By: Evelyn Spear
 |
| The Mad Potter Garden Center & Florist sits on Main Street. The local garden center is family-owned and run by Derrell and Nancy Brown and their daughter Consuela Brown. |
 |
| A metal archway marks the path toward the front door of The Mad Potter. “It has actually been one of our busiest years ever,” states Consuela Brown. “People are at home and they have the time to plant and do things in their yard.” |
 |
| A mulch path leads through the rows of flowers to the front door. Each row is lined with the various sculptures, metal art, and birdbaths that they sell. |
 |
| The front of the building has been overtaken by vines that frame the aging windows. The Mad Potter opened in 2006 and celebrated its 15th anniversary in April. |
 |
| A terracotta frog sits by the front door, welcoming guests of the garden center. Terracotta and stone garden ornaments like this one are scattered throughout the garden center. |
 |
| Supplies for a fairy garden sit on a shelf just inside the door. Fairy gardens are a popular garden ornament; these ornaments are designed to make a garden look like a fairy village. |
 |
| A shelf of succulents rest underneath a grow light by the cash register. According to Consuela Brown, this is the area that attracts the most college students. |
 |
| Consuela Brown overlooks the florist’s station where her mother, Nancy Brown spends the most time. “My mom does prom bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages.” explains Brown, “She’s also done weddings for years.” |
 |
| Consuela Brown shows off a jar of locally sourced honey. This jar contains an edible piece of the honeycomb. |
 |
| Consuela Brown walks toward the potting shed, a workspace where she will move plants into decorative pots. “I like the outdoor stuff,” states Brown, “I like the perennials and annuals and, you know, planting pots.” |
 |
| A welcome sign rests on an open door that leads into the potting shed. Many signs like this one line the interior walls of the building. |
 |
A wheelbarrow of soil sits next to a workbench inside of the potting shed. The workbench is set up with all the tools that Consuela Brown needs while potting plants. |
 |
| Consuela Brown holds a sage plant, one of the edible plants that can be found at The Mad Potter. There is also a variety of fruit trees and vegetable plants available at the garden center. |
 |
| A hand-painted sign hangs over the section of the garden center where the vegetable plants are displayed. Derrell Brown, one of the people that run The Mad Potter, specializes in caring for these plants. |
 |
| Consuela Brown walks through the area in front of the store where most of the perennial and annual flowers are sold. This is the section where she spends the most time because she specializes in these kinds of plants. |
 |
| Consuela Brown overlooks the popular flower section of the garden center as she explains some of the work that the garden center does within the community. Brown has been the brain behind the flowerpots outside of many businesses in Statesboro like Orchid Restaurant. |
 |
| Andrew Todd is deciding on what flowers to choose for his girlfriend, Lindsey. Her birthday is coming up so he has decided to buy her some flowers to put on her balcony. |
 |
| A pack of purple flowers has caught Andrew Todd’s attention. “This is my first time coming here,” he states, “but this is one of my girlfriend’s favorite places to buy flowers so I decided to check it out.” |
 |
| Andrew Todd lifts the plant to inspect the flowers and make sure it is healthy. “I don’t know much about gardening,” he admits, “but these look good to me.” |
 |
| Andrew Todd holds the flowers up to check the price and decides that these are what he wants to buy. “I am really impressed with the options and I will definitely come back!” states Todd. |
