Business owner decorates for all seasons

Published 11:11 pm Wednesday, October 18, 2017

: Holly (Larson) Beenken, the owner of Garden Diva in Hayward, has been transitioning the merchandise in her store from the fall to Christmas season. - Kelly Wassenberg/Albert Lea Tribune

HAYWARD — While some might think twice before opening a business in a small town like Hayward, Garden Diva owner Holly (Larson) Beenken had no desire to look anywhere else.

“This is where I grew up. I know most of my clientele on a first-name basis,” Beenken said. “Why wouldn’t you want to be a part of the community that you know and where you grew up?”

Beenken received her bachelor’s degree in environmental design with a minor in horticulture before opening up her shop over 10 years ago.

In the beginning, she was merely looking for an office space in which to do her landscaping design work. When a larger space came available, Beenken was able to expand her vision for her business to include home decor, seasonal merchandise and fashion boutique items, such as jewelry and scarves.

Holly Beenken sells home and seasonal decor, boutique items and unusual plants and foliage out of her business, Garden Diva. Her business specialty, however, is landscaping design and installation. – Kelly Wassenberg/Albert Lea Tribune

Her projects range from custom pots customers can purchase, individualized projects for business and home to large-scale community projects, including the Albert Lea Splash Pad.

“That was exciting — to be a part of the community and help with projects like that,” Beenken said of the project.

Beenken has moved her custom design work to indoor settings, as well. Along with coming to a client’s home to do landscaping projects and larger custom pots — which would be challenging to move — she also does general and seasonal indoor decorating.

“Every season we change the store out completely,” Beenken said.

At the moment, she’s working on changing everything in the store over from the fall season to the Christmas holiday season.

Beenken, who said her parents frequently help her in her business endeavor, goes to markets to find distinctive items to bring back to her store.

“We like to go find unique things, and it’s part of the fun and adventure of doing this,” she said.

Her focus is still on the landscape and design aspect of her business. Beenken said she carries a variety of unusual plants and foliage that are not typically found in the area, yet can still survive Minnesota’s climate.

“We just love what we do, so we want to keep doing it and get people more excited about landscaping and gardening — even if it’s just a couple pots right outside your front door,” Beenken said.