Meet The Victory Garden's Newest Correspondent, Paul Epsom

I confess that I went to Greystone Gardens the year it opened a lot more often than necessary. I wasn't a confirmed plant-aholic yet - it was just that I loved to listen to Paul Epsom, the owner, speak.

OK, so I'm an absolute sucker for a British accent and always have been. But combine that with his absolute enthusiasm for the topic (gardening) and a lot of expertise and I was hooked. Not just on the nursery but on gardening as it unfolded under Paul's tutelage.

Apparently the folks at the local TV station, WNEP in northeastern Pennsylvania, agreed, for soon Paul was doing a regular spot on their show "Home & Backyard", providing a wealth of gardening hints and tips to the viewers. Of course he usually was being upstaged by his dog, Harry - an incredibly laid back Irish terrier. Harry, when not stealing shows, could be found yawning in the Greystone Garden parking lots as dozens of cars and nursery shoppers drove or walked around him - or "helping out" (most appealingly) in the garden center's Terrace Cafe. But despite (or maybe because of) Harry's antics, Epsom still managed to communicate a lot of good gardening information to the viewers.

Paul made sure that it was Harry featured on his billboards and newsletters and Harry who had the fan club. Epsom recognized a good thing when he saw it, and with typical humor and modesty, gave the popular little dog the spotlight. Everyone seems to love Harry.

So while Harry signed the autographs, Paul built up his nursery business, incorporating both native plants and the rare and unusual, and hiring a knowledgeable staff to answer questions. He then built the Terrace Café on the premises, which offers high tea as well as other interesting fare in both an airy indoor dining room and, in good weather, on a garden terrace. Never one to limit himself to a single area of expertise, Epsom often takes his turn far behind the scenes - in the kitchen making up the soups and stews the café is famous for.

Meanwhile, Harry made personal appearances on the terrace, and many a guest has been caught slipping him a sliver of ham, or simply calling him over to say hi.

But (although few suspect his prowess as a chef) Epsom was not far behind Harry in the popularity ratings. The show broadened his customer base, and gave area viewers more knowledge about gardening, which made many of them more willing to try both the unusual varieties that his nursery featured, and also the native plants that many of us previously scorned. People gathered at his regular seminars and learned more, bought more, and passed the word.

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