The secret of the emerald thumb

According to owner Leigh Presley, Clearview Garden Center is such a hidden gem, most people don’t even realize it’s there.

“I always am surprised when people who have lived in Weston their entire lives go, ‘I didn’t know this was here!’” she told City Pages over the phone, tickled if not baffled.

The center has been in Weston for over 20 years, tucked away on Schofield Avenue. Presley bought it in 2021.

“I have a lifelong love of horticulture,” she said. “I grew up outside of Wausau and was active in 4H and all that good stuff. I’ve been a gardener my whole life and I wanted to start some sort of plant business, and then COVID happened and I got kind of crazy.”

That’s a good kind of crazy, by the way. If you’ve got a question or several about plants, then Presley is exactly the kind of person you want to turn to.

“Here, we specialize in being friendly and helpful,” she explained. “If you come in the door, you’re going to be greeted, and if you have a specific question, we’re going to help you find the right plant. A lot of places around here, you’re not gonna get that personal treatment. You won’t get that at a big box store.”

And she loves giving people the personal treatment. It might be her favorite part of the job.

“I think when you can really help someone kinda get to the bottom of their plant challenge and they leave here happy and wanting to tell their neighbors, that’s a success,” she mused, “Though there are stinkers every once in a while, it’s hard to have a bad day here because you’re surrounded by plants, and I think everyone who comes here is the same way.

As for what types of ‘plant challenges’ she tends to assist with, Presley said that a lot of people approach her looking for plants that deer won’t eat, as well as methods for ridding their gardens of Japanese beetles. Some people are hesitant to commit to a garden due to having “a black thumb.”

“The biggest thing is, treat people with respect and try to help people, and if they try to buy something, that’s great,” she said.

The hurdle, then, is catching people’s attention.

“There’s more than meets the eye from the road,” said Presley. “We have a whole acre of plants and stuff back here.”

Presley is optimistic, however. Her seed wholesaler mentioned that the recent demand for seeds is at around the same level it was during the pandemic.

“I hope it’s gonna be a good year for gardening and then landscaping,” Presley said.

Clearview Garden Center is located at 6414 Schofield Avenue in Weston. For more information, stop in, call them at 715-241-0654, find Clearview Garden Center on Facebook or Instagram or visit https://www.clearviewgardencenter.com.