• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About Us
  • Videos
    • Featured Video
    • Foodie Friday
    • Monthly ReCap
  • Online E-Editions
    • This Week’s E-Editions
    • 2023
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
  • Social Media
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
  • Advertising
  • Local Jobs
  • Puzzles & Games
  • Circulation Request

The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

  • Home
  • News
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Lutz
    • Wesley Chapel/New Tampa
    • Zephyrhills/East Pasco
    • Business Digest
    • Senior Parks
    • Nature Notes
    • Featured Stories
    • Photos of the Week
    • Reasons To Smile
  • Sports
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Lutz
    • Wesley Chapel/New Tampa
    • Zephyrhills and East Pasco
    • Check This Out
  • Education
  • Pets/Wildlife
  • Health
    • Health Events
    • Health News
  • What’s Happening
  • Sponsored Content
    • Closer Look
  • Homes
  • Obits
  • Public Notices
    • Browse Notices
    • Place Notices

Shop seeks to pass along deep-rooted love of gardening

September 8, 2010 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By B.C. Manion

There’s a place off the beaten path in Lutz where patrons can check out enormous beets, fresh leaf lettuce, avocados, sugar cane and other organic fruits and vegetables.

A selection of organic fruits is available at Cheyenne’s Country Thangs

The shop, called Cheyenne’s Country Thangs, 19319 Holly Lane, is open only on Saturdays and represents a love of gardening that dates back to when Lisa Hunt was just 5 and was learning how to grow things from her Native American grandfather.
“He knew the natural way to fertilize. He didn’t call it organic, but he knew the natural way,” said Lisa, who is now passing along her love of cultivating fruits and vegetables to her 5-year-old granddaughter, Cheyenne.
The little girl was at the shop last weekend, nibbling boiled peanuts, drinking lemonade and eating a nectarine. After she finished the fruit, she planted its pit beneath a pile of mulch.
That’s just like her, her grandmother said. Cheyenne was just a year old when she started scattering seeds. She was growing flowers by herself by the age of 4. Now, she’s a big fan of the garden – especially of the many treats that grow there.
Over decades of organic gardening, Lisa has given away many of the fruits and veggies she’s grown to family and friends.
The Lutz woman decided to turn her passion into a business earlier this year, however, after the family’s other business Suncoast Directional Inc. fell into hard times.

Cheyenne enjoys her nectarine before planting its pits at the garden shop her grandmother named for the 5–year-old.Cheyenne enjoys her nectarine before planting its pits at the garden shop her grandmother named for the 5–year-old

The slump in construction hurt the directional boring company, which, at one point had 16 employees and is now down to five, said Darrel Hunt, the company’s president.

“We take care of both of our parents,” Lisa said. “We had to find some other means to try to continue to help them. This helps some.”
The garden shop is a family affair. Lisa and Darrel are there every week, and Cedric – who is Cheyenne’s dad – pitches in twice a month.
Besides helping the family’s income, the shop also provides Lisa a venue for sharing her love of organic gardening with others.
As she walks around her outdoor shop, she points out some of the organic herbs she’s grown – including lemon grass, garlic chives, lemon basil, oregano, thyme and dill. The herbs sell for $3.
She also brags about the shop’s produce. She grows some herself and buys the rest from a certified organic supplier based in Sarasota.
At her place, buyers need not beware of the fruits and vegetables she sells: If they want to taste something, she’ll gladly rinse it, slice it and give them a sample.
She also stands ready to offer advice for planting success and to suggest natural ways to battle bugs in the garden. She plans to begin offering gardening classes soon.
When potting a plant, Lisa recommends a potting mixture of two-thirds potting soil and one-third peat moss.
She also offers a recipe for natural pesticide and encourages the use of ladybugs to combat unwanted pests in the garden.
Although her shop is not visible from any main road, patrons seem to be finding it and seem to like it, too.
“It’s really cute,” said Melissa Grantham of Odessa, who was visiting the shop for the second time.
Ruth Riggins of Lutz was there looking for herb plants and produce.
She was impressed by the selection and prices of the veggies, and by the condition of the plants at the shop.
Ginger gold apples go for 50 cents each; green leaf lettuce is $2.75 a head; garnet yams go for $1.25 each and blood red beets go for $2.50 for a bunch of three.
The plants are very healthy, especially for being grown organically, Riggins said. “It is real hard to do organic here in our state,” she said, adding she knows because she’s tried. “I failed many times,” Riggins said.
Aside from the shop, which is at the front of the property, there are fruit trees galore growing on the 2.5-acre tract. There’s also a shade house and a garden out back, as well as a place where Lisa nurses sick plants back to good health.
Fruits grown on the property include tangerines, kiwis, figs, peaches, pears, mangos, kumquats and bananas.
Darrel said his wife has been crazy about gardening for decades.
“We’ve been married going on 29 years. We dated five years. Ever since I’ve known her, she’s liked plants,” he said.
He recalls frequent shopping trips with Lisa and her mom, and the women’s enthusiastic purchase of plants on nearly every trip.
“We’d come home with a back seat full of plants. I hardly had room to sit,” he said.
The couple wants to pass along that same love of gardening to their granddaughter, Cheyenne.
“Who knows what good it could do for her,” Darrel said.
For more information, go to www.cheyennescountrythangsinc.com.
Lisa’s recipe for organic pesticide

