Thursday, September 13, 2012
Fall is in the air. The seasons have started to change around Atlanta, Georgia and that can mean lots of things. For those of you who love to plant fall gardens, mums and pansies are probably a constant topic of discussion. Both of these flowers bring color and beauty to homes around the city. You may be thinking that you can go to any garden center and find all sorts of varieties but have you ever thought where they get these plants from? One major source of fall plants that you find in stores comes from two brothers who bought their father’s plant business. Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle is about an hour from downtown Atlanta. Doug Smith and his brother run their property, which includes eight large greenhouses, as they grow all sorts of plants throughout the year. I photographed their operation for a Three of a Kind photo feature for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Shannon Chisholm waters hundreds of mums at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
Cracked buds can be seen on the mums at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
Kristy Garfias uses a plug transplanter to plant pansies into flats at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
Shannon Chisholm waters hundreds of mums at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
Shannon Chisholm waters hundreds of mums at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
Cracked buds can be seen on the mums at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
Shannon Chisholm waters hundreds of mums at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
Shannon Chisholm waters hundreds of mums at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
Cracked buds can be seen on the mums at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
Cracked buds can be seen on the mums at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
Taylor Beard (left) and Doug Smith work to transplant pansies into flats at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
Kristy Garfias uses a plug transplanter to plant pansies into flats at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
Shannon Chisholm waters hundreds of mums at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
Shannon Chisholm carries mums to a movable cart at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
Shannon Chisholm waters hundreds of mums at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
Shannon Chisholm waters hundreds of mums at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
Doug Smith (right) and Taylor Beard work to transplant pansies into flats at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
Cracked buds can be seen on the mums at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
Shannon Chisholm waters hundreds of mums at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
Shannon Chisholm waters hundreds of mums at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
Thousands of pansies sit in one of eight greenhouses at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
A dianthum blooms in one of the greenhouses at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
Shannon Chisholm carries mums to a movable cart at Smith Plant Factory in Social Circle on Thursday, September 13, 2012.