Spring
Home & Garden A Special Supplement to The Tidewater News Sunday, April 28, 2019
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Spring Home & Garden
SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019
Spring forward to Grayson & Emma’s BY KENYA SMITH STAFF WRITER kenya.smith@tidewaternews.com
COURTLAND In the United States, spring is the beginning of growing season in which plants and crops can grow successfully due to warmer temperatures and the lack of frost. Therefore, it’s the perfect season for gardening and lawn care. If traveling west on Highway 58, one can stop at Grayson & Emma’s Garden Spot to find all of the things that are needed to start gardens and maintain lawns. The STEPHEN H. COWLES | THE TIDEWATER NEWS small shop and garden cenFrom cookies and snacks to seafood, there’s a wide assortment of locally grown and made ter was founded in 2000 by foods available in Grayson & Emma’s. Neil Drake, who named it after his two daughters. “It all started off as a hobby,” said Drake, “I love to grow plants and raise produce. At first, we just sold produce, and then we decided to add more items. That’s how the business grew into what it is today.” What distinguishes Grayson & Emma’s from other garden centers in the
area are its two greenhouses. “We raise our plants on site all year round in our greenhouses, so we’re always seeding and planting. What makes it special is that people can come into our greenhouses and see how we raise our plants while they’re shopping.” Not only does Grayson & Emma’s sell seasonal plants and produce, they also offer cooked foods, fresh seafood, canned goods and baked goods. “We just want to promote healthy eating. For example, the seafood that we sell is not imported from other countries because we want to provide our customers with high-quality products. Instead, our seafood is freshly caught by local fishermen, and we try to be supportive of everything that is local.” While Drake wants the public to shop local, he also encourages people to plant local. “In this area, a lot of plant species that other stores
sell aren’t even local but are usually planted down south. At Grayson & Emma’s, we buy and sell plants that are native to this area.” Planting local species can benefit the gardener by requiring less work, resources and money. It also enhances the biodiversity because local species of flowers, trees, grasses and shrubs provide food and shelter for insects, birds, amphibians and mammals. Therefore, it creates an ecological balance. Along with making sure that the public buys high quality products, Drake wants to ensure that people receive high-quality customer service. “We want people to come out and enjoy what Grayson & Emma’s has to offer,” he said. Grayson & Emma’s is located at 28412 Southampton Parkway and is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. More information can be found on the company’s Facebook page or by calling 653-9652.
There are two greenhouses at Grayson & Emma’s that cultivate flowers and plants yearround.
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Spring Home & Garden
SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019
Save time cleaning with Two Maids and a Mop BY STEPHEN H. COWLES STAFF WRITER stephen.cowles@tidewaternews.com
FRANKLIN Lee Sheridan offers two ways you can effectively and efficiently clean your home this spring or during any other season. The first is to do it yourself, and from personal experience he makes these recommendations: • Focus on one room at a time • Deep clean one room at a time. • Do so from top to bottom, back to front, left to right. Some examples of that cleaning: • Magazines and newspapers — If you haven’t read them in a week, toss them out for recycling. • Clothing — If you haven’t worn an item in several months, send it on to a charity. Go through your home to see what can be donated. • Stoves/ovens — Sheridan noted that most stoves/ovens have a self-cleaning function. Run that when the house is well-ventilated; run the ceiling fan if you have one. The intense heat (500 degrees F) burns everything off and creates an odor. There could be some smoke if any water is present and evaporated. Use this appliance function at least twice a year, such as Thanksgiving time. • With refrigerators — Clean at least once a quarter. Some shelves could be sturdy enough to put into a dishwasher. While that’s