Ingredients
1 small piece of soap
1 dried chili, crushed
1 tablespoon garlic, crushed
12 cups of hot water

Directions
Mix all ingredients into a spray container, then let stand for two weeks – except for an occasional shaking of the container. Once the concoction is ready, spray it on your plants once they reach about 8 inches to 10 inches, as a preventative.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Search

Sponsored Content

6 Reasons to Consider Remodeling your Bathroom with CMK Construction

March 21, 2023 By Kelli Carmack

Have you wanted to remodel your bathroom for a while now, but need that little extra push to make your decision? Check … [Read More...] about 6 Reasons to Consider Remodeling your Bathroom with CMK Construction

Avalon Applauds African American Club of Pasco

March 7, 2023 By Kelli Carmack

One of Avalon Park Wesley Chapel’s main missions is being a champion for culture. “Celebrating culture is a vital … [Read More...] about Avalon Applauds African American Club of Pasco

More Posts from this Category

What’s Happening

03/22/2023 – Florida Landscaping

The New River Library, 34043 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, will host “Florida-Friendly Landscaping 101” on March 22 at 2 p.m. Participants can learn how to create a successful home landscape by following the nine Florida-Friendly program principles. Register online at PascoLibraries.org. … [Read More...] about 03/22/2023 – Florida Landscaping

03/23/2023 – Betmar Chorus

The Betmar Chorus will perform its annual Spring Concert on March 22 at 2 p.m., and on March 23 and March 24 at 7 p.m., at Betmar Acres, 37145 Lakewood Drive, Clubhouse 2, in Zephyrhills. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. The choir will perform a variety of show tunes, hymns, spirituals and classics. Tickets will be available at the door for $5. For information, all 810-837-0520. … [Read More...] about 03/23/2023 – Betmar Chorus

03/23/2023 – Free Food Distribution

The Pasco Sheriff’s Office, Farm Share, Veteran’s Memorial Park, the Gentlemen’s Course, Samaritan Corporation of Pasco County Inc., and the Pasco County NAACP will team up for a free community food distribution on March 23 at Veterans Memorial Park, 14333 Hicks Road in Hudson. The food will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis from 9 a.m., until the items run out. … [Read More...] about 03/23/2023 – Free Food Distribution

03/23/2023 – Paint with Puppies

B Creative Painting Studio, 6013 Wesley Grove Blvd., Suite 103, in Wesley Chapel will host “Paint with Puppies” on March 23 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., in support of the Mercy Full Project. Guests can get creative and cuddle with puppies. Only 50 spots available. An RSVP and $5 deposit is required online at tinyurl.com/PaintWithPuppy. Balance will be due at the event. The total cost of $50 includes a dog bowl, paint, glaze and fire of the bowl. … [Read More...] about 03/23/2023 – Paint with Puppies

03/23/2023 – Puzzle Club

The Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, will host a Puzzle Club on March 23 at 4:45 p.m., for ages 18 and older. Bring some friends. Puzzles will be provided. For information, call 813-929-1214. … [Read More...] about 03/23/2023 – Puzzle Club

03/25/2023 – America is Awesome

Lucas, Macysyzn & Dyer, Injury Lawyers and the Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Community Foundation will host an “America is Awesome Celebration” on March 25 from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 9426 Little Road in New Port Richey. The event will include live music from 5 Shades of Grey and Southbound 75; fireworks; a DJ dance party, silent auction; raffles; 50/50; car show, food and drink; and more. All proceeds will benefit K9 for Partners and local law enforcement. General admission is free. VIP tickets are available. Donations for parking will be accepted. For information, visit America is Awesome Celebration on Facebook. … [Read More...] about 03/25/2023 – America is Awesome

More of What's Happening

Archives

 

 

Where to pick up The Laker and Lutz News

Copyright © 2023 Community News Publications Inc.

   
%d bloggers like this: