Cultivating Inspiration: The Van Loon's Nursery Team

By James Nicklen

For almost 60 years, Van Loon’s Nursery on the Bellarine Peninsula has been a beloved destination for gardeners and plant enthusiasts from all around Victoria and beyond. From its humble beginnings as a wholesale and retail nursery run by the Van Loon family in the early 60s, the business has evolved over time. Today, Van Loon’s Nursery is owned by Heidi Martin and her husband Philip, who have built a strong and stable management team who wouldn’t rather work anywhere else.

Stepping inside the nursery, the care and attention to detail that is paid to every aspect of the Van Loon’s experience is immediately apparent. As the front doors slide open, customers are greeted by an array of green life, gift ware, homewares, and clothing, before being welcomed by the friendly staff, and the nursery’s popular resident cat, Lucy.

“Everyone wants to be here,” says Sarah Walton, General Manager. “You come to Van Loon’s and people want to be here,” she says, referring to staff and customers alike. She acknowledges that it’s a ‘destination’ nursery – located in Wallington, about a 25-minute drive from Geelong, it’s not out of the way as such, but it’s also not likely that you’d stumble upon it – so most of the people that come to Van Loon’s are people who have made a decisive, deliberate effort to visit or are loyal returning customers. And it pays to get to know the people who come through the doors. “You get to know their names, what’s happening in their gardens, their dog’s names,” Sarah says. It all contributes to the experience.

Continuing through Van Loon’s, past eye-catching displays and out the next set of doors will find you in the indoor plant section, stocked with an impressive range of plants and gardening products. Wander a little further and you’ll end up in a vast outdoor area that features a café; carefully created garden displays, with products and plants arranged thoughtfully and methodically (mostly in alphabetical order); and a growing area where a small range of plants are grown for the nursery. This setting itself is a point of difference, for both the nursery and the café. “People are surrounded by beautiful things” at Van Loon’s, says Heidi.

It’s related to what Heidi sees as key to the nursery’s ongoing success: inspiration. The beautiful setting helps to foster creativity, inspiring and sparking people’s interest.

“I really enjoy that collaboration of bringing likeminded people together: staff, customers, and product,” Heidi says. “It’s a unique place,” says Sarah. “Vital and energetic after almost 60 years of business,” adds Heidi.

This vitality is embodied in the nursery’s dedicated and passionate team of staff. The nursery employs around 50–55 people, who all share a love for plants and gardening. “Our staff are gardeners, first and foremost, and that shines through,” Heidi says. “Our customers know that they come here and they’re speaking to someone who knows about plants, who’s grown them, who knows what’s going to happen to it in one year, two years, five years. They know how to treat pest and disease and what will give them a good outcome in their garden. We’ve got a lot of longstanding staff, who have been here for many years, who customers get to know and come back to for repeated advice. So, there’s that trust between our customers and our staff that you can’t put a price on," says Heidi.

The management team, which Heidi describes as the most stable management team she’s had in her career, is comprised of Julia Williams, the nursery manager, who was a garden designer and Van Loon’s customer before joining the team; Sharon Strickland, who was also a customer but is now an essential part of the team, known for her warm personality; Kesten Walton, café manager and chef, is a passionate foodie who brings her inspiration and expertise to the café; Caitlyn Martin is the nursery’s business manager; and Tania Hogan, the newest member of the team, oversees the hardware section of the nursery. And then of course, there’s Sarah, a capable and driven manager who has flourished in her role, continuing to take on additional responsibilities as Heidi has begun to take a step back. Together, this group of individuals works to maintain the nursery’s welcoming and inspiring environment. And in something that has happened organically, the management team all happen to be women.

“A lot of longstanding staff who have stayed at the nursery have got to know the business well, and that puts them in good stead for a management position,” Heidi says of the team’s formation. “Often the best person for the job happened to be a woman.”

Aside from the organisation skills, people skills and horticultural skills they bring to the nursery, the Van Loon’s management team are particularly adept at nurturing each other’s strengths and creating an environment of open communication and gratitude. “We know who does what well,” says Heidi. “We notice what people are good at and consider how we can use that in the business. We’ve all worked together for many years, so there’s this great camaraderie among the team,” she says. Sarah agrees, “We’ve all got each other’s backs.”

It’s a source of great pride for Heidi and Sarah, this trust that has been built within the team. “We all invest a lot of emotion and love and energy,” says Heidi. “It’s a collective effort”

Sarah emphasises the importance of building relationships with others in the broader industry and offers some advice for those beginning their careers in horticulture: “Meet as many people as you can,” she says. “By getting out there, reading Groundswell and going to Trade Day, through meeting other growers, other retail nurseries, you realise everyone has the same problems. It just broadens your whole understanding of the industry. We’re a part of a bigger industry and it’s very important to know that that’s out there.” Having been in the industry since she was a teenager, Heidi’s advice is to, “Push yourself, step out of your comfort zone and you never know what you can do.”

Looking ahead, Heidi and Sarah will continue to support their team of staff to progress in their careers and hone their skills. Heidi hopes that the nursery will continue to thrive for many years, and she is confident that the business will be passed to new custodians when the time is right. “I’d like to think that Van Loon’s will continue to roll on for many years to come,” she says.

“It was obviously started by the Van Loons, and I’ve been here for 20 years and have made an impact and improved the business. Somebody will take it on after me,” Heidi says.

When the business is eventually passed on, Heidi’s words of wisdom for the new custodians might just echo those of Tony van Loon, who was a positive influence in Heidi’s early years at the nursery and remains a mentor and close friend. He left a note when he left the business in 2007, which is now pinned to a board in the staff room. The note references the Japanese philosophy of Kaizen, which promotes continuous improvement through small, everyday refinements. It serves as a reminder to the team to always be open to change, and to continue to look for ways to improve the business every day. “Every single day we strive to be better and always offer the very best service we can,” Heidi says.

It’s this commitment to improvement that has meant Van Loon’s remains vital, inspiring, and energetic today, after almost 60 years of business.