4 minute read
Harvest Moon Antiques, Garden & Art – A Real Pleasure
by Tracy McCoy
In this profession I have met many people who are passionate about what they do, but few as passionate as Harvest Moon Antiques, Garden and Art’s owner Melissa Heiden. I had been to her nursery to buy plants and had met her in passing but for this article we sat in the middle of her nursery in a very peaceful setting and got to know each other better. Truly Harvest Moon seems as if it’s her garden except the plants and pots, wind chimes and statues are all for sale.
Melissa had family who loved the mountains as much as she does. Her father bought the property at the corner of Highway 441 and Joy Bridge Road decades ago making it River Campground. Today the campground is owned and operated by the Heidens. Melissa’s husband Tim operates the campground and she operates the garden center. Melissa has a rich history in the plant industry from growing, planting, propagating, wholesaling and now retailing the plants she adores. She became a Certified Horticulturist while working as a vendor to Home Depot for Costa Nursery in Homestead, Florida. She is knowledgable, loves to share what she knows and is always glad to learn from her customers. Basically she says she was so addicted to plants that it was her dream to build a garden center, so she did.
She says she never considered herself an artist but one look at the beautiful window boxes at the new La Bella Aesthetics or the planters at Lake Rabun Hotel will tell a different story. Melissa says that the garden center has unleashed her creative side. The preserved moss “painting” on the wall of Harvest Moon results from her creative mind. She shared how she had this old painting that was ugly but had an elaborate frame that she loved. She began to cover it with moss and it resulted in a beautiful landscape art piece all made from dyed and preserved moss. She loves having plants that are different, like the Hybrid Desert Rose and other tropicals and air plants that are not typically found in the mountains. Oh don’t worry, she has just about anything you want and if not she will find it.
“I learn something new everyday! Plant people are nice people and we all love to share. I learn as much from my customers are they do from me,” Melissa told me. “I could not do what I do here without Chris Darling. He is a retired vet and he works here with me.” Melissa has offered classes this summer with Bonsai specialist Brent Wykle and his wife. She is planning some container and water container gardening classes soon. She says September and October are a great time to plant, once the temps cool. The plants have a chance to put all of their energy into the root system rather than the leaves. She’ll have new shipments of plants arriving for these busy months. Melissa is available to create outdoorscapes and interiorscapes for your home or business. She also can create large container gardens that she will then deliver to you. She truly has a gift for putting plants together.
You will want to linger at Harvest Moon Antiques, Garden and Art to take it all in. Antiques and art are embellishments to your garden space and whether it is an iron trellis or cast iron Chiminea the quaint charm it adds will certainly delight. A good description of Harvest Moon is a boutique garden center, offering an experience that you just don’t get everywhere. Time passed a little slower as we visited at Harvest Moon and isn’t that what we are all looking for, somewhere peaceful and joyful to spend our time. Let Melissa and Chris help you create that space with beautiful plants and garden embellishments. The garden center’s address is 28 Joy Bridge Road in Lakemont, Georgia. Their website is www.harvestmoonplants.com and be sure to follow Melissa’s facebook page @ harvestmoongardenshop.
