Nestled in the northern end of Hancock County, near the Pearl River County line, is a small nursery that has found many ways to diversify.
The name of the business was officially changed to Wishing Well in 2014, though the old sign entitled J’s Greenery still sits at the roadside.
The small business is more than just a nursery.
As customers pull into the parking lot, they can see a number of items for sale that will brighten up any landscape. Aside from the plethora of plants offered, which range from large ferns to citrus trees, co-owners Joyce Bean and Daleen Neal have added an unusual spin to their business. They make small concrete yard decorations on-site.
Once or twice a week, the women will mix their own concrete in an electric mixer using sand, gravel and concrete mix and then pour the heavy mixture into many different types of molds. The only thing left at that point is to wait for them to dry. Once the molds are cracked, the women then have more stock to sell.
Neal said she started the business by herself in 1997, but took Bean on as a partner in April of 2007.
Making concrete yard ornaments on-site was added to help the profit margin, since selling plants doesn’t bring in that much.
“It’s a lot harder work, but it brings in more money,” Neal said.
But there are plenty of plants to choose from. From decorative plants to brighten up the inside of a home, to landscaping plants that will beautify the exterior of a home, Wishing Well has two greenhouses and a large yard to peruse.
Bean said the friendly service is really what keeps customers coming back.
“Most people come back just to sit on the porch and chitchat with us,” Bean said.
Other items for sale include various kinds of pottery, chimineas, concrete benches, statues, talavera pottery from Mexico and fountains.
A gift shop offers a number of other items such as windchimes, clocks, greeting cards, mugs and various decor for inside the home.
Bean has plenty of experience from working at a nursery in Georgia more than 30 years ago. Neal comes from a different background, retiring from Riverside Elementary in Pearl River, Louisiana after working in the cafeteria for more than 20 years. Before her retirement in 2008, she paid people to staff the nursery, but now she and Bean take care of the business themselves.
“Joyce is a go getter and I’m a go getter, so we work well together,” Neal said.
The concrete yard decorations were added to the business not just as a way to provide more products and increase profit, but also because Neal has always loved working with the substance. She said that love goes back more than 40 years when her neighbor would ask her to help pour sidewalks.
Now, once or twice a week the women put about 10 hours of prep work and an additional three hours into actually pouring the molds. It typically takes about a day for the statues to dry completely. At that point they can be painted.
“This is what you say is American made,” Neal said as she prepared another batch of concrete. “It really is fascinating work, to pour something with this goopy stuff and make something beautiful.”
Wishing Well is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at 24656 Highway 43 South, Picayune