This year , Richbar Golf and Gardens is celebrating two important occasions . The garden center has reach its 65th year in business , and perhaps even more impressive co - founder Peter Josephy will change state 100 long time older on June 30 .
The garden center on Red Bluff Road , which now grows more than 600 varieties of annuals , vegetables , herbs , and perennials , began as a veggie farm in the 50s . Peter and his wife , Barendina Wiersma , came to Quesnel in 1951 . They exit Holland in 1948 after the war , spent some time in Alberta and Vernon , and then moved to the Cariboo with a plan to farm white potato vine . They ramp up a family on Sales Road , but they never did plant white potato – instead , they discover success with cultivated cabbage and turnip . In 1956 , the couple moved with their six minor to Red Bluff Road . They make another home on the new property and used the remain 20 or 30 estate to produce craw . By 1957 , locals were starting to ask to buy veg transplant destined for the W. C. Fields , and a greenhouse line commence . Peter and Barendina ’s line of work grow , and so did their family : two more child joined the clan in the ensuing year . One of those youngster was Roy Josephy , who has extend the occupation with his chum Walter and sis Anne since 1982 . Roy amazes at the expansion of his family ’s commercial enterprise in the early yr . “ In six year with six kids , they opened up . I do n’t conceive you could do it that cursorily these days . I started work in the greenhouses when I was 5 years old probably , filling flats and containers . So that make it 57 years working here . ” he mull over . The Josephys finally moved from vegetables into ornamental gardening . They also depart a landscape painting catching business , work on projects across the Cariboo and Northern B.C. “ That was more my mother ’s end of things , the decorative gardening and landscape design , ” says Roy .
Roy consider that many of the fledged tree diagram in the City of Quesnel , in particular in the Johnston neighbourhood which was ramp up up in the early 60s , were brought in by his parents . Some tree diagram were imported from other nurseries , and the Josephys grew others on their own property to replant . “ To get going with , they were import trees from Holland , ” explicate Roy . “ I do n’t consider gardening really had a big start in Quesnel . It was moderately basic around town . In the 50 , most masses were n’t worried about planting prime . And that has develop a lot in town . ” The Josephys have designed and planted many of the amateur fields and spaces in Quesnel , include the association football fields , most of the baseball game diamonds , and the Riverfront Trail . In 2018 , they dispatch plant for the Reid Street redevelopment . “ After that , we decide we were onetime enough to quit that part of the work , ” says Roy . They now only take on the left over contract each class . But there is peck at the baby’s room to keep busy . In 2003 , Roy and his sib created the golf course at the Red Bluff Road property , which attracts golf game enthusiasts from the Cariboo and far beyond . It started from a desire to find a usage for some empty land where the syndicate used to grow sod .
“ We were try out to figure out something to do with the place ; it was growing widow’s weeds , ” says Roy . While skating on the pool with friend one afternoon , a neighbor switch out the idea of a auction pitch and putting . “ A week or two later , we had the applications in for the golf class . It seemed like the obvious thing to do . ” The syndicate also open a café , which became the golf game clubhouse , and the current iteration of Richbar Golf and Gardens was comport – a spring destination . Roy says the fact that the glasshouse sell direct to consumers , rather than transport plant farther abroad , has make them a recession market in the Cariboo . “ We produce our own bedding plants and perennial , so they are set for the season , time in good order for planting here . We move matter from warm greenhouses to cool greenhouses ; we hold them back and control condition increment using temperature . It works for a better foresightful - season plant that way , ” he explains . " That ’s the intellect we are able-bodied to be here with this size of a setup – because we are marketing direct to the public , rather than take plants up from the coast . ” Anne runs the greenhouses and implant them in other March each year . These plants stock the garden center , along with some plants and shrub that are brought in from other suppliers . A family line at its heart , a number of Josephy offspring piece of work alongside Roy , Anne and Walter each time of year . Peter is ever - present , residing in the home on the property , although Barendina passed off in 2016 . Alongside the Josephys , each spring a smattering of employees are call to action – some Modern , some with many years of experience . Melanie Baker has worked at the garden centre every springtime and summertime for 19 years , and Bob Skelly has maintained the golf game class for 13 years . “ Bob get here at 6 a.m. and then goes golf with his buddies at 11 , ” joke Roy .
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