South Charlotte nursery owners call it quits
The following article appeared in the March 13, 2020, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter focused on local business news.
The owner of Southern Styles Nursery & Garden Center near the intersection of Rea and Colony roads in south Charlotte says he’s had a great career as a “plant nut” but is hitting retirement age and plans to close the business.
Ted Jackson, co-owner of the nursery with his wife, Kay, says that after 20 years at the site, they’ve grown tired of the 10-hour days, seven days a week. He’s 66, and “I’m not a spring chicken anymore,” he says.
He sought a buyer for the business but found no takers, so he’s selling to Fourstore LLC, which plans to rezone the land and build a self-storage facility of up to 100,000 s.f. on the 2.9-acre site. Some neighbors are displeased with that idea. Collin Brown, a lawyer with Alexander Ricks who represents Fourstore, says the developer plans to meet with the neighbors to address their concerns.
Unmatched fountain selection: In an era when Lowe’s and Home Depot would seem like competitors, Jackson says the business has thrived because of its competitive prices and service, as well as a healthy selection of plants and garden fixtures. He says the nursery has the largest selection of Japanese maples within 100 miles, as well as Mecklenburg County’s largest selection of fountains.
And the nursery business is a good match for Charlotte, he says: “You have so many plant nuts in this town. … Charlotte is far more interested in horticulture and in their yards than any town that I’ve ever been in.”
He figures the nursery will be open another six months or so, until the deal goes through. After that? “We’re going to have a quarter-acre vegetable garden. I don’t get to garden anymore.”
