South Shore Greenhouse celebrates 40 years

As patrons walked in browsing through rows of plants, Kathy Shore walked with them, asking about their families and what type of plant arrangement they were thinking of this year.

“It’s personal,” she began. “We go through personal life changes” with customers, who are ultimately family as well, she added.

Shore runs the family owned and operated South Shore Greenhouse, located at 39912 Montana Montana 35 in Polson.

Last week from April 26-28, the local business hosted its annual open house, offering cookies and coffee, along with special plant sales and another sure sign that spring is finally in the Mission Valley.

Started 40 years ago by Shore’s parents, Lois and Fred, who is deceased, three generations of Shore women work together to keep the greenhouse going.

Lois, although retired, still makes cookies for the annual open house and spends time at the greenhouse, while Shore can be found talking with customers or employees alongside her daughter, Kari Wise, who also helps run the operations.

“I started out making mud pies” outside, Wise said with a laugh.

In addition to Shore and Wise, customers will see employees Jami Williamson and Abby Feiler walking the property, tending to the plants.

“They’re like my own kids. I love them like my own kids,” Shore said of Williamson and Feiler.

Taking time out during the second day of the three-day open house event, the women ate homemade chili and agreed that since working together so long, they’ve become family to one another.

Shore added that sometimes, her 22-year-old granddaughter stops by to help.

Shore said her parents began their greenhouse venture in Havre in the 1950s. Following a move to Anchorage where they continued their business in the 1960s and 1970s, they moved to Polson in 1976.

There was no greenhouse in Polson at that time, and Shore said that her parents took the opportunity to start their business.

People come in and share memories of her father, who she said was “instrumental” in the greenhouse.

Until 1990, the South Shore Greenhouse was located just two doors down the road. Since then, Shore said, the family business has been at its current location.

Her parents retired from the greenhouse at that time, during which time Shore took over.

“We turn the heat on the first of March,” she said.

For six months, Shore said that the team works continuously growing plants, most from seeds.

Closing each year in September, Shore said that discussions of plants and flowers start during the winter months.

“It’s like it’s a way of life,” she said, adding that the conversations mean it’s a sign that spring is on its way.

There are generations of children that come in with their parents and grandparents to pick out flowers, Shore said.

“It’s very satisfying,” she said. Hosting field trips for local schools, Shore said it’s important to her that she gets to explain how food from the grocery store is started at a greenhouse.

Specializing in annuals, perennials and vegetables, Shore said it’s difficult to put a number on how many different types of plants are housed at the business.

While every year the open house is a significant milestone for the Shore family and community, it’s also a time when customers, friends and family get a taste of homemade cookies that Lois has made each year since 1992.

Keeping record of the batches she’s made through the years, she confirmed that since 1992, she has baked 38,950 cookies for the greenhouse.

“There are people that come in the door and ask, ‘Where are grandma’s cookies?’” Shore said, laughing.

The South Shore Greenhouse is open seven days a week from March 1 until September, 9-6 p.m. each day.

For more information, visit facebook.com/Southshoregreenhouse or call (406) 883-5794.