Dreaming in Green at Wisspering Pines

Dingmans Ferry — Why is a copyright and trademark lawyer working in a nursery and garden center? If you ask Carol Witschel, the enthusiastic new owner of Wisspering Pines, she will tell you she is fulfilling a life-long dream. For 19 years, Carol was a law partner in White & Case, LLP in New York City. She and her husband had a weekend house in Pike County for 22 years and loved the area. So when Amanda Caton and Troy Fetherman were ready to sell Wisspering Pines, Carol was able to really live her fantasy. She bought Wisspering Pines on June 21. And for the record, it’s “Wisspering Pines” after the original owner, Tom Wiss. Carol was excited to tell us her vision for the new Wisspering Pines. PCC: This must be a huge change for you. How did you choose this particular type of business? CW: I’ve always loved gardening, landscaping, and plants. I’ve done a considerable amount of it, but as a hobby. When Amanda and Troy sold Wisspering Pines to me, they agreed to stay on for the summer and teach me as much as they could about the business. I also plan to do some serious education, such as the Master Gardener Program offered through the Penn State Cooperative Extension. PCC: Would you even consider actually becoming an arborist? CW: Possibly. We offer landscape design and installation as well as indoor and outdoor plants and accessories, so even though we have a great landscape crew, it’s important for me to know as much as possible to make good decisions. PCC: What do you think is the hardest part of the business? CW: Keeping a good variety of inventory and keeping them alive. This requires a good staff, care, and teamwork. PCC: Will Karen Batalin be staying on? CW: Yes, Karen has been with Wisspering Pines for more than 10 years and we are delighted that she will be staying. So many of the customers rely on her. Also Tracy Boyle, who recently joined the staff, will be staying on as well, in addition to many of our landscaping crew. PCC: Do you plan to make any changes to the business? CW: We will be making improvements to the greenhouses and the yards. We will also be installing various demonstration areas to display walkways, plants, and trees. PCC: It sounds like you’ve been thinking a lot about this. CW: I have a million ideas. I’d like to reach out to the community more—to get people interested and active in greening up the environment, both indoors and outdoors. I also hope to work with the Dingman-Delaware schools, coordinating educational activities and field trips to our Garden Center. We will, of course, be doing things in stages. PCC: How can a business like yours compete with the big guys like Wal-Mart, Loews, and Home Depot? CW: That’s easy. We offer good service, an informed, knowledgeable staff, high quality products, and individual attention. We want customers to come in, look around, and stay awhile. We are more than just a bunch of flowers. We are a complete garden and landscape center.