LAHARPE — Of TLC Garden Center’s 25 years, Savannah and Levi Flory have been at the helm 18 of those years.
Their decision as college graduates to assume responsibility for the greenhouse has had a profound effect on the community that is as much professional as personal.
The college sweethearts married and started a family; became involved with civic affairs; and furthered the dream of Savannah’s mother that the garden center become a success.
And the best part? They’re planning for more.
Savannah’s love of horticulture was passed down by her mother, Corinna Heard, who worked for a local greenhouse when Savannah was a child.
“When I was in sixth grade, I went to ‘Take Your Daughter To Work Day’ at the greenhouse,’” she said. “The owners had talked about closing, so my mom decided to start her own business.”
In 2000, TLC Garden Center was born.
Savannah began helping her mother at the store as a freshman in high school. Before long, it became her passion as well.
After graduating from Marmaton Valley High in 2003, she set out to Kansas State University to study horticulture. While there, she met another horticulture major — Levi Flory, a 2000 graduate of Manhattan High School.
Their interests in the same things made them a natural fit.
“Levi and I had a lot of the same classes and we worked together at a nursery as drafters for their landscape design,” she said.
In 2006, Savannah’s mother passed away.
“I tried to run the greenhouse from college during that time,” she said.
After graduating in 2007, Savannah — with Levi in tow — returned to LaHarpe to take over operations of the business.
The couple eventually bought the nursery from her dad, John, in 2010 and got married that same year. The couple has three daughters, Hazel, 4, Jayde, 8, and Leanna, 12.
MUCH LIKE the plants it showcases, the garden center grew and evolved over time. In the first six years of operation, Corinna had expanded the business to include trees and shrubs, as well as gift shop items. This expansion-driven mindset continued with Savannah and Levi when they assumed ownership.
“When Levi and I came back, our emphasis was landscape design,” said Savannah. “We really leaned into that and it became a big part of the business.”
