- JUST OUTSIDE THE TRIANGLE TOWN OF HILLSBOROUGH,
IS A FAMILY-OWNED GREENHOUSE THAT'S BEEN SUPPLYING PLANTS
TO GARDEN CENTERS AROUND THE SOUTHEAST
FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS, BUT WHAT YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW
ABOUT MULTIFLORA GREENHOUSES, IS, IT'S OPEN TO ANYONE.
AND THAT INCLUDES KIDS AND EVEN THE FAMILY POOCH.
- [NARRATOR] I'M A SUCKER FOR PLANTS.
I TEND TO BUY THEM EVEN WHEN I DON'T NEED THEM.
I FIND IT DIFFICULT TO WALK PAST
WITHOUT PICKING UP A PLANT AND STUDYING THE NAME TAG,
TO CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITIES OF WHERE I COULD SQUEEZE IT IN
TO MY ALREADY-CROWDED GARDEN.
FOR MULTIFLORA CO-OWNERS JULIE AND RICHARD MASON,
THAT LOVE OF PLANTS, AND WORKING WITH THEM, IS MUTUAL.
- COMING FROM A RURAL PART OF UPSTATE NEW YORK,
I WAS AROUND DAIRY FARMS AND OTHER AGRICULTURE.
- I WAS A GARDENER, LIKE, I DIDN'T KNOW THE NAMES OF PLANTS,
BUT I AM ALL ABOUT BEAUTY, SO I WOULD JUST
GO AND PICK PLANTS THAT I THOUGHT WERE GORGEOUS,
AND I WOULD GET IN THE DIRT, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT WHEN I CAME HERE, IT WAS QUITE A LEARNING CURVE.
I HAD TO LITERALLY GET TO KNOW THE NAMES
OF EVERY SINGLE PLANT.
- [NARRATOR] THAT WAS JUST A FEW YEARS AGO,
WHEN BOTH JULIE AND RICHARD TOOK A PLUNGE.
NEITHER HAD EXPERIENCE WITH PROFESSIONAL GARDENING,
OR PLANT SALES, BUT BOTH HAD A YEARNING FOR SOME LEARNING,
AND A DRAMATIC CHANGE FROM CORPORATE LIFE.
THEY PURCHASED MULTIFLORA, AN ALREADY-SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS
THAT HAD BEEN AROUND SINCE 1983.
THE COMPANY CAME PACKAGED ALONG WITH TWO KEY EMPLOYEES
WHO HAD EACH BEEN HERE FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS.
BOTH HANS, THE HEAD GROWER, AND TIM,
THE LOGISTICS AND SALES DIRECTOR,
ALREADY KNEW HOW TO GROW AND SELL PLANTS EFFECTIVELY:
IT TAKES GOOD PEOPLE, AND TECHNOLOGY.
- OUR GREENHOUSE IS COMPUTERIZED CLIMATE-CONTROLLED,
SO THE WINDOWS OPEN AND CLOSE AUTOMATICALLY,
THE CURTAINS, THE HEATING COMES ON,
WE HAVE A WEATHER STATION WHICH MONITORS WIND SPEEDS.
- THE EDGE THAT WE FEEL LIKE IS THE COST SIDE
OF THE BUSINESS, OF BEING AUTOMATED.
SO, AS WE GO INTO THE YEAR 2020,
WE'LL EVEN BECOME MORE AUTOMATED.
WE WATER BY COMPUTER, WE FERTILIZE,
IN ORDER TO PRODUCE A BETTER PLANT.
- [NARRATOR] ALONG THE WAY, THIS WORK ENVIRONMENT
SEEMS TO BE SATISFYING THE EMPLOYEES,
AS MUCH AS THE MANY CUSTOMERS WHO WERE VISITING,
ON THE DAY I DID THIS FILMING.
- WELL, MULTIFLORA GREENHOUSES, I CALL IT
HILLSBORO'S BEST KEPT SECRET.
IT'S A WORD OF MOUTH TYPE OF PLACE TO VISIT.
- UNTIL NOW. - UNTIL NOW, EXACTLY.
WE HAVE, IT'S VERY FAMILY FRIENDLY,
WE'VE GOT CHILDREN, AND PETS ARE WELCOME,
AS LONG AS THEY'RE WELL BEHAVED ON LEASHES,
AND IT'S JUST A FUN PLACE TO COME AND EXPLORE,
AND GET IN TOUCH WITH NATURE.
- SO THIS IS REALLY AN EXPERIENCE, FOR ANYBODY
IN THE COMMUNITY, OR OUTSIDE OF THE COMMUNITY,
WHO JUST WANTS TO COME TO MULTIFLORA,
AND GO ON A JOURNEY AND SEE BEAUTIFUL PLANTS.
THEY'RE WELCOME TO SELECT WHATEVER PLANTS THEY WISH,
AND IT'S REALLY A HALF A DAY OF FUN AND EXCITEMENT.
- [NARRATOR] AND EVEN PLAY.
BICYCLES ARE A
KEY TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE FOR THE STAFF.
HANS GETS THE CREDIT FOR THIS ONE.
- THAT'S A DUTCH THING, YES.
YEAH, IN MOST GREENHOUSES IN HOLLAND,
THERE'S ALWAYS A BIKE TO GO AROUND.
- [NARRATOR] A TRIP TO MULTIFLORA GREENHOUSES
IS WORTH IT JUST FOR THE WIDE SELECTION
OF BABY BEDDING PLANTS, THE HERBS, FLOWERS,
VEGGIES, AND HANGING BASKETS.
BUT DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF LEAVING THE KIDS AT HOME,
OR EVEN THE POOCH FOR THAT MATTER;
THERE'S MORE TO THE GREENHOUSE EXPERIENCE HERE
THAN JUST FABULOUS DEALS ON FLOWERS.
NEAR HILLSBOROUGH, I'M RICK SULLIVAN
FOR NORTH CAROLINA WEEKEND.
- MULTIFLORA GREENHOUSES ARE LOCATED AT
1623 NEW SHARON CHURCH ROAD, IN HILLSBOROUGH,
AND THEY'RE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FROM 8:00AM TO 5:00PM
EVERY DAY EXCEPT SUNDAY.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GIVE THEM A CALL
AT 919-732-3630,
OR GO ONLINE, TO MULTIFLORAGREENHOUSES.COM.