Midwest Aquatics and Exotics

It is November now and all of the nursery stock is in, protected from the winter cold that is soon to be here. We have already had several light frosts. The older I get the more I hate winter! I have several bamboo that were planted in the yard back in Aug/Sept, some of them have had damage due to the pesky deer. Fortunately they either don't like the taste of the Henon, or they just haven't discovered it yet. I tend to believe that they don't like to eat it for some reason, they are quite domesticated and have been as close as 5-6 yards from me in the past. I might be working in the yard and look up and there they are! They don't over run the place, but they don't mind sampling anything that looks like it might taste good. I have some nursery updates to pass along. I will continue to grow Plumeria, that was announced several months ago. I will also grow Bamboo, and Bananas. This is a new decision made just recently. I have already set up an additional domain to market the bananas on. I want them to have a stand alone identity. As for how I will market my bamboo, for now it shall remain under the Midwest Aquatics and Exotics site. In the future they may get their own site, but I don't want to stretch myself too thin. Right now the question being pondered is what will I grow under the Aquatics part of the company? I have contacts that want me to purchase lotus and lillies from them. Right now I need to maintain diversity in the things I grow. My niche has been to grow and sell what other local nurseries don't grow and sell. It has always worked until this season when some of the banana varieties I grow showed up on the shelves at The Home Depot. That was like a firm punch in the stomach, it really took the wind out of my sails! I operate this nursery out of passion, not necessity. Honestly my life would be easier if I didn't run it (or it run me, I'm not sure which). I could enjoy the Fall season without dreading the growing season coming to an end. The cold weather might not even be so bad, maybe. It's a passion, and hopefully be my legacy I leave behind; that I was a good nurserymen, businessman, but most important husband and father.

Michael