going, wipe everything else out. • Hydrogen peroxide, vinegar and white baking soda — These are things everyone has in their house and are extremely useful for cleaning. • Dish soap — Amazing what that will do for less than $5. • Regular toothbrushes — Use them with a paste of baking soda and vinegar to clean grout and other cracks and crevices. • Magic Erasers — “Amazing. They’re sponges on steroids,” he said. “Wet them first before using.” “Those steps,” Sheridan continued, “help you maximize your time and minimize being overwhelmed. You get a sense of accomplishment.” The second method is to employ a crew from his business, Two Maids and a Mop. Two years ago on April 17, Sheridan bought a franchise from the national company for Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach. He had been working in as a national claims manager for a top company for 20 years, and traveled 60 percent of his time. That left only 40 percent for his daughters and wife. Wanting to get out of the “corporate rat race,” he saw an opportunity, researched the demographics and made the move; he now has two such businesses. “The advantage of a maid service is that it saves time,” Sheridan said. “We’ve always been a busy family. Our weekends are
busy with dance and basketball [for the girls], and we don’t have to fill the time cleaning up.” He added that while he traveled so much, doing laundry was a continual chore each weekend back home, and that — along with other household duties — left the family feeling more exhausted by Sunday night than the work week. Using Two Maids and a Mop, said Sheridan, “Gives people back time in their day. You will notice that time in your daily life and can spend more time with your family. My wife works full time and then some. I own two businesses and we stay pretty busy. I call in my own team. New people are sent there to train.” Employees undergo a thorough check on their background and train to become certified to use chemicals required for intensive cleaning. The business is licensed, bonded and insured. “We are extremely tight on security,” Sheridan said. As for payment, he said that one thing his business does which sets it apart from other cleaning services is the pay-for-performance system. Clients are asked to rate the service, which helps determine compensation for the team. That becomes a built-in incentive plan, which Sheridan stated nobody else does. “We communicate often with our customers, and offer a lot of flexibility others don’t offer,” he added. Two Maids and a Mop al-
COURTESY | TWO MAIDS AND A MOP
Lee Sheridan, in back, with his team for Two Maids and a Mop.
so participates in Cleaning for A Reason, which offers a complimentary cleaning service to women battling
cancer. This is done for two hours once a month for two months. The clients put together a check list of
things to be done. To learn more, call 3795050 or visit www.twomaidsvirginiabeach.com.
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Spring Home & Garden
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Spring Home & Garden
SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019
Walters Outdoor Power Equipment fully services what it sells BY STEPHEN FALESKI STAFF WRITER stephen.faleski@tidewaternews.com
WALTERS Walters Outdoor Power Equipment began in 1981 shortly after owner and Isle of Wight County resident Ted Herrala left his position with the Virginia Department of Forestry and began marketing his services as a repairman to friends and neighbors. Herrala, who is originally from northeastern Pennsylvania, has a degree in forestry from Pennsylvania State University, but, in his words, has “always had good mechanical aptitude.” “I have always been a mechanic; my father was a mechanic,” he said.
Herrala’s business, named for the unincorporated community in which it is located — halfway between Windsor and Franklin along U.S. Route 258 — has been a fixture of the Walters area for the past 35-plus years, and, according to the company’s website, has become “one of the largest power equipment dealers in the area.” It began as a repair shop that also sold parts, but later picked up its first outdoor equipment product lines, which included Snapper, Briggs & Stratton Power Products and Toro. Today the business focuses solely on Toro, which is a line of mowers and other lawn care equipment, and Stihl, which is a line of chainsaws and other handheld power equipment. True to its roots, the store still
includes a repair service, but this too is now primarily focused on Toro and Stihl products. Currently, there are five fulltime employees. “Servicing the equipment we sell is our primary goal,” Herrala said. “We do service other lines as necessary.” The store is located at 27739 Walters Highway (U.S. Route 258) and is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, from 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and closed on Sundays. More information on Walters Outdoor Power Equipment can be found at www.waltersoutdoorpowerequipment.com, or by calling 562-4760 or emailing waltersoutdoor@gmail.com.
