HINSDALE, Mass. – There's a closer place for residents to get their plants and keep up their garden.

The Hinsdale Garden Center has been open since April and is a new spot to get perennials, annuals, hanging baskets, herbs, vegetables, and more. Owner Amanda Bates opened the center with her business partner and neighbor Ryen Quail.

"In April, we just decided to go for it," Bates said. "I broke my wrist last year, so I've been looking to get out of the heavy-duty gardening stuff I do, so I think this is going to be a nice transition."

Quail is a landscaper and owns Quail Landscaping, Bates is a gardener. And the two have been talking about opening a center for years.

Bates said that Quail has been looking for something to put on the front lawn of his business, making it the perfect opportunity to put their greenhouse.

"A lot of this will work out for him because he does jobs that require the plants and that type of thing, so we can get them here instead of, having to go [elsewhere]," Bates said. "For me, it's more that I love working with plants and flowers. It's like a good transition for me. I'm the one that kind of picks out, orders everything. Being a gardener for quite a few years now, I know what people like."

She said since they have been open the community has been very supportive, selling out on some weekends, with residents saying they are happy to not have to travel farther for their plants.

"It's exciting," Bates said. "A lot of people are happy to have a place right in town where they don't have to go into Pittsfield. I'd say the community has definitely been really supportive of us. The baskets were definitely a hit. A lot of people talked about how pretty they were in comparison to others."

Since hours are short, she said she has had some customers who have come by special appointment if she is able to to get something they need.

"I have some people I've been willing to meet by appointment," she said. "They want to shop, but they work Fridays and Saturdays. I'm here every day watering. I live six minutes down the road, so I don't have a problem coming up here to meet somebody after work if they want to shop type thing."

While still new, she has a lot of goals for their future, including expanding offerings, doing workshops, and growing more of their own product. They currently source from Proven Winners.

"Expanding our selection, expanding our hours, growing more of our own things," Bates said. "We do want to do some workshop type classes, terrarium building stuff like that. Maybe succulent pumpkins. Next year we were talking about growing pumpkins to keep us busy in the fall here, like mums and asters and all that type of fall stuff everybody loves." 

She also says if anyone needs anything she will try to special order it for them.

"I can't have everything here," Bates said. "There's budgets. I try to get us three of each kind of perennials, but if somebody wants more, like a whole tray of annuals or a whole tray of certain kinds of tomatoes, I've done that for people."

She hopes to be able to help those with their gardening needs and get what is best for them with her expertise in gardening she can help those with questions and find the right fit for their garden.