Let me introduce myself, my name is Ginny Colwell. After working for two other nurseries for 18 years, in 1994 I decided it was time to start my own. I have been at my present location since 2001. With my husband Steve and two sons, Ian and Emerson I moved back to my home town, Foster, RI.

Situated in the tranquil woods of Foster, we built our home, put up greenhouses and planted gardens. It is truly a family affair. With 5 acres we have room to expand our nursery. We have created many gardens, including a water garden, bog garden, and have plans for many more.

It's our hope to make your visit to our nursery pleasant and relaxing. No long lines, knowledgeable help, healthy quality plants, it's that simple. As we create new gardens and add to our selection of hardy perennials, flowering shrubs and evergreens, add to our array of annuals, expand our collection of cactus and succulents, we hope our ever growing nursery will give customers a relaxing shopping experience in a setting far removed from the hectic city. The kids can enjoy locating the bullfrogs in the water gardens, and find all the creatures I have hidden in the Desert Garden while parents take their time shopping and walking thru the display gardens. Dogs are welcome though we ask they be on a leash. We have dogs of our own and we do our best to keep them from marking their territory on our plants that are for sale. Picnic tables are available if you wish to bring a picnic lunch or take a break from the summer sun.

Read more about Teaberry Gardens in the Winter 2003 issue of People Places Plants New England & Upstate N.Y. Edition, Success Stories section. You will learn from that article that my sister also had a business just a few miles down the road, Bottle Gentian Gardens. She has since retired and is probably out working in her gardens or on the boat.

The daily operations, customer service, watering, transplanting and propagation, providing signs with culture information, are done by myself. Creating new gardens and maintaining the existing gardens are a family affair. Without the help of my husband and two sons, I wouldn't have been able to get as much accomplished as I have in the few years since we moved our nursery to its present location.

My husband Steve, the owner of Northwest Carpentry at the same location, offers his building expertise in constructing our greenhouses and in the near future constructing a new greenhouse and sales/potting building. Steve also designed and built our home. When visiting our nursery you will quickly see why he is invaluable. A glacier decided Foster, RI would be a good place to deposit its rocks, or should I say boulders. Most of which I would not have been able to move on my own. Actually we're thrilled with the wide array of sizes and shapes and have put the boulders to use creating unique gardens and walkways.

My sons, Ian 17 years old, and Emerson 15 years old, are an ever increasing help with the business. There isn't one garden that they have not more then willingly helped make. Starting with deciding where the garden should go, designing it and doing all the hard work preparing the soil. The final touch of planting and mulching was their reward as well as mine. The garden we had the must fun doing and did the most work creating was the water and bog garden. The entire family was vital in making it. We could not have been more satisfied when finally we started the pump that forced the water over the large area of exposed ledge into the bog garden then eventually back into the pond. I look forward to sharing more of my knowledge with them. Whether they decide to continue in the nursery business as they get older or just make use of what they have learned when they have their own home, it is my pleasure passing my knowledge on to them.