Green thumbs span 4 generations at South Shore Greenhouse
Berl Tiskus
Four generations of gardeners check out their picture in the greenhouse. Lois Shore, her daughter Kathy Shore, Kathy’s daughter Kari Wise, and Kari’s niece Ursula Wise, all have great skin from the moist, plant-filled building and good genes.
Berl Tiskus
Lipstick red geraniums reach for the roof at South Shore Greenhouse.
Berl Tiskus
Berl Tiskus
Berl Tiskus
Berl Tiskus
Berl Tiskus
A vase of forsythia and a friendly service sign tell a lot about South Shore Greenhouse.
Berl Tiskus
Kathy Shore holds a tiny alyssum plant, part of a large shipment to be planted at South Shore Greenhouse.
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POLSON — Plants, from tiny alyssum seedlings to lettuce to a decades-old orchid cactus, fill South Shore Greenhouse. And potting, watering, feeding and caring for these plants are four generations of women Lois Shore, Kathy Shore, Kari Wise and Ursula Wise, the youngest at 17.
“My dad’s presence is in our greenhouse, too,” Kathy said. “He was so helpful (to customers) and shared everything he knew.”
Fred Shore passed away last year, but he and Lois began the greenhouse, first in Havre and then the family moved to Alaska. The greenhouse has been on Polson’s south shore since 1978, and in its current location at 970 South Shore Route since 1990.
Kathy has been involved with the greenhouse since she was a sixth-grader.
“Kari grew up in the greenhouse,” Kathy said of her daughter.
Ursula, Kari’s niece, is a junior at Hellgate High School in Missoula. She likes being in the greenhouse and spends her summers in Polson, working with both her grandmothers, one at South Shore Greenhouse and the other at Mission Mountain Natural Foods.
While they have a good time, and tea and cookies are involved, the ladies are all business. Everyone knows what needs to be done and works hard. Lois and Ursula were planting fuchsias, Kari was tending baskets and Kathy was watering plants when a shipment of more than 500 alyssum starts arrived last week.
Of her mother, Kathy said before she starts work one day, she already has planned what she’ll do the next day.
“You can’t stop,” Lois said with a smile, “or rigor mortis sets in.”
They each have favorite flowers and plants. Ursula likes calla lillies, and this year Kathy is stocking a new calla lilly, a white one with a purple throat.
“I love them all,” Kathy said, but begonias are her favorites.
While Lois didn’t name a favorite, she said Bubblegum petunias are a big seller for the greenhouse. They can be used in baskets or for landscaping, need no deadheading and are “huge and wonderful.”
Kari finds different kinds of succulents to nurture and sell at the greenhouse, such as flapjacks, baby toes, jade plants, propeller plants, hens and chicks, and string of pearls.
It’s too early to put plants outside, but Kathy said the nice weather made gardeners ready to dig. She recommends using those planters for growing a crop of lettuce for salads. Then when the lettuce is used up, it will be time to plant annuals.
New plants this year are bright yellow lemon slice super bells, miniature petunias, twister pink verbena, and sun-loving begonias plus others dotted around the greenhouse.
The South Shore crew is gearing up for the annual open house on April 25, 26 and 27. Lois has always baked about 2,000 cookies for the greenhouse open house, but this year she scaled back to 1,000. The open house is “like a party,” Kathy said, since all the plants are in place and look good. People come, drink coffee, nibble Lois’ cookies and enjoy the greenhouse, including Kazbek and Zieke, the greenhouse dog and cat.
