ScoopBUSINESS Former mariners settled in, operating Rockledge Gardens with confidence

BY MARIA SONNENBERG

It was love at first sight when Merchant Mariners Brendan Hayes-Morrison and Devon Klingman first visited Rockledge Gardens.

The couple, then living in Charleston, had been vacationing in Florida in their vintage VW camper when they made a stop to visit Hayes-Morrison’s sister in Rockledge. The sister, who happened to be a college friend of the daughter of then-nursery owners Theresa and Kevin Riley, invited them to the gardens’ “Ghouls and Gardens” event.

“We walked in and were blown away,” HayesMorrison said.

Hayes-Morrison’s sister also mentioned that the Rileys had been thinking of retiring and selling and, as it happened, HayesMorrison was ready to hang up his captain’s hat with the Merchant Marines after 15 years at sea, and Klingman was ready to do likewise after five. A lightbulb went on, an offer was made and HayesMorrison and Klingman in June 2022 became the latest owners of the nursery that is the go-to place for Brevard County gardeners.

It may seem a little unusual career move for a couple who have together circumnavigated the globe, but the way Hayes-Morrison and Klingman figure it, it is a match made in heaven.

“As a captain, I was used to managing a large budget and operation and that gave us the confidence,” he said.

For her part, Klingman grew up in a garden in Colorado in a family who owned a retail toy store, so she felt comfortable with her new role.

The couple credit the team the Rileys had in place with helping them rise to the challenges of nursery ownership.

“We were wowed by the people who work here and, fortunately, they liked us,” Hayes-Morrison said.

Neither Hayes-Morrison nor Klingman felt the need to change the status quo at Rockledge Gardens. Why mess with perfection?

Rockledge Gardens continues to be a sought-after wedding and special events venue, as well as a source of inspiration through classes that run the gamut from making butterfly container gardens to growing your own food. The Little Bugs Club still attracts the youngest gardeners and the Botanical Boutique and the popular Farmers’ Market are magnets for consumers eager to enjoy the best Florida has to offer.

It is a very different world from Hayes-Morrison’s last Merchant Marine assignment, which took him to McMurdo research station in Antarctica, and from Klingman’s own last assignment to Northern Europe. The couple still can’t believe how lucky they are to have found Rockledge Gardens.

“Not a lot of people work in such a positive environment as this,” Klingman said.

Upcoming events at Rockledge Gardens include a “Make-n-Take” butterfly container gardening class March 18 and a Bountiful Candle Garden Party March 19. For more information, visit rockledgegardens.com or call 321-636-7662.

Rockledge Gardens is at 2153 U.S. 1, Rockledge. VV