.

“We are trying to create a destination garden and event center,” Aaron explained without revealing all of the family’s future plans for the business.

It is an investment in the future of the business they plan to hand down to their children, Bryce and Emma, but also a nod to continuing Aaron’s parents’ legacy.

“This was something they also envisioned, and I feel like it is a way to keep their memory alive and their dedication to the business going,” he said. “You know, we’re a family-owned and operated business, we want to keep it that way.”

He loves working with Andrea. They compliment each other’s skills. And the couple loves including their children in what they are creating.

They have both shown an interest in the business.

“Bryce went to the first international greenhouse and garden center show last year, and he helped make some of the decisions of what you see here this year,” Aaron said.

Along with the children, Aaron and Andrew also rely on their employees for advice on what they need to feature in the business. Andrea has ensured that they have employees who can help with translations to address the needs of the growing Hispanic population. Plus, they have added items that appeal to the different cultures represented in the region.

Turning back to the company’s success, Aaron again points to his dad.

“Dad always said, ‘No matter what, I don’t care if a customer comes in and doesn’t buy a thing as long as they leave with a smile on their face and had a good experience,'” he said. “And Andrea and I both feel the same way.”

Family Roots Nursery can be found online at https://familyrootsnursery.net/ or on Facebook here. They can be reached at 812-683-2329 or by email at familyroots@psci.net.

The business will celebrate the expansion with a ribbon cutting hosted by the Dubois County Chamber of Commerce on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. They will have door prizes, giveaways, food trucks and more for the day.