Ryan Denhart is celebrating 35 years at Brownsburg’s Country Harmony Home & Garden Center.
That’s right – born and raised in Brownsburg, he started working there as a freshman in high school and simply never left.
“It was your typical high school job,” he said. “I have always been interested in plants and wanted to go to school for landscape design and architecture. I thought a garden center would be a good place to learn.”
He was right, and he’s learned a lot in 35 years, explaining that the industry has come “quite a long way since the beginning. With cross-breeding and genetics, you have to study each year because there’s so many new things on the market from colors to materials. I like to read books and magazines about the newest things on the market and it sticks in my head because it’s my passion. There are so many more varieties now than there used to be – I’d say 1,000 times more.”
Country Harmony opened in 1974 on 10th Street with several owners at the time. When the Woods family purchased it in 1978, they moved the business to Brownsburg, and to their current location by 1980. When they retired, Denhart purchased the company and has owned it for 20 years now.
Looking back, he’s proud of the expansion of products, particularly in the interior of the store.
“One of my main focuses at first was the interior, which had been neglected,” he said. “I wanted to bring that back to life and I think it worked really well. We brought in home decor, seasonal decor, candles, cards, and seasonal products like candy, peanut brittle and popcorn. We also created what we call the food porch with salsas, dips, spices and other gourmet foods.”
Another change Denhart made was to offer year-round hours and an ever-evolving seasonal rotation, with unique items and one-of-a-kind finds.
As the weather warms and the outdoor patio opens, Country Harmony offers vegetables, shrubs, trees and perennials. They have container pots and hanging baskets, and they’re ready to help each customer with their gardening and landscaping questions.
Customer interest has only increased in recent years.
“COVID brought a lot of people to gardening and house plants,” Denhart said. “We’re doing a lot of growing our own food with the increased cost of everything. It can also be stress relieving and therapeutic in some ways.”
The summer brings larger flowers such as zinnias and sunflowers. The fall features mums and pumpkins to name a few, and in the winter the shop transforms into all things Christmas.
“We have themed trees, gift options, decorating options, live greens, wreaths and greenery pots,” Denhart said. “I make the greenery pots by hand. They are evergreen branches with berries and twigs set into dirt. You can put them in your containers for winter versus just having empty pots.”
Most of all, they pride themselves on quality customer service and a knowledgeable staff.
“The sole focus of the business is our customer service,” Denhart said. “We’ll drop anything we’re doing to help you and guide you to the correct plant choice for the environment you have. We don’t want you to just buy a plant. We want it to succeed and thrive. We can help you with the details – when to prune, water and fertilize.”
When preparing to purchase your spring gardening products, Denhart said one of the first questions they’ll ask is, ‘What is the light situation?’ Lighting conditions are key to selecting the right plant for you.
“The first question out of the gate will be about lighting – if it’s in full or partial sun, or in the shade,” he said. “The second question is measurements. If you want to do some landscaping, remember to take measurements of the area and snap a picture on your phone so we can see it. From there we can help you with spacing, and it really opens up more possibilities and helps us guide you in the right direction.”
They also watch the Invasive Plant Species list published by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and do not carry plants that are deemed unhealthy for the area. Though the Town of Brownsburg might be accustomed to Country Harmony’s presence in the community, Denhart said through the years he’s come to realize that not everyone has a local plant and landscaping shop near them.
Located near Interstate 74, they often receive customers from across the country.
“We actually get more out-of-town business than local now,” Denhart said. “It’s a destination spot for some. People stumble upon it and they stop in, and others make it a point of stopping in Brownsburg so they can shop here and in Brownsburg’s other small businesses. It’s fun to see those people passing through, as well as our local customers.”
He’s watched Brownsburg change exponentially over the years, but some things have remained the same. With a local small business, Denhart does his part in supporting the community in the best way he knows how – through plants.
The business works with the Friendly Garden Club, the Town of Brownsburg, Brownsburg Community School Corporation and others through donations and partnerships.
They’ve also reached beyond Hendricks County.
“We do an herb garden at the White River Botanical Gardens,” Denhart said. “There’s a plaque there representing Brownsburg. I like to think about someone from Brownsburg seeing it, or someone who has never heard of Brownsburg maybe stopping to look us up.”
For Denhart, the first job he landed in high school ended up becoming a career and lifelong passion.
“I’d like to thank our customers for supporting us through the years,” he said. “It’s amazing to still be around. I didn’t intend on this turning into my life. It was an interesting high school job, and now I own it and we’re still here. It’s surreal to me but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
While Country Harmony is open year-round, hours are adjusted based on the season. Call 317-852-8661 to verify before your visit. Also go to countryharmonyhomeandgarden.com.
