||| FROM LORNA VESTER |||
After over 30 years I have made the hard decision to retire from Driftwood Flowers & Nursery. A special thank you to Dale & Sara Linnes for giving me the chance to live my dream. Dale, you have been an invaluable mentor and I appreciate all the help you have given me over the years. (And you too Islanders/Banner Bank for always believing in me.)
Thanks to my community for supporting me, and I treasure all the dear friends I’ve made throughout the many years. Although I know I’ll be seeing you around, it just won’t be the same.
Ken will be at the Nursery to refund gift certificates on Sat. and Sun., November 4th and 5th. Any unredeemed certificates will be donated to local charities.
Also on that weekend anything remaining in the Nursery will be free including furniture, benches, outdoor shelving, gazebo, all fencing and miscellaneous items. Nothing will be held, so bring your truck with you.
The building is for sale and may be viewed during that weekend. The structure and all decking must be removed within 30 days (except , of course, the weekend of Hops on the Rocks).
Again I want to thank you for all the great times. I bow my head with gratitude.
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Lorna, I miss you already! You have supplied our island with a great selection of garden delights and always so helpful with questions on plant how-to!! Thank you!
Lorna! Oh no! I wish you all the best of course. You deserve a very happy retirement. But, what are we going to do without you! You have been my go-to person for flowers for all of those 30+ years. I will really miss you and hope to see you around.
Lorna,
We will miss you so much.
Thank you so much for your dedication
I’m happy for you! and sorry for the rest of us. What will we ever do now?
Congratulations on a job well done, and thank you for sticking with us for so long. Enjoy retirement! You deserve the best.
Oh Lorna, how Tony and I will miss you and your amazing nursery. We too don’t know what we will do without you and your shop.
Retire well, Lorna and know how much you have impacted our lives.
Lorna, I’m a part time islander but always always found you welcoming, honest, and so helpful! I will miss you as will so many.
I echo wishing you much joy and beauty in your retirement. You gave us beauty whenever we came to Driftwood for plants and advice.
All the best!
I had a feeling when I saw the big sale…. didn’t want to ask. No one is more deserving of a good retirement than you are – Thank you, Lorna, for all the years of great service, your extraordinary knowledge of plants, your generosity in so many instances, including with your prices, and all the plants you gifted to this community for things like garden club raffles – to name just ONE – and there were many gifts from you for many years.
I have never seen a harder worker than you! You will be missed so much. The plants in my garden that I got from you over many years have always been special to me; they are even more special to me now. You are with me in the garden through the many plants that came from your wonderful, diverse nursery. You have provided this island so much beauty, good scents, and Life! I wish you the very best, always. You are an island treasure!
The birds living in the trees that have been a part of your nursery will miss you too! Heartfelt thanks and best wishes! I hope to see you around town.
Thanks also to Dale and Sara Linnes for helping Lorna live her dreams, and in turn, she helped us nurture our dreams through her nursery! You could have made huge money and you chose to give us Lorna and this gift to the community.
Hoping and praying this wonderful site doesn’t become a parking lot; that would be a real shame after all these years of magic. Hoping for some kind of win-win magic to continue here.
I’m now officially depressed!! My flower pots just won’t be the same without your expert advice in care and selection. I do hope, however, that you will be enjoying your retirement as much as we have enjoyed your sweet nursery.
Lorna, I’m sad for myself but happy for your well deserved retirement.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and patience with us for all these many years.
Springtime, in the next year will not be the same without you and your many wonderful plants
Thank you Lorna for giving us such Beautiful flowers
I don’t think I’ve heard anyone refer to “Driftwood Nursery.” It was always “Lorna.”
Thank you so much Lorena for all the beautiful flowers and sharing of your knowledge over the years. Our gardens will not be the same without you. Sweet Retirement!!
Lorna, The great things in my garden came from you. I’m responsible for the other things. Especially the weeds. Hope your retirement is everything wonderful. Will miss you and your stunning talent.
Lorna you have been one of my favorite people on Orcas. You will be missed, but deserve the retirement for sure. My garden will be part of you forever. Thank you for everything.
Lorna,
Thank you for providing much beauty and bounty to our community. And thank you for sourcing the big wreath each year for 596 Main, lighting and hanging it was such a joyful ritual this time each year. Wishing you the BEST new chapter!
Oh, Lorna, you are leaving a very large hole in the gardening community, but you’ve earned a long, happy and restful retirement. We will miss you and the wonderful selection of plants you brought to us, and we are so grateful for your service over these many years! Thank you kindly!
Ah, Lorna …. Enjoy your retirement knowing that you have left a wide swath of beauty and joy in Orcas hearts and gardens. Your grace and gentle generosity created a lovely sanctuary for so many. Thank you.
Lorna, Thank You for the great advice you gave me whenever I had a question, also in helping me select plants for my deck. I will miss being able to come down to Driftwood Flowers to stroll thru and look at your plants and just to see what was available. You always had a very good selection to choose from. We certainly will miss you and know if anybody deserves a rest after 30 years, it is you.. We saw how hard you worked to make it a perfect place to buy our plants and we very much appreciated all that you did. Enjoy Your Retirement and we will see you around the Village.
Often, when one retires, one sells the business. This provides the income needed to live in retirement.
I wonder why Lorna did not sell her business to a new, young owner.
I hope that the decision not to sell was voluntary, and not forced upon her by circumstances beyond her control.
At any rate, Jean and I wish Lorna well, and that she will have a long and comfortable retirement.
Dear Lorna,
I echo all of the above. I want to thank you for one important lesson you taught me. I noticed some rather forlorn looking starts, and in a regrettably glib way said something like ” Will you cut me a deal on those sorry looking plants?” WHOA the ferocity with which you defended those plants! a force of nature! I slunk away. . . and have no doubt they’re thriving somewhere today. I learned from you to protect and nurture, not judge, growing things. Huge!
