Fraternal Nursery – The Benefits of Gardening and How-To’s

Tilley’s Nursery in Coopersburg, PA, has been open for nearly 50 years. Not only is it a family-run business; it’s also a fraternal one.

Owned by brothers Tom (who passed away in April) and Brother Rick Tilley, P.M., Saucon Lodge No. 469, Coopersburg, Tilley’s offers a wide range of products to enhance your curb appeal and make your outdoor space more enjoyable. They offer perennials, trees, shrubs, lighting and décor.

Tilley’s continues to support the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania’s Liberty Tree Project, launched in 2021. Earlier this year, brothers helped the staff pot the trees at the nursery.

“The whole family has been involved with Freemasonry, including Tom and Rick’s father, James; brothers Bill and Mark; and Rick’s son, Christopher. Their mother, Anna, is a Past Worthy Matron of Eastern Star,” said Lois Tilley, Tom’s wife, who manages the financials for the business, as well as other roles. “Freemasonry is very important to everyone.”

As is the world of gardening. In 1982, Tilley’s opened a retail garden center, which is still going strong today. During the pandemic, more people were spending time at home and got into gardening for the first time.

“I attribute our longevity to good customer service, our knowledge and if we don’t know the answer to something, we’ll find it,” Lois said.

“We want our customers to be successful with their gardening endeavors, and that makes us successful.”

Lois has given out many tips and tricks for gardeners over the years, including “educating yourself” about plants and not “beating yourself up” if something dies. “It happens to all of us,” she said.

The best time to plant in general is in the fall, when the shrubs, trees and perennials are spending more of their energy producing “root growth,” rather than “top growth,” thereby producing a healthier plant. Most flowering trees and shrubs bloom in the spring, not fall. Some examples of late-summer/early fall flowers include blooming anemones (flowering perennials), sedum (drought-tolerant plants) and mums.

Landscaping and gardening can add to a commercial building’s appeal by making it look nicer and more inviting for people to visit, Lois said. A home garden can increase the property value and add to curb appeal. Large, mature trees, for example, will help shade a home, cooling the house and even decreasing energy bills.

The number one gardening tip is to “do your research,” Lois said, either through a legitimate online gardening site (she recommends PerennialResource.com and MissouriBotanicalGarden.org) or through a larger state university that offers a horticulture program or its own botanical gardens. In Pennsylvania, for example, there are several master gardeners available through Penn State University.

Lois’ second tip is to buy plants from a local garden center and support small businesses. Check the plant tag to see if it’s an annual or perennial, how to plant it and how large it will become, and use this as your guide.

Lois recommends “knowing your growing or climate zone,” so whatever you’re purchasing will thrive. You can find this information by visiting the U.S. Department of Agriculture map. You also should know the “exposure” of the area you want to plant, because some flowers do well in the shade, but not in the bright sun. Others do well in part sun and part shade. Before buying your plant, check the attached tag for information on what it needs to grow well.

“Pay attention to how and where the sun rises and sets throughout the year,” she said. “That will tell you how much sunlight you get.”

Most importantly, be careful with watering. Too much water can actually kill plants, Lois said. The best time to water plants is in the early morning or late evening, but not in the heat of the day. If water droplets land on the leaves in bright sunshine, it intensifies the heat and burns the leaves. Water the base of the plant, not the top of the plant, when planting in the ground. Be mindful of the weather; it makes a big difference.

“If you know you’re going to get three or four days of rain, there’s no sense in going out and watering your plants the night before,” Lois said. “The same applies when it’s sunny and humid. When I look at my plants, they will tell me if they are thirsty. They start drooping and don’t look good. You water them, and they perk back up again. People whose livelihoods depend on the weather pay more attention to it.”

In the end, Lois said, a lot of gardening is trial and error. Don’t be afraid to ask questions of garden center employees, such as “Where should I plant this?” “Will it come back every year?” and “What is the best fertilizer to use?”

And don’t worry if you think you don’t have a “green thumb.” Everyone has potential. Although an avid gardener herself, Lois said there is always more for her to learn. She does accounting for the company and was mostly self-taught in gardening through internet searches and by researching different plants, varietals and bloom times.

“I’d say the biggest thing is to rely on the experts,” she said. “Most garden center employees have their own gardens at home and can relate to your successes or failures.”

At the end of the day, gardening should also be therapeutic. Being out in nature and breathing fresh air has been known to help with grief and as part of therapy for people with mental illnesses.

“There’s something popular in Japan called ‘forest bathing,’ where you go out in nature and experience the calming effect from being surrounded by living things, trees and the air,” Lois said.

“With gardening, it’s the same thing. You are working with the soil and getting your hands dirty. It distracts you and gives you the satisfaction of seeing all the color and beauty around you. It makes your house look beautiful when everything is in bloom.”