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Natural Plus Nursery Tour 2016 + GIVEAWAY

Natural Plus Nursery in Clear Lake, Iowa

This weekend some of the North Iowa Bloggers took a trip to visit the Natural Plus Nursery in my hometown of Clear Lake, Iowa.

The North Iowa Bloggers visit Natural Plus Nursery in Clear Lake, Iowa

I asked one of the owners, Mary Hopper (on the right), if Mr. Awesome could tag along, because as most of you here know plants are “his thing”. She had no problem with that, and treated us all like family while we were there.

Natural Plus Nursery in Clear Lake, Iowa

When we got out of the van and started walking towards the building there were some men unloading a truck and it was obvious they were hard at work. We didn’t want to get in their way, or slow them down, but a man stopped what he was doing and came over to say Hi.  He pulled off his work glove and introduced himself as Dave.  Dave is Mary’s husband and showed that not only is he diligent in his work at the nursery, he’s also dedicated to customer service and hospitality.

A-Frame built of reclaimed barn wood in 1979 by the Hopper family of Natural Plus Nursery in Clear Lake, IA

The morning started with fruit, donuts and coffee in their retail building, followed by a thorough tour of the grounds, and then a scavenger hunt that Mary put together.

Natural Plus Nursery in Clear Lake, Iowa

While on the tour Mary points out the purple flowers on the Rhododendron plant.

I was impressed with the number of plants, trees, flowers and shrubs that they had on display as they are gearing up for their upcoming open house that begins on April 30th.

Fruit Trees at Natural Plus Nursery in Clear Lake, Iowa

They had a good amount of Fruit Trees, which I adore. I have a theory that if something is going to be taking up real estate in my yard, it needs to be multifunctional.  Many of the fruit trees are not only beautiful but they will provide shade in time.  The biggest benefit of course being that they produce an edible fruit.

Our lawn is used for playing on and is filled with kids during the summer months. The kids are welcome to help themselves to the raspberries and some of the vegetables in the garden (as long as they steer clear of the jalapenos!)   I wish we would’ve planted edible trees years ago so the kids could be enjoying the fruits now.  It’s never too late though, so we will be adding more fruit trees to our yard this year (we put one in last year as a trial and it’s doing well).

Metal Lawn Art at Natural Plus Nursery in Clear Lake, Iowa

The metal lawn décor caught my eye. I love unique pieces and they had many there.  I found the perfect metal flowers for my yard, as I can never seem to remember to water mine, or bring them in when it freezes!  I think metal art and hardy hostas are just my speed!

Natural Plus Nursery in Clear Lake, Iowa

We met for the morning at 9am, and the way the sun hit the leaves of the plants and made the dew on the grass glisten was just gorgeous!

Natural Plus Nursery in Clear Lake, Iowa

The Rhododendron flowers were full and vibrant! They were the perfect shade of purple for taking family selfies by.

Fun Fact: In 2013 Dave and Mary Hopper purchased the nursery from Dave’s parents, Dave and Linda Hopper.  Dave and Linda Hopper had established the nursery in 1978, and a year later they built the A-Frame that they use as their retail building using.. get this…RECLAIMED BARN WOOD! How cool is that?!

You can read more about their business by visiting their website: http://www.naturalplusnursery.com/.

If you’re local, Natural Plus Nursery has donated a $100 gift certificate for the North Iowa Bloggers to give away to one of our lucky readers. Enter Below!

Natural Plus Nursery in Clear Lake, IowaNatural Plus Nursery in Clear Lake, Iowa

Natural Plus Nursery in Clear Lake, Iowa

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY HERE:

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Comments

  1. Mary says

    April 25, 2016 at 2:02 am

    Thanks for the great write up Quincey! It was so wonderful to have you both! Hope you visit again soon!

    Reply
    • A Slightly Better Wife says

      May 3, 2016 at 6:21 pm

      Thank YOU for having us. It was a fun little getaway for us, and I learned a lot. We both were inspired by the nursery and have been talking a lot about what’s next for our yard. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Kelley Hays says

    April 25, 2016 at 1:37 pm

    Looks like it was a fun trip!! Oh my goodness I NEED some of those metal flowers for my yard!! My yard needs some landscaping desperately!

    Reply
    • A Slightly Better Wife says

      May 3, 2016 at 6:20 pm

      Kelley, You can take them some pictures of your house and get suggestions. Their services and selection are amazing!

      Reply
  3. Val - Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids says

    April 25, 2016 at 3:43 pm

    I hadn’t really considered too much, if any “metal art” til our visit this past weekend. Now I’m excited to think about all the possibilities! And I love your photo of looking towards the A-frame building from the shrub area – beautiful!

    Reply
    • A Slightly Better Wife says

      May 3, 2016 at 6:19 pm

      I hadn’t thought much about the metal art either, but now I’m obsessed! Can’t wait to find the perfect pieces to put in our yard!

      Reply

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At A Slightly Better Wife, I share about faith, homemaking, homeschooling, and marriage—along with my passion for creating a non-toxic, intentional home. Life isn’t about perfection, but I believe in making small, meaningful choices each day to do things slightly better than before.

My love for simple living and homemaking was deeply shaped by my grandparents. I have the best childhood memories of being in the kitchen with my Grandma Edna, learning the beauty of home-cooked meals and a well-tended home. My Grandpa Link’s storytelling and wisdom instilled in me the value of faith, family, and slowing down to listen during the little moments that make life rich. Their influence is woven into who I am today and I’m so grateful for that.

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