The sprawling garden and landscaping business that occupies 16 acres in Millsboro has a big anniversary this weekend.
To celebrate, the East Coast Garden Center is throwing a party and inviting everyone.
On Friday, Oct. 2, and Saturday, Oct. 3, there will be giveaways, discounts, activities and food trucks from Grandpa Mac, Blue Scoop Ice Cream and Coastline Craft Kitchen.
The first 100 visitors will receive a free succulent plant, and items will be discounted by 30 percent.
Chris Cordrey, whose parents, Rick and Valery Cordrey, and uncle Stephen Cordrey started the business in 1990, said the land was “basically a cornfield that had some chicken houses on it” when his grandfather, longtime state Sen. Richard Cordrey, gave the land to them.
“We started growing perennials in the fields,” Chris Cordrey said. Then came greenhouses and a landscaping business. In addition to Chris Cordrey and his parents and uncle, his cousins Mike and Ryan Cordrey joined the business.
“It continues to evolve every year,” said Cordrey, who joined the family business after graduating from the University of Delaware in 2010. “We have anything you can think of, plant-wise. We grow a lot of our own annuals, plants and trees… and we bring in plant material from all over the country to supplement that.”
The landscaping part of the business operates as RSC Lanscaping, offering landscape design services. For those whose garden needs or spaces are smaller, the Cordreys’ container gardens are a specialty.
In past years, the family has enjoyed offering a variety of special events throughout the seasons. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has scuttled many of those plans since March, Chris Cordrey said this weekend’s 30th anniversary celebration will give the family a chance to “give back to the community that has supported us” year after year.
One way the business has given back to the community is through Cordrey Charities. The organization’s main project to date has been a cooperative effort with area schools. To teach plant stewardship, the Cordreys give each student a plant and teach them how to care for it.
“There are mental and physical benefits to working with plants,” Cordrey said.
At Christmas, Cordrey Charities also helps local families in needs. And plans are in the works for more activities promoting wellness and living a healthy lifestyle, he said.
Even during this year’s health crisis, the family has been able to reach out to the community with a Facebook Live event each Tuesday at noon. The livestream is designed to cover a variety of garden-related topics in a fun and engaging way — this week’s topic was “Do these plants make my grass look big?”
The 30th anniversary celebration will be held Friday, Oct. 2, and Saturday, Oct. 3, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. East Coast Garden Center is located at 30366 Cordrey Road, Millsboro. For more information, call (302) 945-3489, visit the East Coast Garden Center Facebook page or visit its website, at www.eastcoastgardencenter.com.
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