CNGA LooseLeaf April/May19

7 LooseLeaf  April/May 2019 colorad o nga.org MEMBER PROFILE 4795 26th Street Boulder, Colo. 80301 303.939.9403 harlequinsgardens.com InterviewwithMikl Brawner, Owner Helping Sustain Colorful, Diverse Landscapes How did the company get started? Twenty-five years ago, we began with little money on a site without a good supply of water. So, we focused on low-water plants, natives, and tough perennials that are well-adapted to Colorado. Our demon- stration gardens were also test gardens, which enabled us to learn about xeriscape by direct experience. We tested a lot of unusual plants that were not on the market. Why the name Harlequin’s? Early in my career, I was interested in theater, and in that context, the word means colorful or multicolored (like a jester’s outfit). Our character is colorful, diverse, lively, and playful. Like the outfit, the many colored pieces (our plants) create something bigger than the sum of the parts—like a well-balanced, sustainable landscape. What does your nursery specialize in? We specialize in native forbs, shrubs, and low-water plants, plus we’ve expanded into organic veggie starts, berry bushes, fruit trees, hardy roses, succulents, and a wide variety of perennials. We also sell compost tea and great soil amendments, as well as beekeeping supplies. Wholesale is mostly perennials and shrubs with some fruits. Who are your customers? Our wholesale market is landscapers, municipalities, and organiza- tions, who want natives that are grown tough and perennials that will not poison pollinators, birds, or pets. Permaculture landscapers like our small fruits. Retail has always attracted gardeners that like our ecological approach and our interesting selection of unusual plants and organic veggies, herb starts, and fruits. Where do your plants come from? We buy plants from local wholesale suppliers and a couple of out-of-state nurseries, while we grow a lot of the unusual varieties at our nursery. Three years ago, we started our own wholesale opera- tion, which supplies us and local landscapers and municipalities with pesticide-free perennials, shrubs and some fruits. How did you transition into the wholesale business? We bought the acre lot next door and took advantage of Har- lequin’s reputation to promote wholesale. We are just starting our fourth year and growing from our profits. Our propagator, Gary Meis, has decades of experience—he knows propagation and does it without toxic pesticides. Is Harlequin’s Gardens organic? We are not certified organic, but all the plants we grow are grown without pesticides and without chemical fertilizers. We have two cus- tom propagators that grow for us, organically. Not all the plants on our retail side are pesticide-free, but our wholesale plants are pesticide-free, and all plants we sell are free of neonicotinoids. What trends are shaping your business? First, we’re seeing a movement that is focusing on the micro-biome (soil biology) of plants—promoting the beneficial fungi and bacteria that keep plants healthy. Secondly, native plants are becoming more popular every year. Finally, more people are seeing the landscape as a diverse habitat, not just for pollinators, but as an insectory and habitat for a wide range of beneficial insects. What do you like best about CNGA? I always enjoy the LooseLeaf magazine, my staff and I learn from ProGreen, and I get to know other nursery folks in the business. Learn- ing from others is important in this complex business. Harlequin’s Gardens Sustainable Nursery and Harlequin’s Wholesale