STEPHEN FALESKI | THE TIDEWATER NEWS
Toro lawnmowers on display inside the showroom at Walters Outdoor Power Equipment
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Spring Home & Garden
SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019
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Spring Home & Garden
SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019
Transforming the old into new ture which was something that he enjoyed doing throughout his life. Before she founded The Busy Bee, Bain was a OB-GYN nurse in Williamsburg and then she sold timeFRANKLIN Have you ever thought about that shares. Furniture refurbishing can proone particular piece of furniture that you want to throw away or sell while vide numerous benefits to the customer. First of all, it is less expensive spring cleaning? While the phrase, to restore old furniture than to buy “Out with the old, and in with the new furniture, which means more new” is becoming popular, what money in your pocket. If you want about transforming the old into new? That’s how Betty Jo Bain views to participate in protecting the environment, then refurbishing is the antique pieces of furniture at her route to go. Studies have shown that store called The Busy Bee, which is located in downtown Franklin. She it takes less carbon dioxide to respecializes in refurbishing pieces of store old furniture than to make new ones from scratch. Plus, refurfurniture for every room in the house whether it’s tables, chairs, so- bishing plays an important role in saving and preserving wood and fas, shelves, cabinets, or dressers. Bain’s interest in refurbishing an- other natural resources for the gentique furniture began after watching erations to come. Not only does Bain refurbish anher late father create and sell furniBY KENYA SMITH STAFF WRITER kenya.smith@tidewaternews.com
STEPHEN H. COWLES | THE TIDEWATER NEWS
Betty Jo Bain, proprietor of The Busy Bee, has expanded her shop space and offerings now at 107 N. Main St., in downtown Franklin.
PDI
tique furniture, she also is an expert in home décor. While her main themes for home décor are farmhouse and shabby chic, Bain knows the popular trends for spring home décor. “The most popular themes for this season are the Easter and Summer themes,” she said, “When it comes to colors, antique white is very popular around this time of the year.” Bain had one piece of advice for people who wanted to spruce up their homes. “Come and visit me,” she said. The Busy Bee is located on 107 N. Main St., and is open from Wednesday to Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. until. People can visit the business’s Facebook page or call 635-8208 to find out more about The Busy Bee and its services.
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Spring Home & Garden
SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019
STEPHEN FALESKI | THE TIDEWATER NEWS
In addition to plants, Windsor Hardware & Supply Co. also offers a selection of outdoor furniture and grills.
Consider Windsor Hardware for lumber, garden needs store so we could be home with our family.” The store itself has been in Windsor for over 100 years, and had previously WINDSOR operated under the name Windsor Hardware & Windsor Supply. Since Supply Co. began about purchasing the property, 18 years ago when David and Tammy Edwards trad- the Edwards have added a ed their corporate careers full garden center and a for small-business owner- full-service lumber yard. “[David] has grown the ship. Both had previously lumber part,” Tammy said. worked for Union Camp/ “We do job site deliveries. International Paper It’s a lot more than just among other companies, David on the lumber side lawn and garden.” As for lawn and garden and Tammy on the paper supplies, the store now ofside, focusing on chemifers decorative flower cal engineering and marpots, soil, live plants (inketing. cluding vegetables, annu“One or the other of us als, perennials, trees, was on the road every shrubs and herbs), garother week, and we had den flags, home décor, two small boys,” Tammy grass seed, fertilizers, said. “We didn’t want to weed killer and pesticides travel anymore for our and other products for jobs. so we bought the BY STEPHEN FALESKI STAFF WRITER stephen.faleski@tidewaternews.com
home. The Edwards also offer bulk mulch, rock and sand for purchase and delivery. They also employ Virginia-certified horticulturalists, and are themselves members of the Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association. “I use many local growers, Tammy said. “Nearly everything is grown within 50 to 100 miles of us so it’s acclimated to our climate.” Recently, the couple’s youngest son, Jacob, who graduated from Randolph Macon College in 2018 with a degree in biology, has come home to work at the store full-time, and plans to take the business in the direction of growing its own vegetables. See WINDSOR, Page 13
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Spring Home & Garden
SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019
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WINDSOR:
The demand is growing but the suppliers are decreasing.” Very soon the Edwards “We’ve seen some of our growers going out of busi- plan to get all of the store’s tropical plants as ness, or just retiring and well as their annual Mothnot having someone to er’s Day rose selection. take over,” Tammy exThe shop is open from 7 plained. “It’s getting harda.m. to 6 p.m. on weeker and harder to source days, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on healthy, reliable plants.
Continued from 10
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Spring Home & Garden Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. It is located at 5 Joyner Avenue, Windsor. More information on Windsor Hardware & Supply Co. can be found at https://ww3.truevalue. com/windsorhardware/ Home.aspx or by calling 242-6123.
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Spring Home & Garden
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