Margie and John Prevost

Meet Margie Prevost, the owner of Prevost’s Perennials, with her husband, John. She has been the representative for their business as a PRCC member since 2016. Since the beginning, Margie has been thrilled with the progress of the PRCC. “I can see that it is always evolving. In the beginning, we had high hopes for what it would be, and now we are seeing doors opening and continual growth, which is very fulfilling to see as a member of the PRCC and the community.”

The Prevost’s take pride in their business and all that it has become. Although, through their undeniable success, they have never forgotten why they began. “We always wanted it to be a hobby, something fun to do.” They honour this by staying personal in their service and staying open-minded in their innovations.

Margie and John never cease to think outside the box. Through their passion for gardening, they challenge themselves to grow things that typically cannot thrive in the conditions of southeast Manitoba, such as grapes and sweet potatoes.

The Prevost’s have a dream of expanding the experiential components of Prevost’s Perennials. Margie explained, “we are a small, local and service-oriented business that values interacting with the public and sharing our gardening experiences through beautiful things.” They hope to introduce an area where customers can enjoy an afternoon in their vineyard, under the trees, and amid their unique flora and fauna.

Aside from their business and personal ventures with gardening, they are passionate community members and avid volunteers. John and Margie have been known to participate and contribute in as many local opportunities as possible to foster one of their core values which is simply giving! “The experience of giving, in itself, is gratifying in ways that cannot be measured.”

Prevost’s Perennials

Prevost’s Perennials has been running happily since 1995. Margie and John started by providing landscaping products that weren’t available locally and as a perennial supplier for other areas of the province. Every wholesale item they got was sold out in their first year, so they knew they were onto something with huge potential. Every year, they do a little more, and they always sell out.

They wanted to stand out by providing only good quality plants, which is a 24/7 job all on its own. Prevost’s Perennials has grown exponentially in the past few years, so Margie has taken the step to become full-time in the business and retiring from her day job. John and Margie do teamwork on almost everything: the planning, plant care, service, behind-the-scenes work, and watering. In addition, they do custom planters after hours together. John told the PRCC that they split most of the responsibilities to fit both of their schedules because of his position at Premier Tech. However, he typically runs to the suppliers after work while Margie handles the activities on the home front. Margie is the face of the business because she loves to make every customer experience personal. She remarked, “I love dealing with people and giving them what they came to find, even if they don't know what it is when they walk in.” and “it feels incredibly fulfilling when returning customers share their successes from their [previous] visits.” Beyond this, many responsibilities come along with selling plants. The Prevosts' value of providing high-quality products to customers means plant care has become a full-time job. Plants are a business like no other, and Margie and John are business owners like no other.