For anyone looking at unique additions to the garden this year, Petal Path is the place to go. Located between Millersburg and Berlin, a third of an acre in greenhouses, plus outdoor displays, gives plant lovers a bounty of choices.

But it doesn’t just stop there. In addition to the large variety, owner Denise Schlabach and her staff come up with new ideas and combinations in their own minds each season, creating beautiful blends and bright mixtures, expressing timeless traditions as well as currently admired trends.

“This year, we really concentrated on doing a lot of unique combinations. There are people that don’t want a hanging basket like their next door neighbor, so we did a lot of two-basket combinations. There’s only two baskets like that,” explained Schlabach. “They’re unique. You can’t just go anywhere and get these combinations.”

Those combinations include everything from currently trendy tropicals, thousands of perennials, the ever-popular bubblegum Proven Winners, Diamond Frost euphorbia, lush ferns, and something called a potunia – a newer type of petunia, bred specifically for inside a pot.

And as varieties grow every year at Petal Path, so does the customer base. The staff, however, remains small, consisting of Schlabach, her mother, and three other employees. Although they may see increased traffic from previous years, each of these ladies stays true to their love of the flowers, as well as their customers, which shows in everything they do.

“The cleanliness of the greenhouse and the organization is probably something people talk about a lot,” explained Schlabach. “I think (customers) like to see us pruning our plants and actually working with them. People always compliment us on how healthy our plants look.”

That commitment to healthy flowers runs deep. Schlabach and her staff are sure to offer each plant it’s own private space so there’s room to grow, as well as proper ventilation. They constantly test the pH levels of the soil, make sure the watering is done just right, and double check that the plants are getting fed the way they should.

“When people leave our greenhouse, they’re getting the best possible plant,” Schlabach assured.

And as well as the staff at Petal Path treats each plant, they treat each customer with just as much care and enthusiasm. Perhaps some of the most customer-oriented services they offer include holding items for interested buyers who are waiting for the weather to break before seriously planting outside. In Ohio, the weather is always unpredictable, but Schlabach doesn’t believe this is a problem.

“What we do for our customers is mark a plant they want as sold, and we baby sit it until they are ready to take it home,” she said. “That means a lot to people.”

Along with that service, every employee at Petal Path is able to help customers create their own unique potted designs. They help choose the best plants and complimentary colors, and then perform all of the necessary work without charging for the labor or potting soil. The customer pays the retail price for the plant and walks away with a custom creation, reflecting their own likes and personality.

“We want to listen to our customers, and if our customers have ideas, we try to follow up on them. We try to listen to them and see what they want,” explained Schlabach.

Whatever a customer needs, Petal Path can help.

“I’m not saying we know all the answers, but if we don’t know the answer, we will find out. We just want everyone to feel comfortable coming in and talking to us. We try really hard to greet everybody,” Schlabach said. “Our customer service in intentional.”

Open Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Petal Path is located at 6584 SR 39 in Millersburg. They can be reached at 330-763-0421.

This article was underwritten by Petal Path.