If you've bought a seedling or a petunia from a hardware store in Tasmania, there's a very good chance it came to life in Bill Allan's nursery.
Mr Allan and his late wife, Noelene, started Allan's Nursery in Youngtown, in northern Tasmania, almost 60 years ago.
Now millions of seedling sales later, the wholesale facility is on the market as its 84-year-old founder settles into retirement.
"I'm not getting any younger, so I thought it was time to hang up the trowel, as they say," Mr Allan said.
It marks the end of a lifetime of professional horticulture, working in another nursery before opening his own, as well as several direct-to-consumer garden centres along the way.
"There's nothing better than to sow some seed and to see it germinate and come up and grow up to become a plant," he said.
"In the long run, nearly everybody in Launceston would have a plant that we produced."
From Bill's backyard to Bunnings
The almost two-hectare site produces an eye-watering amount of plants every year, destined for every corner of the Apple Isle, including Bunnings and Mitre 10 stores.
It's the largest facility in Tasmania specialising in seedlings and potted colour.
"Individually we sell about 70,000 herbs. Potted colour we did about 116,000 last year and we're set to do more this year," Mr Allan said.
"As far as seedlings go, probably 8 or 9 million."
But his pride and joy is a flower he bred himself — a unique pansy variety called Storm Cloud.
"It's a real winner, it's got a white stripe on the petals from the front edge to the back edge and we're pretty proud of it."
A valuable asset
Expressions of interest for the nursery have closed, and real estate agent with Shepherd and Heap Commercial, Ian Singline, said he's had a good amount of inquiries.
"I've never sold anything quite like this," he said.
"The dollars are in the infrastructure, sitting on a near two-hectare block and of course the strong business.
"I think in anyone's language it'd be 3 million plus, plus the stock."
Mr Allan said he just hoped whoever bought the place continued the wholesale nursery operation.
"We've agreed to give them some assistance and free advice and wages for a period of time," he said.
"Hopefully they'll employ all the staff we have on now because one's been here for 44 years and another chap's been here for 46 years."
Once the handover is sorted, Mr Allan said he would focus on a different type of greenery.
"I'm a life member of the bowls club, so I'll put a bit of time in on the bowling green."
