“It was always my dream to own my own greenhouse,” Heintzelman said.

Business has already been brisk, with gardeners buying up everything from hanging baskets to blooms that will adorn gardens. There were originally 3,000 hanging baskets at the nursery but now only 500 remain. From the shockingly colorful fuschia to the popcorn plant (smells like buttered popcorn), there is so much to discover in Fairfield’s greenhouses.

Heintzelman is always ready to answer shoppers’ questions and he is quite qualified to do so. He had worked at Simmer’s Nursery for two years and has his degree in landscaping, which he worked at for seven years.

When the former owner, Bill Simmers, decided to sell the nursery, he had a conversation with Heintzelman.

“When he was ready to retire, I couldn’t see this place going downhill because I shopped here for 10 years,” he said.

This nursery is more than a vocation for Heintzelman. It is a passion. It all started with his grandmother and grandfather, who had apple trees and gardens while he was growing up and taught him how to tend to them.

“I am happy. Plants just make me happy. Always had a green thumb growing up,” Heintzelman said.

As spring blooms are being carried off to cars by gardeners, Heintzelman is already planning for fall. Any day now, 4,000 mums will arrive and fill up some of the eight greenhouses. Along with the mums, there are plans to have scarecrows, hay bales, pumpkins, gourds and a variety of grasses.

Heintzelman is also already planning for the holiday season, which will include a visit from Santa complete with hot cocoa and cookies. Poinsettias, swags, wreaths and more will replace the fall plants.

“Hopefully, we will have Christmas trees, if we can find them this year. I am big into Christmas. We do 120 trees at our house,” he said.

The new business owner is quick to thank Walker and his six employees for their hard work and all the people who have supported him along the way.

Heintzelman said, “Kudos to all the locals who are supporting us; we had people from Sunbury and Northumberland. I can’t say thank you enough for supporting us in our first year.”