By Jessica Legge Borders
FAIRMONT — It may have taken a few years for people to find Mon River Farm and Garden Center tucked away under the Third Street Bridge, but now the business is doing well and expanding.
“I think people know that we’re here, and ... business has grown every single year,” said Duke Durbin, who owns the store with his wife Lori.
Mon River Farm and Garden Center, located at 714 Merchant St. along the river, opened in April 2006. Duke has been working in the landscaping industry for 20 years and his business provides landscaping services, including retaining wall block and waterfall installation.
The shop sells agriculture supplies, such as fertilizer, vegetable seed, grass seed, lime, pesticides and insecticides. It offers mulch, top soil, potting soils, other soil blends and compost.
Customers can also find vegetable plants, like tomato, pepper and zucchini. In addition, the shop specializes in flowers and hanging baskets, from annuals to perennials, as well as hundreds of shrubs and trees. Fruit trees and berry bushes are available, and Duke stressed that people can still plant items now.
“We’re still right in the heart of planting season,” he said. “It’s still a window of opportunity to get something in the ground in another month or so.”
Mon River Farm and Garden Center is currently selling a lot of deer corn, bird seed and straw, which are the items that people want in the winter time. The store is entering its slow season, but business always revs up at the beginning of March as people start to get excited about their garden plans, Duke said.
This time of year, Duke and Lori are running the shop on their own. But six to eight seasonal employees come on board during the busy months.
A newer addition to the business is its full line of outdoor concrete statues, which Duke said has been popular. This section features bird baths, animal figurines, angels and religious statues. The business also has hand-crafted Christmas decorations.
Duke and Lori, who live in Barrackville, have been cleaning up the riverfront and built a dock there. Earlier this year, they started a separate corporation called Waterskeeterz LLC. This seasonal riverfront attraction offers pontoon boat rentals.
“That’s kind of a new thing we got into last spring, and it went so good we’re going to expand upon that,” Duke said. “We did get a fantastic response.”
Duke and Lori plan to bring in additional pontoons next year.
Duke is looking forward to another year of continued success for Mon River Farm and Garden Center. He said he enjoys dealing with different people every day.
“No two days are ever the same,” he said.
Mon River Farm and Garden Center’s winter hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday. For more information, call 304-363-3960.
E-mail Jessica Legge Borders at jlegge@timeswv.com.
