One sunny afternoon, a woman strolled into Inland Bays Garden Center with a curious expression and a flower in hand. She asked me to identify the cheerful golden bloom she’d found growing behind a neighbor’s house—something wild and unruly, she said, that had been causing quite the stir among her HOA landscapers.

I smiled, recognizing the flower instantly as a native sunflower, one of nature’s sun-kissed gifts to our region. I showed her a similar variety we had in stock, its bright petals beaming proudly under the nursery shade.

But then came the twist.

“So… how do I kill it?” she asked, her tone perfectly polite, but her request catching me off guard.

She explained that the flower, planted by a neighbor, was considered a nuisance. It was spreading, she said, and giving the landscapers extra work—which meant extra cost.

I gently shared our mission: we’re here to nurture knowledge, not eliminate it. At Inland Bays Garden Center, our purpose is to teach people about the beauty, resilience, and ecological importance of native plants—not how to remove them. I suggested that if relocation was necessary, the best approach would be to dig them up carefully and move them to a more suitable spot.

She nodded and quietly went on her way.

But the story doesn’t end there.

The very next day, she returned—with eyes brighter than before. She sought me out immediately to share what had happened after she left. That evening, curiosity had taken root. She dove headfirst into researching native plants, their value to pollinators, and the crucial role they play in conservation. “I had no idea,” she told me. “Thank you for opening my eyes.”

Not only had her perspective changed, but she also rallied six neighbors to help her relocate the sunflowers instead of destroying them. Together, they turned what was once seen as a nuisance into a small act of community stewardship.

This, right here, is why we do what we do.

At Inland Bays Garden Center, we believe in planting with a purpose. Every day is a chance to inspire, to educate, and to help people see gardening not just as landscaping, but as a living, breathing relationship with the land.

We’re here to help grow not just plants, but understanding—and hopefully, a little wonder too.

– Story by Shannon Clark