Our love of gardening goes back to our Grandmothers. My grandmother raised 11 children during WWI, the depression and WWII, and she made sure each of her grandchildren knew how to grow food and how to cutup a chicken. My grandmother lived with us, and I learned about gardening and life while helping her with our family garden. While Grandma shared her knowledge, natural methods and skills with, I was bitten by the gardening bug. Renee grew up on a Grady County dairy farm where chickens, a huge vegetable garden and orchard were mainstays. Canning and preserving was a way of life. Renee and I both come from a background of stewardship of the land and wildlife, sustainable cycles and good healthy naturally grown food and plants.
I enjoyed as a youth going to the OKC nurseries to see all the variety of plants. But with the growth of box stores the nursery industry has quickly changed to be just resellers and not growers. Plants are pushed to be in bloom at the wholesale nurseries by the use of chemicals. This impacts pollinators and garden performance. So we saw an opportunity to offer naturally grown plants that we grow safely for kids, pets and pollinators.
We started out as a mail order nursery in Texas. But in 1993 we saw the need to move back to our roots. So we started our planning and relocated our family and Texas plant collection back to Oklahoma and purchased 3 acres in historic Chickasha. I immediately planted the Texas perennials on our vacant land. We also planted an orchard, built a chicken coop and became suburban farmers for our own needs. We continued with our mail order business, and in 1997 joined Ebay and were the first seed and plant sellers on Ebay. In April 2002 we expanded to become vendors at the Norman Farmer’s Market. By 2007 we had joined the fairly young Oklahoma Food Cooperative. Over the last 25 the years we have hired and mentored over 22 local youth to help with the planting, potting and weeding. We couldn’t have grown or maintained our nursery without them.
Each year I attend field trials to decide what we will grow for our markets. Our year starts in the prior summer planning, and these visits to field trials allow me to see what is new and, more importantly, how particular plants will grow in our climate. It can be a challenge to grow in Oklahoma! But our plants are Oklahoma tough because they are grown here in our climate and in a natural way with no chemicals. What we grow is totally safe for pollinators, which is of upmost importance to us. We also test every plant we sell by planting and observing growth habits and viability. We use non GMO seed and natural fertilizers such as fish emulsion, manure, alfalfa, green manures and compost.
We are probably one of the largest natural perennial growers in the state. As an example, we offer over 40 different daylily varieties, as well as 300-400 other perennial varieties. Among these varieties are new introductions, proven perennials, heirlooms and some hard to find outstanding cultivars. Our new focus since 2010 is hybridizing daylilies and hardy hibiscus. Our display gardens are open by appointment during iris, daylily and hibiscus peak bloom. In 2017, Renricks was an open garden for the 2017 American Hemerocallis Society Regional Meeting in OKC during June 16-18.
The Gardens at Renricks are in zone seven located in the beautiful Wash*ta Valley of Oklahoma. We are a natural grower using no chemicals. We don’t feed with every watering and our plants are growing in the extremes of our southwest Oklahoma climate. We plant what we sell in our own gardens, and field trial new introductions in our display beds, so we can say that our plants are “Oklahoma proven”. So like ‘range cattle, they are hardy stock. We can say with confidence that if a plant can survive here, it will thrive in most parts of the country.
Renricks is a perennial nursery where we grow all of our plants out in the elements. Rarely do we sell directly out of the greenhouse. But when we do, it is noted. In addition, we do field production of daylilies and our own hibiscus. We grow approximately 1000 different registered modern daylilies and 1000s of daylily seedlings, as well as hybridizing our own daylilies and hibiscus. We grow over 20 different named hardy hibiscus and will be offering seed crosses and open pollinated hibiscus seed in 2018.
We also, for 2018, are launching our Great Plains Seeds, which are all Non GMO and non-treated seed. It is a work in progress!
Check out the new Facebook Group Natural Grown Perennials. We have started adding albums of perennials that will thrive in most areas of the country. I just added a hardy hibiscus (zones 4-9) album and later this week will be adding hens and chicks, perennial vines and other unusual perennials.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1690159271041530/
If you live in Oklahoma I can deliver prepaid plant or seed orders at one of the festivals or farmer’s markets:
We will be at the following festivals:
Brookside. Tulsa 36th and Peoria April 14th
Sand Springs Herbal Affair & Festival April 21st
Jenks Herb and Plant Festival April 28th
Mayfest Art Festival, Norman May 5th and 6th
I will be at the following Markets:
Edmond Farmer's Market starting May 12th. 8-1 pm
Norman. Starts first Saturday April 7, 8am-Noon Saturday’s Tuesdays from 4-7
Oklahoma Agriculture Market 2800 N Lincoln on Tuesday’s. Start 4/9 11-2 pm
Childrens Farmer’s Market on the first Thursday of every Month Starting in April.
You can email us at [email protected] for a complete seed listing and order form.
Follow us on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/renricksfarmandgardens/
https://www.facebook.com/redearthdaylilies
We love meeting our customers at the many farmer’s markets, Oklahoma Food Coop and gardening festivals we attend during April and May. You can follow us on facebook.
Renrick’s Farm and Gardens: https://www.facebook.com/renricksfarmandgardens/
Red Earth Daylilies: https://www.facebook.com/redearthdaylilies
Thank you for supporting us.
Rick and Renee
