8/12/2009 11:59:00 AM
'Land of the Giants' displays beauty and dedication
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| GIANT HOSTAS – Jeff and Penny Miller are surrounded by green at The Land of the Giants Hosta Farm, a hosta nursery that they established North of the city. The nursery has over 1,000 different varieties of hosta plants, many of which are rare and unique varieties that are sought after by shade gardener's nationwide.
-- Photo by Rick Miller
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| GARDEN GODDESS -Pictured above is the Garden Goddess. The beautiful plant was named by Jeff after his wife, Penny. The Garden Goddess is just one of 120,000 Hostas that the farm holds.
-- Photo by Megan Millard |
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Megan Millard
Courier Reporter
It can't be seen very well if you're just driving by along Highway 59, but as Jeff and Penny Miller guide you around their home, just north of Milton, the beauty is uncovered, and seems to unfold before your very eyes.
A few acres that are home to 120,000 Hostas of about 1,243 different varieties, along with 3,000 Day Lillies. Paths going into the garden wind through trees and beds of flowers, as well a few benches. It's the Land of the Giants Hosta Farm, located just off Highway 59 to Jacobs Drive on Raven Court.
"It's our little piece of Heaven," Jeff Miller said.
It started as hobby for owners Jeff and Penny Miller, who have a passion for gardening. They decided to turn it into a business when Jeff, a former employee at General Motors, saw the future of the company.
"We enjoy gardening and working outside," Jeff said. "We realized that GM was not doing too good, so we opened a mail-order business."
Now, what began as a passion and love of gardening has turned into a very successful business-drawing people from all over the country to come take a look.
"The furthest we've had is a lady who drove all the way from New York to see the garden," Jeff said. "We couldn't believe she drove that far and she couldn't believe the garden."
Since it's creation, the Hosta farm has been the site for many bus tours and visitors and has been the beautiful backdrop for students posing for senior or prom pictures. Additionally, the Millers run a mail-order business, in which people purchase various plants using an online order form.
People can place orders using the Millers' website: www.landofthegiantshostafarm.com. Once an order is received, the Millers retrieve the desired plant, clean the roots, and carefully wrap them to be sent by mail.
With mail orders, bus tours, and endless expansion to the farm, the Millers are understandably busy with the work they must carry out day by day.
Beginning at 5 a.m, the Millers wake up to hybridize the plants in order to develop new varieties. And of course, there is other maintenance involved with the garden as well. As they add to their garden, hours of work are required to lay down mulch, put in plants, and develop different varieties. But for Jeff and Penny, the work is worth it when they see the end result.
"It takes thousands of hours," Jeff said, "But for us it's not about the hours or the work, it's the beauty, and coming out here to enjoy it."
The entire Hosta farm is a highlight itself, but one particular highlight of the garden is one Hosta: The Garden Goddess. It's the first Hosta that Jeff has named, and he named it after his wife, Penny.
In the future, the Millers will continue to enjoy their creation and carry out their passion that has turned into a site that has wowed people from all around.
"You walk down here and there's nothing else," Jeff said. "It's beautiful."
The Millers welcome visitors or those who want to see the Hosta farm, but they do so by appointment only. If you are interested in seeing the Land of the Giants Hosta Farm, you can reach the Millers at (608)-580-0190. To place an order or to learn more about the Millers and their business, visit www.landofthegiantshostafarm.com.
"When someone walks around and sees this and they go, 'Wow', that means everything," Jeff said.
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