Mendon's small-town greenhouse grew from hobby to business

By Joel Featherstone

MENDON -- Drive by this place fast and you might mistake it for a location to buy groceries, with its two soda machines resting on the porch and the nostalgic old-town store flair.

But take a closer look and you'll find it is an entrance to a plant nursery and greenhouse. On the roof there are black cut-out letters that spell "Fonnesbeck Greenhouse." Behind the store are gardens, pathways, trees and six separate greenhouses.

Barry and Tawna Fonnesbeck are a husband-and-wife team that owns and
manages the greenhouse. Tawna said what began as a small hobby by her
husband, slowly turned into a business.

They started out with one greenhouse for their own garden and personal
use. Tawna said they had no intentions of making it a business until after they started giving away plants for friends did they notice the potential.

That was before 1990.

Now, 13 years later, the Fonnesbeck Greenhouse helps Mendon and beyond with plants and trees. Tawna said they have people come in from all
around Cache Valley, Box Elder County and even Salt Lake City.

"They come for the quality of our plants and prices," Tawna said.

Tawna attributes some of their success to their large hanging basket planters. A couple years after the greenhouse opened, Barry began to make the large baskets filled with different types of plants and flowers, and they became a hit. The baskets are used to decorate porches, decks and more.

"We stay really busy," Tawna said. "January and February is the only time it's not crazy around here."

As fall begins, Tawna said most of her sales are perennials, shrubs and trees. For the upcoming holiday season the greenhouse will be selling live Christmas trees and poinsettias.

"I don't mean to brag, but we have really nice poinsettias," Tawna said.

A while after the couple opened the greenhouse Tawna went back to school
at Utah State University, where she majored in piano teaching and minored in ornamental horticulture. Tawna said although Barry never had a formal horticulture education, he has a natural talent.

"He can always tell when the plants need water," Tawna said. "He just seems to communicate with the plants."

Besides being the plant supplier for Mendon, Tawna said the greenhouse
has the only Coke and Pepsi vending machines in the town.

The Fonnesbeck Greenhouse is located at 214 N. 100 West in Mendon. The hours of the greenhouse are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. from April to September and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from then on.

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