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Plant Delights Nursery is a mail order plant nursery based in Raleigh, North Carolina, specializing in herbaceous perennials, and owned by Tony Avent and partner Anita Avent. Plant Delights Nursery was established in 1988〔(Plant Delights History Web Page )〕 by plantsman Tony Avent and currently operates on the 28-acre campus of Juniper Level Botanic Gardens. Proceeds (10% of revenues) from Plant Delights Nursery's for-profit perennial plant nursery fund the research, educational programs, and ongoing maintenance of the not-for-profit Juniper Level Botanic Gardens, established in 1988 to bridge the gap between horticulture and botany and to explore the lenses of perception which influence identity, emotions, beliefs, and proximity. The nursery operates as a mail order plant nursery but also has an extensive online shopping presence and has periodic open nursery and garden days where it sells perennial plants directly to the public. The garden and nursery also host educational classes to raise awareness of the mis-information prevalent in the gardening world, along with mindfulness and non-duality classes and retreats with Anita Avent. Plant Delights Nursery has a widely acclaimed specialty catalog〔(Photo Gallery of Plant Delights Catalog Covers )〕 with humorous, topical covers drawn by the acclaimed cartoonist Jack Pittman. Plant Delights Nursery has been featured in many newspapers,〔(Gardener's fantasy and a reality check ) The Chicago Tribune〕〔(N.C. nursery's plant catalog always fun ) The Houston Chronicle〕〔(The Plant Hunter ) The New York Times〕 magazines,〔(The Plant Hunter ) Garden and Gun Magazine〕 and on television.〔(Almanac Gardener )〕〔(The Martha Stewart Show )〕 == History == Owner Tony Avent with a lifelong love of plants, dreamed of owning a plant nursery.〔 His parents built him a greenhouse when he was 8 years old and as a child he grew and sold plants as a hobby. Avent studied Horticulture at North Carolina State University under the late renowned horticulturist JC Raulston. After college, he worked for the North Carolina State Fairgrounds as its Landscape Director.〔(Tony Avent's Biography )〕 While there, he purchased a home and property at 9241 Sauls Road in Raleigh. This parcel would eventually become Juniper Level Botanic Gardens and Plant Delights Nursery. When Plant Delights Nursery was established in 1988, it was operated as a part-time operation in Avent's back yard to fund the research and educational programs of the botanic garden. The business grew quickly and in 1994 Avent resigned his day job to focus on the nursery and garden full-time. Avent and his wife, Anita Avent, direct the daily operations of both Plant Delights Nursery and Juniper Level Botanic Gardens. From its initial production area of just one greenhouse, the business has grown to 30 greenhouses covering 28 acres.〔(Plant Delights Information Web Page )〕 As the business expanded, Avent purchased adjacent properties. The nursery conducts extensive field trials〔(History of Plant Delights Nursery and Juniper Level Botanic Gardens )〕 in research beds at the Juniper Level Botanic Gardens before releasing new plants to the public. Tony Avent collects rare and unusual plants from all over the world during his frequent plant hunting expeditions. These and plants from other prominent collectors such as Dan Hinkley, Darrell Probst, Barry Yinger, Ozzie Johnson, Hans Hansen, Alan Galloway and Bleddyn Wynn-Jones are trialed for several years in the nursery's field trial beds before being made available for sale. In addition, the nursery evaluates plants from plant breeders, botanic gardens, and plant collectors all over the world to determine their suitability for gardens in the southeastern United States. Tony Avent also conducts his own plant breeding programs with a special focus on Aroids, Crinum, Cyclamen, Hosta, Trillium and Zephyranthes.〔(Zephyanthes Photo Gallery ) on the Plant Delights Web Page〕 The original residence on the 9241 Sauls Road property was converted into the main business office and Avent moved into a house on an adjacent property in 1996. Today the nursery and botanic gardens employ more than three dozen full-time employees as well as many part-time and seasonal employees.〔(List of Plant Delights Employees )〕 In addition, the botanic gardens employ a full-time staff, including a garden curator, along with volunteer workers who assist with garden upkeep and maintaining the research trial beds at Juniper Level Botanic Gardens. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Plant Delights Nursery」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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