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Josh Spece - In The Country Garden & Gifts

In The Country Garden & Gifts
2587 Quasqueton Diagonal Blvd.
Independence, Iowa 50644
319-934-3620 or cell: 319-327-0927
http://www.inthecountrygardenandgifts.com

Jake Spece is not the only entrepreneur in his family. His brother, Josh Spece, also owns and operates his own business, In The Country Garden and Gifts, located on the family dairy farm near Independence, Iowa. Josh founded the garden and gift shop business in 1998 with some artistic collaboration from his mother, Sue Spece.

Josh has an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Horticulture and a love of unusual plants. Sue has a creative eye and thirty years of experience making crafts. Josh and Sue work together to make In The Country a one- of-a-kind garden and gift shop. Best known for specializing in hostas, In The Country also offers shade perennials, succulents, and dwarf conifers. Josh takes pride in offering everything needed to create backyard water features, including an extensive variety of water plants, liners, pumps, and other pond supplies.

In The Country relocated and expanded the greenhouse in 2012. It now showcases a water garden, a rock garden, a shade house, and an extensive display of hosta plants. Josh, who, like his brother, has spinal muscular atrophy and uses a wheelchair, is always ready to talk hostas with his customers. Hosta collectors (otherwise known as “hosta-holics”) can choose from hundreds of the newest varieties and wander through nearly a thousand different hosta plants on display. In The Country hosts an annual Hosta and Dessert Social where guests are invited to mingle and enjoy fabulous desserts in the hosta garden. The gift shop also offers unique metal garden art, statuary, fairy garden accessories, and other homespun keepsakes.

Josh is a regular contributor of articles and photos to the American Hosta Society's The Hosta Journal and serves as Webeditor-in-Chief on the Board of Directors for the American Hosta Society. Josh also designed In The Country’s website, which includes an online store for long-distance customers. He has spoken to numerous garden groups about hostas, succulents, and water gardens and has created PowerPoint slide presentations on topics including “The Big World of Little Hostas” and “Heavenly Hostas.”

Josh acknowledges that his wheelchair meets with some obvious obstacles in the garden, although he says that with creativity, determination, and support from family and friends, his physical limitations do not have to get in his way.