This summer marks my 30th year working in the green industry since graduating from college. Add to that my six years of undergraduate and graduate studies, and three years working in a local retail garden center during high school, and I'm approaching 39 years working around plants. And what a terrific journey it has been. From my first job after college at Hines Nursery in 1978 to my current position at BASF, I have a lifetime of great memories and experiences, but more importantly, this journey has generated a full quiver of friends, acquaintances, characters and colleagues. In It's Grow Time, I plan to write about some of those people, places, products and experiences.

Today's stop is the Gift & Garden Center at The Brookwood Community in Brookshire, TX, about 40 miles west of Houston on Interstate 10. Brookwood's Gift & Garden Center focuses on high-end annuals, perennials, potted flowering plants, hanging baskets and holiday crops. All of Brookwood's retail garden center plant material is produced on-site in 30+ greenhouses and shade structures. Their spacious, upscale gift shop has unique holiday and home decor items, with many of the retail items produced at Brookwood's own ceramics, concrete casting and silkscreen shops. How do they do it? Well, Brookwood is not your typical gift and garden center. The Brookwood Community is a 475-acre residential community for over 100 adults who defy traditional odds every day. The gift and garden center is a small part of this vibrant community where, as their motto says, the spirit soars! At The Brookwood Community, the residents live, work, worship and thrive in a place that these adults call home. All of the adult residents have some sort of unique ability – some have Down's syndrome, some of the residents were born with brain injuries, and some are disabled as a result of a head trauma. But please don’t feel sorry for this group. They are creating miracles each and every day, and are unabashedly proud of their creations, thank you very much. They don’t want your pity – they want your business!

In case you haven't guessed, I have a vested interest in Brookwood. My younger brother, Kurt, has lived at Brookwood for over 20 years. My mom worked closely with Brookwood's founder (and her best friend), Yvonne Streit, for over 30 years. In the early 1980s, I worked at Brookwood for four years, helping initiate their horticulture program. My older brother, Haydn is a professional sculptor and started their concrete casting shop. He created a number of original art pieces still produced and sold today. The years I invested at Brookwood are perhaps my proudest professional accomplishment. Today's horticulture enterprise has surpassed my wildest expectations. But that's what you come to expect from Brookwood: they are in the business of exceeding expectations.

The Brookwood residents are the most humble, hard-working adults you will ever find. While visiting Brookwood, one is always greeted with a smile (maybe even a hug!) and a kind word from the residents. You quickly realize that Brookwood is about people first, and plants second. Not that the plants aren’t important, but in the grand scheme of things, plants are a means to an end – and that's the way it should be. To get the full Brookwood experience, check out their website at: www.brookwoodcommunity.org.

What a great industry we are a part of. Who could imagine that a group with such unique abilities (not disabilities) could not only flourish, but actually lead the way with high-quality service, premium gifts and plants, and gratifying life successes? Oh, and did I mention, Brookwood does not accept any public funding? The source of their income is from the sales of their products, individual tuitions and the generous donations of private individuals. The Brookwood Community – "Where the Spirit Soars!"

Until the next time, Keep it Growing.

Steve