A Little Oasis

Fifty-two years ago, about the time the ACC was founded, a small family owned business was started at 1510 E. Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. Dickinson’s Garden Center, established in 1952, has now become a three-generation business. Originally the business started with George Jr. and Hazel Dickinson. With George Jr. raising plants while still performing landscape design and installation in the community, Hazel managed the retail business. By the mid-sixties, the retail business continued to grow, and it became necessary for both George and Hazel to devote all their time to this aspect of the business.
By 1973, George III (“Dickie”) and his wife, Bev, joined the business. Dickie had just obtained his degree in Forest and Recreation Resources at Clemson University and was anxious to join his parents adding his professional knowledge. Bev, a graduate from the UNC School of Nursing, was able to expand her passion for gardening, which had always been a hobby of hers. At this time, the shop started taking on a new look incorporating gift items and garden art. The idea was to offer a little of everything for the home gardener from trees and shrubs, perennials and annuals, bulbs, houseplants, fertilizers, soils, mulches, etc. The emphasis at Dickinson’s Garden Center is placed on customer service rendering detailed information and advice on ‘quality’ plant material. Convenience and quickness are two additional advantages for shopping at Dickinson’s. Bev still laughs when she recalls hearing a customer proclaim as he passed her leaving the store, “This is quicker than the McDonald’s Drive Thru window!”
By 1996 their son, Michael, graduated with a degree in Business Management from Appalachian State University and joined the business with new energy and ideas. Since the business had frequently hired college students for part-time work, Michael and several of his friends had already developed keen interest in horticulture. With the edition of Michael, the business expanded into another new venture with water gardening. Currently it offers a complete section of pools and liners, water lilies, and other water plants, bog plants, fish, pumps and chemicals along with expert water gardening advice.
In 2002 their daughter, Cathy, had graduated from UNC in biology and sports medicine and then progressed to NCSU for Horticulture and Landscape Design. She too had developed that passion for the environment, which seems to be in the genes. Currently she has her studio in Carrboro and provides a new link to the business by providing a new service of creating personalized designs for the customer. She offers consultation as well as design plans. For so many people it is difficult to visualize from plant listings so Cathy uses her digital camera to take a ‘before’ and ‘after’ picture so visualization is possible on the computer before the first plant goes into the ground.
Bev and Dickie say they had no idea their children would join them in the business and certainly did not pressure them to do so but “they grew up with a positive idea of the business as a fun place to be.” According to Bev Dickinson, “Whenever I leave to go to the shop, I don’t ever feel like ...