McIntire’s Garden Center in Georgetown celebrates 50 years in bloom

Family-owned business McIntire’s Garden Center is celebrating 50 years of growing in Georgetown.

Marking a milestone

In 1976, Ruby McIntire opened the business, later passing it on to her son, Mark Ney. He then passed it on to his daughter, Katie Ney, who has owned it since 2019. The garden center offers plants, supplies, expert advice and sometimes just a place to stroll through the rows of green. A lot may have changed in half a century, but the center remains true to its roots: Prioritizing the customers and the plants, Katie Ney said.

In July, McIntire’s hosted a fundraiser where Katie Ney said she sat in a dunking booth, looking over the building and reflecting on three generations of work.

“What amazed me, when I was sitting up at the top of that dunking booth, is how much [McIntire’s Garden Center] was able to stay the same in all of the change,” Katie Ney said. “In the changes of [Georgetown], we were able to keep our doors open.”

Zooming in

Having grown up in a garden center, Katie Ney understands what plants need to thrive. Rather than using generic care cards, McIntire's provides custom care plans. Katie Ney said she likes to explain gardening topics in relatable terms to help people understand how to help their plants thrive.

For example, a common occurrence, she said, is leaving a plant in the full Texas sun for the recommended six hours, and it dies within a few days.

“That's almost like putting a pregnant lady out in 100-degree August weather all day,” she said. “She's not going to be happy. She's going to [say], ‘I want air conditioning, I want an umbrella, I want some lemonade, I want somebody to take care of me.’"

Something to note

The garden center was involved in a project helping the city of Killeen create a butterfly garden. The project required careful planning by choosing a variety of flowering plants to ensure year-round blooms, creating an irrigation system and setting the plants up for success.

“When [the city of Killeen] was done, they brought pictures,” Katie Ney said. “It nearly brought me to tears. It was so beautiful. It was so much fun to watch that project and the excitement in [the community].”

In her own words

Caring for the health of the plants and everyone who walks through the door is her favorite part of the job, Katie Ney said.

“We all have injuries—whether we are plants, people, animals—we all have things that we need help with. We need water, we need bug care, we need a mental break, we need a hug,” she said. “For 50 years, [McIntire’s Garden Center] has been a place where people can find what they need.”