At Homestead Gardens; Don Riddle's Legacy Is Carried On

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By John Singleton

In the summer edition of Homestead Garden’s in-house publication ‘Inspirations,' owner Don Riddle wrote a foreword called ‘Always Something New.’ It was one of his last official communications. In it he wrote about research in plant genetics that indicated if humans were to disappear from the earth it would only take 20 to 40 years for all plants to revert to their native forms. The trained horticulturalist had spent a lifetime breeding vegetables and plants to fit human needs, but he never lost his humility. In the end, Riddle knew nature would prevail, adding that without human intervention “corn will go back to being a squat, tropical grass, mums would grow as little daisy-like flowers, and variegated foliage would be a thing of the past.”

Don Riddle took pride in Homestead’s reputation as an innovator, and he never stopped seeking ways to make his plants more prolific and disease-resistant to feed and beautify our community.

“Don was a dear friend of mine,” explained Steve Samaras, owner of Zachary’s Jewelers. “Don saw beauty as a gift and built his business on that vision. He told me to be successful you must love what you do and that one’s business is a reflection of its owner. Homestead Gardens is his monument.”

Don Riddle ended his last message to the public on a hopeful note: “I never cease to be amazed by the new discoveries that each spring brings.” On June 30, 2011 Don Riddle passed away unexpectedly.

“It’s been a difficult year. There have been many challenges. Every day I miss my dad and I wish he was here with us,” said Don’s son, Brian Riddle. “But the one thing we’re doing is we’re moving forward at Homestead Gardens with my dad’s values in mind and we’re staying true to his vision.”

Brian Riddle was born in 1976, three years after his father founded Homestead Gardens. The young Riddle grew up driving a tractor, helping his dad build some of the very structures that stand at Homestead’s Davidsonville headquarters today. But filling his father’s shoes as the President and CEO of Homestead Gardens is a humbling prospect for the boy who grew up walking in his father’s footsteps.

“I don’t know that I can fill his shoes. My dad was a great man, a wonderful man,” added Riddle, who is married with two young children. “But business-wise we’re a little different. I come from the management side. My dad studied horticulture. He knew plants and shrubs like nobody else.”

At its seasonal peak, Homestead employs 350 people with annual receipts of approximately $25 million, most of it generated at the Davidsonville headquarters. However, by all accounts Homestead’s first satellite location that opened last year in Severna Park has exceeded all expectations.

“Homestead Gardens is going to continue to be a successful, thriving business in our local community for many years to come,” summarized Samaras. “Homestead was built on a firm foundation. With Brian Riddle at the helm, the business will continue to serve its customers and beautify our homes and neighborhoods like it always has done.”

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