Lorna, thank you for your terrific plants and generosity over the years, both for the library and my family! Phil
The nursery will always be “Lorna’s” in my memory. I loved walking or driving by. The bank … the market … and then a stretch of beautiful plants, flowers and greenery. Orcas Island at its best. You will be missed.
oh Lorna, yes, i’ll miss you and walking through Driftwood at every opportunity when in town feeling the thrill of possibilities in every season for my garden. It became a “Lorna’s Garden” because almost every plant came from there along with tips and hints of good care. Wish you all the best of retired time. Eastsound will not be the same without you.
Lorna, thank-you so much for your always-helpful advice over the years. Happy retirement!
just when my friends and family realized a gift certificate from lorna’s was the perfect gift you are gone. you have provided me so much joy and color and abundance and success living in the light. moving here from a dark glorious redwood forest made everything i did here new and exciting. thanks for you being a part of one of the best things for me living here. growing flowers and even tomatoes and stuff. i smile more with you and your love of gardens in my life. enjoy your time, you have earned it and deserve it as everyone has been testifying. now michael , my husband is going to have to become creative in his gift giving. big hugs and delicious flower smells to you, sally
Lorna,
Thank you so much for all the great advice you have given us and the great selection of plants you have offered over the years. We started from bare dirt and with your help have a pretty good looking garden today. You have given us advice on soil testing, “deer resistant” plants, shady area plants, orcas friendly plants, how to feed acid loving plants, how to get rid of aphids, etc. etc., etc. We will really miss you but wish you the best in retirement!
Carla and Bob
A grandiflora, floribunda retirement to you, dear Lorna!
Best wishes for a long and happy retirement! Summer won’t be the same without a trip to the nursery. Thank you for all your support of the WSU San Juan County Master Gardeners over the years. We’ve enjoyed being at your nursery to help answer gardening questions.
Thank you Lorna for all the beauty and joy you brought to Orcas Island for so many years. Enjoy retirement!!
Lorna,
I wish you the very best in this upcoming new phase of your life! After all the many years of your dedicated efforts to give us gardeners such a beautiful and abundant nursery, you deserve a rewarding change. Most of all, I will miss those warm and friendly hellos as I wandered through your nursery looking for the perfect plant. You created a business that was a central player to the beauty of our island.. You will be missed!
Robin Kucklick
You have brought such beauty to the island and joy to so many. Thank you. Hope the next chapter is full of time with family and friends.
Dearest Lorna;
From Island to Island and back.
Thank you for your knowledge, chats and always the laughter!
May your next chapter be full of sunshine, relaxation
and peace.
The earth laughs in flowers (Emerson)
And you deserve a lifetime achievement award for bring them to us.
Lorna, thank you for 30 years of work and advice., I came to your nursery for one item and always left with at least 3 more. I will miss all that you brought to us and the island. Thank you and enjoy a slower time. I hope I will see you around indeed.
Thanks for all the advice you’ve given me over the years Lorna… will surely miss your presence in town.
Lorna,
You made Anne’s visits to her Orcas home spectacular.
Thank you
Oh Lorna,
What joy you have given to the community all these many years. All the proms and spelling bees you took such good care of our kids when they needed that special floral touch for their special events. So many you took care of. You and your beautiful nursery will be so missed. You certainly have earned your time to rest and enjoy a retirement, I hope it is all you want it to be. Thank you for many wonderful memories.
Dear Lorna, I am sad for us, but happy for you and grateful for all the beauty you’ve brought to our community over the years. I will miss coming to Driftwood and seeing you there. The plants I purchased from you, which continue to thrive, now serve as sweet memories of the very special place you created. Wishing you well!
A well deserved retirement…. But I am surprised as you told me you would have a nursery till you die…..Carroll & I could not wait to see your new beautiful plants when we came to town. Our short stay on orcas was a highlight of both of our lives & you were definitely part of that.
Thank you& enjoy the rest of your life.
Lorna,
Thank you for your beautiful plant nursery and for sharing your amazing knowledge of plants.
Thank you too for all the support you have given the SJC Master Gardeners over the years.
We are so grateful for you and your years of devotion to the community’s gardeners.
We will miss you.
Kate Yturri, SJC Master Gardener volunteer
Dear Lorna, I see you in every corner of my garden. I’ll miss the thrill of awakening when seeing your “Open” sign each Spring, and the discovery of special treasures amidst the abundance of your nursery. But in recent years, while marveling at your stamina, I’ve become concerned about your own well-being, so this is welcome news. A deep THANK YOU for the gift of years of beauty, advice and friendship. But nothing stays the same. Happy new chapter for you!
Oh this is sad for us; as I drove by yesterday and saw the empty space my heart actually ached!! Best to you always dear Lorna and hope you are as happy in retirement as I have been. But I shall miss you terribly now and next spring. Take care and give your sister a hello from me and Lupa….
Thank you, Lorna, for all you have done to bring Beauty and organic gardening to Orcas Island — our home in particular. Michael and Elisabeth
Enjoy your retirement– well deserved! You have been a community staple and hub. The joy on everyone’s faces in early spring when you opened back up was palpable. When the hanging baskets got delivered… it was practically a holiday in this town. You will be missed! Where will I spend all of my money this spring??
YI ou invented “Flower Tuesday” for us when David and I were courting 20 years ago. You have been such a positive part of our lives and we send you abundant Blessings.
Your knowledge, encouragement and guanine integrity are an inspiration. Your Nursery absorbed all the goodness you are. Enjoy your much. – deserved rest. With fond affection Barbara and David
Every Day was flower day!!! You will be missed so much….hope your retirement is wonderful!