Hobby Grows Into Business

She calls them “weeds with a purpose.”

“Like that lemon balm,” says Deb Scudder, 48, jabbing her trowel in the direction of a billowing clump of foliage. “Last year it was just starting. This year it’s taken over.”

Scudder and her partner Nancy Peacock, 44, are partial to herbs and perennial flowers for that very reason - their tendency to thrive. The women view their 2-year-old nursery, French Gulch Farm and Garden, as a way to learn all they can about herbs and everlastings, then share what they learn.

“We want to test what winters over, what looks good in the ground. We want to create an environment that just envelops you,” Scudder says.

“It’s more fun all the time because we’re finding out what works,” adds Peacock. “Before, we just bought stuff, stuck it in the ground, and prayed.”

Scudder and Peacock were “flower friends” long before they went into business together.

“Every spring and fall we’d go back and forth to the nurseries, spending tons of money,” Scudder says. “We used to joke, wouldn’t it be nice if we could find a way to buy flowers with other people’s money?”

One day Peacock summoned Scudder to inspect a garden site for sale in Pinehurst. Excited as they were by the idea of a gardening business, the two women realized that it would be near-impossible to make a living in such a seasonal trade, much less make payments on property. But the dream wouldn’t die.

“One day I was sitting on my deck and it hit me,” says Scudder, who lives in an A-frame above the garden site. “Here I am with 60 gorgeous acres. Why do we need to buy a patch in Pinehurst?”

In two years, the two women have transformed the area from a field of weeds and thistles to a groomed lawn bordered with plots of flowers and herbs.

A fenced culinary cutting garden affords customers the opportunity to clip their own fresh herbs and edible flowers. At a potting shed up the hill, you can select your own plant starts.

They’ve also created a walking trail, a mile-long loop through the woods and a meadow, for people who want to stretch their legs. They accomplished all the changes without quitting their regular jobs.

“After you work all day with people, it’s relaxing to play in the dirt. I went out the other evening and just dug weeds. It’s a great stress reliever,” Peacock says.

Scudder agrees.

“Last week a couple of the movie people and their families from L.A. came out and stayed for hours. We take this environment for granted, but it’s something a lot of people don’t have. It’s a renewing thing.”

Squinting in the sunshine, Scudder dreams of ways to make the gardens even lusher.

“This is my new lemon garden,” she says, heading toward a patch of newly worked dirt. “Everything in it will either be yellow or smell like lemon. Scrunch a leaf of that verbena. Isn’t it incredible? So intense!”

The women plan a store to feature garden-related items - wreaths, essential oils, birdhouses, specialized gardening tools. They want to use a glassed-in corner of the barn for classes.

“This pennyroyal - a woman told me if you dry it and sprinkle it in the doorway, ants and other little creatures won’t pass,” Scudder says. “Another customer swears by feverfew - that white and yellow flower over there - for migraines. There’s just so much to learn!”

The partners envision French Gulch Farm and Garden as a setting for retreats, reunions and special events. In fact, it’s already hosted quite a few.

“Last year we had a stroll, sniff, snip and sip party to end the season. Say that three times fast,” Scudder says, grinning. “It was so great we’re going to make it an annual event.”

It doesn’t bother Scudder or Peacock one bit that their business is off the beaten track.

“My father-in-law fusses that our gray-and-green signs aren’t visible,” Scudder says. “I tell him, that’s fine. People who want to find us will find us.”

However, any discriminating gardening enthusiast is assured a warm welcome. And don’t worry. If you get there, you’ve already passed the test.

To find French Gulch Farm and Garden, take the Kingston exit to French Gulch, and continue up the gulch for 1.9 miles to the fork in the road. The business is located about one-tenth of a mile up the right fork. Regular hours are 9-3 Friday and Saturday, or call 682-3791 for an appointment.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: Bekka Rauve is a free-lance writer who lives in the Silver Valley. Panhandle Pieces appears every Saturday. The column is shared among several North Idaho writers.