A New Season

Paige’s Transition into Owning Garden Spot Nursery

After 36 years of business, Garden Spot owner Marcy Plattner decided it was time to pass the torch, and in January of 2021, sold the nursery to Paige Lanham.

“I was 28 when I took over,” she said, “I was full of enough passion to ignore everyone’s warnings about the risk of owning a small business, but it is wild to think about how little I knew and how much I’ve learned since.” Just prior to buying the nursery, she had been working at the Pet Emergency Center in Mt Vernon overnight as well as at the nursery during the day, trying to save money to someday buy a house. All of her meager savings and then some went into the venture. “I think everyone but me was terrified, but when the opportunity came up, it was such an obvious decision for me. I loved the nursery so much, how could it fail?”

Out of high school, Paige moved to Bellingham from the Tri-Cities, Washington, to attend Western Washington University with her now husband Aaron Martin, who works alongside her at the nursery.

Paige and Aaron have been together for 17 years and married for 3, and she said that their partnership is a big part of the reason she felt so confident and positive about owning a business.

“Having a partner is essential,” Paige said. “One of the biggest pieces of advice Marcy gave was to have a partner, whether they’re working with you, or supporting you from home.”

While double-majoring in Biology and English at Western, Paige started working at Garden Spot as a cashier. Over time she worked support, plant receiving, outdoor sales and design, ordering, and management. Working every position at the nursery helped her obtain the skills she now uses daily.

“I gained a good understanding of every job,” Paige said. “It gave me empathy for all of the roles.”

Paige continued at the nursery after graduation, and after being an employee for eight years, she saw that ownership was a serious opportunity in her future. After Marcy agreed to sell, Paige spent a year preparing. She worked with Marcy, business consultants, and accountants, and read up on small businesses in order to better learn what it takes to own a nursery.

“It took lots of dreaming,” Paige said. “Lots of planning.”

Finally, in January 2021, Paige officially purchased the nursery and took over Garden Spot. It was extremely important to her to maintain the legacy and old-school style of the nursery, which was one of the reasons she fell in love with the Garden Spot in the first place.

”I love how local and old-school it is,” Paige said. “It's all face-to-face business and old paper records.”

Even though becoming the owner of Garden Spot was a dream come true for Paige, the timing was not without difficulties. The purchase was during the COVID-19 pandemic, and local businesses were hurting.

“Starting out during COVID was pretty difficult,” Paige said. “Every year since has been so different. It's about constantly adapting, but it's definitely made us strong. Every day has brought a new challenge that I did not prepare for and it’s been a lot of learning on the fly, making mistakes, and getting better.”

Despite the struggles, Paige made it clear that it's all worth it in the end, and there’s nowhere she’d rather be.

“It’s so special being outside, being close to nature, working closely with family and friends, being able to put effort into something and seeing the results,” Paige said. “Like with food gardening, you put so much effort in and then you have something to eat. You can really see the results of your labor.”

After almost 6 years of ownership, Paige loves being able to connect with the community, specifically through seminars and workshops that Garden Spot does weekly. “It’s my favorite thing. Passing information from person to person is how we learn and there is nothing better than seeing friendships form over the shared joy of gardening and nature.” Classes are taught by staff members, local experts and enthusiasts on a variety of topics.

“People who live close together should be able to support each other,” Paige said. “It's all a part of being a local business.”

Although Paige considers the nursery her baby, Paige and Aaron are expecting their first child, a girl, into the world in late September.

Paige is still working hard despite nearing her due date, and even had her baby shower at the nursery courtesy of the loving and close-knit staff. Despite the new challenges ahead, Paige said she will be eager to return to the nursery once she gives birth.

“I definitely will try to jump back in soon,” Paige said. “Maybe after six to eight weeks? I can't wait to show her the nursery and get back into work.”

A fresh season for the nursery is coming, with a new staff member and brand-new challenges. “I think change and difficulties keep us engaged,” Paige said in closing. “Why should we live a boring, stagnant life when we can adapt with the seasons and live in the real world with real people? I feel really lucky to do what I’m doing and want to just keep working hard and being happy.”