Suzanne Balet-Haight is excited. Partly that’s just her nature.
But as owner/operator of a flower and landscaping business, Balet Flowers & Design, springtime is her Christmas — and it’s finally spring. Also: she is debuting a new Flower & Arts Barn at her nursery. “We built the whole thing over the winter,” Balet-Haight says, referring to all accomplishments with the “we” pronoun though she has been the sole proprietor of her business for 28 years.
Even so, she has had some help from her family. “My husband sanded all the floors and my mom is staining wood like crazy,” she says describing the days leading up to the barn’s grand opening this year on Earth Day, April 22.
For the Balets, and now the Balet-Haights, it’s been a family affair all along. Balet-Haight and her brother John grew up in the Malta house next to the farm, where their parents, Peter and Marie, still live. As kids they sold their parents’ vegetables at the Saratoga Farmers Market. Balet-Haight’s journey took her to college, two years at SUNY Cobleskill, then on to Cornell University’s agriculture school where she graduated with a degree in ornamental horticulture. After honing her real-world skills with a few internships and entry-level jobs downstate and in Florida, Balet-Haight found her way back to Malta and in 1995 officially took over her parents’ farm. “I expanded it from primarily produce to flowers and landscaping, too,” she said.
5041 Nelson Ave. Ext., Malta
518-584-8555
Soft Opening: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, through April 15
Full Garden Season: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. seven days a week, beginning April 21
Earth Day Celebration: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, April 22
Balet-Haight is known as an exceptionally talented landscaper, often top of the list for those imagining or reimagining their outdoor…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply