Courier photos by Ellen Mortensen

ELLEN MORTENSEN

For decades the corner of Kimball Street and the River Road has been occupied by a gas station. Just about everyone in the area was familiar with Corner Stop, and its long-time owner, Robert Pitkin. Now the corner has a new owner, and a new look.

Jessie Bloomer and her mom, Mona Geiser, took ownership of the property at the end of April following Pitkin’s retirement. “I took my plant business that I was running out of my home and moved it over here, and opened the doors right away,” said Bloomer. Within days after signing on the dotted line to purchase the building, The Plant Stand was in operation.

“Within just the first couple of weeks after opening, we hosted my youngest daughter’s graduation reception here, were open for Mother’s Day and got ready for Memorial Day,” said Bloomer. “We also decided to do outdoor perennials and got that going. Within just one month we were already doing more product than what we thought we were ever going to do.”

The plan is to build a greenhouse on the west side of the existing building, and Bloomer said she and her mom were not anticipating selling outdoor plants until then. “But I came into a vendor who said they could set me up with perennials so we could have some things ready for Memorial Day, so we just took off running,” Bloomer added.

The Merna area native said she has always loved plants and gardening, and comes from a farm/ranch background. But it was her grandmother who she credits with first developing her love for plants. “My grandmother always had lots of plants and flowers she didn’t have much grass to mow because she had so many flowers,” Bloomer laughed. “I’ve always wanted to do something like that, so when I got done with my degree I decided I wanted to do something different for a while and started selling plants last holiday season at craft and vendor shows. And it just did way better than I could have ever expected.”

Bloomer laughed as she recounted how positively the public responded when she began spreading the word that she was selling plants. “Our house just became overrun. We raise Great Danes as well, so we had a house full of Great Danes and a house full of plants all at the same time,” she chuckled.

It was then that she and her husband, Jeremy, and her parents sat down and began serious discussions about expanding the plant business. “We all decided that if we did open a storefront we would want to be in Callaway. Callaway offers enough local services to keep people in town, and get people to town, Bloomer explained.

Once they knew that was the direction they wanted to go, Bloomer said they spent a couple of months looking for the right property. When the opportunity was right they met with the Pitkins and came to an agreement that made everyone happy.

“We are very grateful to them,” Bloomer said of the Pitkins. “And we couldn’t ask for a better location.'

Understanding from doing her research that summers are traditionally slow in this business, Bloomer made the decision to add cut florals to help with revenue. “After plants, cut florals was just the next natural step. We have the nursing home, the hospital and a cemetery close by. And we had a lot of support from a couple of other people who used to do cut florals in town,” she said.

Bloomer said they also have a goal to add a coffee shop to The Plant Stand by the end of the year.

She said working in business with her mom is just a natural fit for her, having grown up working with family in the farm and ranch business. The Bloomers lived in Wyoming for about 13 years when he came up for a promotion at his job that would have taken them to Colorado. That wasn’t something they really wanted to do, and Bloomer said the timing was perfect when her parents asked if they were interested in coming back to the farm.

“So that’s what we did. We came back and invested in the farm and brought our family here. I’ve worked for other people, and done other things, but I still think the happiest I have ever been is working with my family,” said Bloomer. “I love having my mom as my partner.”

She said adding the greenhouse will allow them to do some of their own growing and propagation work, and have annuals on hand. The business will be open yearround. They have expanded and added some home decor and gift items, and plan to add a patio with seating in front.

Bloomer said she has been surprised by how well the business has been received by people all around Custer County and the surrounding area. “Being able to serve not just Callaway and the surrounding communities, but to get to serve the whole county, is more than we could have even dreamed of. That’s all we would really like to do is just provide a service and unique place for people to shop. We just want to bring happiness.”

Along with their plants and florals, Bloomer also offers Prairie Girl candles and other locally crafted items. And as a unique twist, you can even buy cotton candy at the store in a wide variety of flavors. “We just try to step out of the box and be creative,” she said.

Along with running her own business, Bloomer is a busy mom. Oldest son, Spencer, lives in Lincoln; daughter, Lila, is attending Chadron State College and is a member of the wrestling team; Kyle is a sophomore; and Chloe is a seventh grader. “Chloe is my plant kid,” she laughed. “I really missed my help when they went back to school.”

The Plant Stand is currently open Tuesday - Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 1 - 5 p.m. They offer a wide variety of plants and florals, as well as party services. With a biology background, Bloomer said she is very cognizant of doing her part to preserve the environment. One way she is doing that is by taking donated floral containers and vases and reusing those.

“We have always wanted to do something beyond the farm, and this is the perfect fit because it’s still agriculture based. So it’s been pretty natural for us,” Bloomer said. “And like I said, we wouldn’t want to be anywhere but here.”