Hey, my name is Eleah, or Lea for short and I am currently working on starting a business for a nursery specializing in tropical hibiscus as I create my own varieties. I will be doing things extremely small scale for starters but I would eventually love to see if I could lease land for a heated greenhouse when things get a bit bigger.
Preferred location: Macomb, St. Clair
Desired Transitional Agreement: Farm Seeker/Farm Owner Partnership, Lease, Lease to buy, Working arrangement with future partner
Jan 6, 2025
Desired Acreage
- < 1 Acres
- 1-5 Acres
- 5-10 Acres
- 11-25 Acres
Desired Infrastructure
Desired Land Usage
Goals, Values, Vision
I have experience in many aspects of farming. From animal care, to gardening. My eventual goals is to have a homestead for my family -my husband, toddler and I- but business wise I would love a nursery. I love plants. My specialty is tropical hibiscus. We both grew up in Michigan but moved to Florida 8 years ago and recently moved back to Michigan because we knew being closer to family was the best option for us. We miss the tropical weather and my beautiful tropical plants. I hybridize my own hibiscus varieties and brought back with me my extensive collection.. at least 200 plants or so.
My husband is a landscaper and used to have a landscaping business while we lived in Florida. We both do not mind helping out and making different arrangements in addition to a small land lease.
I am slowly working on propagating my varieties and eventually want to sell them as houseplants here. Currently mine are in the house and in the garage as they cannot have cold weather, but I would love to expand to a heated greenhouse. We wont be in a position to buy a home for many years at least, so I am trying to look into alternative ways of starting my business and the future expansion dreams I have for it to become reality.
Farming Status
Current Farming Status
Current active business plan
Farm Experience/Education
Farm internship/apprenticeship, Farm owner
Mentoring
I am seeking mentorship
Farming Plans and Practices
Farming Method
Organic Practices, Conventional
I use fertilizer for my plants, but I do not spray for bugs. Pests are a nightmare but I prefer more natural methods. For my current plants I use natural predators like ladybugs.