Well-known Newfoundland and Labrador gardening expert Ross Traverse will close his retail operation, Traverse Gardens, on Saturday.
Over 35 years, Traverse built five greenhouses and two acres of manicured nature trails, but he has decided it's time to shut down his retail garden centre in Torbay.
In addition to his business, Traverse has been a consultant, a scientist, an author and an expert in growing any plant life in the cool Newfoundland and Labrador climate.
If your rosebushes didn't bloom or your zucchini plants were eaten by insects, Traverse has been the man in this province to call for decades.
Traverse has taken calls from gardeners all over the province at all hours of the day.
He has been a popular guest on Radio Noon Crosstalk's gardening phone-ins on CBC Radio One. Traverse has heard a lot of stories, which often involved strange bugs.
"'I don't know', she said, 'but it got a great big head and a big long body' and she said 'I'm gonna spray it anyway!'" Traverse chuckled, recalling one agitated caller.
His wife and business partner, Marcie Traverse, who left her job as a nurse to help her husband run the business, said she's going to handle the business transactions on the last day. Marcie Traverse figured her husband would find it all too emotional.
Traverse said he plans to continue answering gardening questions on the internet, do some consulting, and continue to work on new books.
And, he and his wife said they're planning to spend more time relaxing at home and enjoying the fruits of their gardening labours.