Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Clement Bolton II.
Dr. Bolton, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve always been into roses. My family used to have a rose bush at the house I grew up in Jackson, MS, where I’m originally from. But fast forward, my wife of 13 years was deployed for four months defending the country as an Army contractor, and I wanted to surprise her with some exotic roses when she returned. Thus, my search began. I stumbled upon some seeds and purchased them from an online vendor, and when they arrived, I followed the directions to winterize the seeds for three months. When that time period was over, I planted ~200 seeds and got three plants. And all three plants died. I was truly disappointed. I then began to search for other methods to grow roses and finally ran across a few companies which sold exactly what I was looking for. I purchased two different rose bushes and planted them. As they grew, I began to research and learn more about them and how to care for them. Approximately two years have passed since that time. Now growing and taking care of exotic and award-winning roses is my passion and as a result, I have decided to start the Honey Rose Nursery!
However, there is more to the story, but I’ll save that for the interview! Moreover, during the time that my wife was deployed, I was completing my Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology at Clark Atlanta University. To me, the roses are a real-life extension of what I learned while earning my Ph.D. See, each rose on every bush is genetically different; and each rose variation is genetically distinct. I often get lost in the science of it all while enjoying the beauty of these hybridized roses.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Some of the most challenging problems that I encounter are the times when the roses get sick, or they die. It’s really the learning curve of learning how to maintain the roses and because I’m still new to the field of Botany (the study of plants). The major obstacle is learning how to monetize my work!
The Honey Rose Nursery – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The Honey Rose Nursery is a company that specializes in growing and cultivating exotic and award-winning roses. I’m am just starting out and want to be known as the company to make exotic and award-winning roses mainstream in a vast majority of neighborhoods. Everyone loves roses and I would like to see more of these exotic and award-winning roses in our communities. This is our goal at the nursery. I am proud of the fact that our company grows some of the most sought after roses in this area. This sets us apart from other nurseries. We have what everyone loves. My dilemma is just how to get the majority of people to know that they ought to purchase their exotic and award-winning roses from The Honey Rose Nursery.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
That’s a good question. Success to me is being able to thrive and not just survive. It’s being able to set a goal and accomplishing that goal. Finally, success is being able to turn my passion into a business and ultimately making this business venture profitable, and ultimately having something to pass on to my three sons.
Pricing:
- To purchase roses from us we begin accepting orders in the fall in mid October-December. Customers place their desired rose orders during this time and we ship the roses in the spring starting in Mid February.
$27.00/ bush + shipping and handling.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 470-485-3430
- Email: TheHoneyRoseNursery@gmail..com
- Instagram: #TheHoneyRoseNursery
Image Credit:
Dr. LaDena Bolton
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