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August 19, 2016 CapitalPress.com 15 Nursery specializes in succulents By JANAE SARGENT Capital Press After a career in the recre- ational vehicle industry, Bar- bara Diamond followed her son’s interests to start Dancing Lizard Gardens — one of only a few specialty succulent nurs- eries in Oregon. Dancing Lizard Gardens is a 12-acre wholesale nursery in Junction City, Ore. Diamond sells hardy suc- culent arrangements to home- owners, garden centers and online gift catalog companies. Her succulents have been used as gifts for a variety of occa- sions including weddings. Diamond was laid off from her 23-year career at RV mak- er Country Coach in 2005 and started looking for other sourc- es of income. While she was iguring out her next steps, she took a trip to Decker Nursery with her The Dancing Lizard Nursery’s most popular products are succulents planted in frog and bunny containers and a variety of potted succulents. Photos by Janae Sargent/Capital Press Barbara Diamond stands by her selection of succulents at Danc- ing Lizard, a specialty nursery she started after 23 years of working in the recreational vehicle business. son, Jerry. Walking around the nursery, he begged her to buy succulents for him to take care of. “He really got into them,” Diamond said. “He had them all over the place.” ing to Bi-Mart, Jerry’s Home Improvement and Market of Choice and expanded the busi- ness to do drop shipments for catalog companies. Diamond said succulents are good plants to have because they are easy to care for and people are attracted to the vi- brant colors. In addition to selling potted plants, Diamond designs ar- rangements for specialty con- tainers, wreaths, birdhouses and baskets. Her most popular items are specialty arrange- ments she designs in bunny, frog, cat, owl and seashell con- tainers. Diamond studied landscape horticulture at Oregon State University and had experience with succulents. Designing arrangements is Diamond’s favorite part of owning Dancing Lizard Gar- dens. She said she looks for complementary colors and in- teresting textures when design- ing her container gardens. The nursery is managed and maintained by Diamond and her family. Diamond’s busy season goes from Valentine’s Day through Mother’s Day with the majority of her plants selling as gifts. She also stays busy year- round shipping for catalogs and selling to garden centers. Diamond said if she had started Dancing Lizard Gar- dens when she was younger, she would have expanded it to be a large operation but that she is happy with where it is for her. “I’m not the kind of person to sit around and do nothing,” Diamond said. “There’s always something to do here and I real- ly enjoy it.” When her son went to col- lege in Ithaca, N.Y., and left his succulents at home, Diamond thought she would give a suc- culent nursery a try with her husband, David. Diamond started out sell- N16-4/#7 N16-2/#8
