86-year-old says her greenhouse business isn’t stopping anytime soon: ‘I’m still here’

EDDINGTON, Maine (WABI/Gray News) – More than six decades ago, a young woman from the UK uprooted her life to follow her heart and move to Maine. These days, the business her late husband started is still in full bloom.

At age 86, Beth Hutchings might not be the mayor of Eddington, but she does hold court over her own corner of town.

Hutchings was born in Northern Ireland and lived there until fate intervened and brought her across the ocean.

“Well, I met my husband in Northern Ireland. He was in the Navy. Belfast is a big city, and I went with my uncle to look around the ship that came in there, and that’s how I met him,” Hutchings said.

After that chance encounter, Hutchings eventually followed her new love back to Maine where they put down roots and raised a family.

“I love the state. I love the people here. Mm-hmm. I do!” she said.

Gardening was among the Hutchings’ shared interests. Soon, that bloomed into a business.

“I always had a garden, yeah. And he had a garden and had extra [plants]. This is how he started. He had extra plants and put them at the side of the road. People got them, and then they got more, and more, and more,” Hutchings recalled.

That business still stands today. Over time, Hutchings Greenhouse has grown in size and popularity.

“We seem to be getting bigger and bigger every year,” she said. “It’s a great business. People love it. They’ll tell you. The prices are good.”

Hutchings has been running Hutchings Greenhouse since her husband LeRoy’s death in 2015. Their daughter, Joanie, returns from Northern Ireland every February and stays until the fall to help out.

If you think Hutchings takes it easy during the off season, though, think again.

“I knit sweaters in the wintertime,” she said. She formerly worked at a knitting factory for 26 years.

But every spring, Hutchings returns to her roadside oasis. And even after celebrating her 86th birthday earlier this month, she’s not slowing down anytime soon.

“Well, I’ve done it all of these years and I’ve loved it all of these years. So, I’m still here!” she said.

Hutchings Greenhouse is located at 445 Riverside Drive in Eddington, Maine, and is open daily from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m.

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