Name: Carmen Hoefs
Position: Co-owner of Carmen's Gardens and Padgett Business Services
Her story: When Carmen Hoefs and her husband, Dan, purchased their Fargo home in 2001, she said the landscape consisted of a lone tree. Today, the yard is home to an elaborate 1,000-gallon koi pond filled with plants and fish year-round.
When Hoefs realized she would have to travel to Minneapolis or Bismarck to find suitable pond plants, she saw a business opportunity.
Last year, she turned her gardening hobby into a business when she opened Carmen's Gardens, a pop-up greenhouse near 25th Street and 52nd Avenue South. In addition to pond plants such as water lilies, water lettuce and different grasses, Hoefs sells several types of herbs, vegetables, shrubs and traditional flowers.
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She also specializes in plants that are "bee-friendly." The plants she buys from Glacial Ridge Growers of Glenwood, Minn., are free of the pesticides experts say are partly to blame for the die-off of bee populations in recent years.
"The pesticides some growers use to kill the bad bugs unfortunately kill the good bugs, too," Hoefs said. "Without bees, we don't get pollination. We don't get our tomatoes, peppers and flowers."
Hoefs said business was so good last year, they decided to open a second location in the Eco Chic Boutique parking lot strip mall near 49th Street and 17th Avenue South.
Both locations open today. Hoefs said unlike many pop-up greenhouses, Carmen's Gardens will stay open until late July.
"As annuals die out, people want to replace them," Hoefs said. "Last year I also heard a lot of, 'The husband didn't water the plants. I need more.' "
A family operation: Carmen's Gardens is not the first business venture for the Hoefs. In 2006, the couple opened a local Padgett Business Systems franchise. The company provides small businesses with payroll, accounting, tax and consulting services.
While Carmen may have been the one to lend her name to Carmen's Gardens, she is clear she gets a lot of help from Dan.
"It's a family operation. My husband, we get done with taxes, and we start on this. He hasn't had much of a break yet," Hoefs said.
BUSINESS PROFILE
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WHAT: Carmen's Gardens
WHERE: 2500 52nd Ave. S. and 4955 17th Ave. S., Fargo
HOURS: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Hours are subject to change later in the season.
ONLINE: Search "Carmen's Gardens" on Facebook
