Drought Forces Long-time Nursery To Close as Business Wilts

Northeast Georgia's severe drought has dried up business so much at an Athens retail nursery that the longtime business will close at the end of the year.

Already stung by the late freeze last spring, Charmar Flowers & Gifts on Gaines School Road has suffered an 80 to 90 percent drop in sales of bedding plants due to the drought and associated ban on outdoor watering, said Chris Butts, who operates the business with his parents, Bruce and Pam Butts.

"We have decided that Charmar will be closing on Dec. 31," Butts said. "Emotionally, it was a really hard decision, ... but economically it's kind of a no-brainer."

Watering bans this year and in 2002, plus partial watering restrictions in four of the last five years, have taken their toll on the business, Butts said. Business is off more than 30 percent for the year, Butts said.

"That's kind of what made the decision for us," he said. "How many of those kinds of conditions can you survive?"

Adding to Charmar's troubles, Athens-Clarke police called Bruce Butts to his store late Tuesday night while investigating outside watering of his nursery plants, even though Charmar has its own well and a special-use permit issued by the county to allow outdoor watering.

An officer told Butts he was watering illegally and tried to get him to sign a warning document, even though Butts explained that he was using his own well and also had a special-use permit that allows Charmar to water its plants.

Butts said he refused to sign the warning and was threatened with arrest, but convinced the officer to look at the permit in Charmar's office.

However, the police report did not show any effort to arrest Butts, said Maj. Carter Greene, commander of Athens-Clarke Police Department's Uniform Division.

Police were unaware that Charmar had a special-use permit, though the Athens-Clarke Public Utilities Department keeps a list of those permits.

The police department, which helps enforce the watering ban, did not have a list of special-use permits, Greene said, but received one from public utilities Thursday afternoon. Police also keep a list of properties that have a well, pond or creek and, therefore, may legally water from the alternate source, Greene said.

The officer had gone beyond the department's policy regarding outdoor water use, police Chief Jack Lumpkin said.

"What we should be doing is observing and documenting water use, and then we turn that information over to (public utilities) to determine whether there's a violation," Lumpkin said.

Even with permission to water its inventory plants, though, Charmar's demise came from its customers' inability to water.

Bruce Butts said it's difficult to close up a business his mother started 36 years ago.

"We've had three generations working extremely hard, and it's very sad to have to see it close up," he said. "We've got a real good group of loyal customers, but I can't blame them; they can't water."

Longtime customer Lori Dillard, an eastside resident, said she'll miss shopping at Charmar.

"Charmar is synonymous with feeling good," Dillard said. "It just saddens me so much to think they are not going to be there."

Another eastside resident, Joel Stowers, agreed.

"They provide excellent quality materials, and they are just friendly people to work with," said Stowers, who stopped by the store Thursday morning. "We're going to miss them."

Charmar will host its regular holiday open house Nov. 3 and doesn't plan on a traditional clearance sale, Chris Butts said.

The family is talking with two different people interested in buying the business. If the business is not sold, the Buttses plan to sell the property, which already is listed with a real-estate agent.

Mary and Charles Hendershott, Bruce Butts' mother and stepfather, started Charmar in 1971 after they were asked to grow marigolds for the now-defunct Winterville Marigold Festival. Charles Hendershott was chairman of the University of Georgia horticulture department at the time, Butts said.

"The Winterville marigolds got us started," Butts said.

Charmar also operates greenhouses in Winterville, where the family grew bedding plants, and Butts said they may use those facilities to provide wholesale flowers for area landscapers.