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SIX ACRES continued SIX ACRES continued Joe Granato with one of the many water gardens on site at Star Ridge Aquatics, LLC. SIX ACRES con't from FRONT PAGE SIX ACRES con't. next column SIX ACRES con't. next column My friend Joe invited me out for a personal tour of Star Ridge Aquatics, LLC. As the bright sunshine and billowy clouds meet against the Carolina blue skies, our adventure begins as Joe feeds the Koi who swirl around their extra treat before the catfish surface, loads his trailer for a service call, and helps a customer choose the right plant for their water garden. With now 25 years of business flowing, the course ebbs and flows as Joe Granato, owner of Star Ridge Aquatics, remembers back to his childhood days in New Jersey with his parents and two older sisters. With his father’s career planted in the corporate world, the family moved to Michigan when Joe was two and returned to NJ by the time he was nine. In 1988, with all of the children grown Mr. and Mrs. Granato once again transfered down South to a little town called Southern Pines. Meanwhile, Joe was working for a landscaper who asked, “Didn’t you say your parents lived in North Carolina?” When Joe found out that his parents were a mere seven miles away from SCC’s acclaimed horticultural program, he made the move in 1991 to begin a year of residency. Thus the path to the Sandhills for the Granato family records a similar journey with many locals who came for a visit and never looked back. With all intents of moving back to NJ, Joe begins, “Once I got down here, I realized I was finally home.” At just twenty years of age, Joe managed a local restaurant and settled into the area. By fall of 1991, Joe was enrolled at SCC and started his original business named Horticultural Concepts, which provided installation of water gardens. As for being selfemployed, that was decided early on as well. In order to graduate from Sandhills, an internship was mandatory leading him to Lilly Pons Water Gardens in Maryland, the largest water garden company in the country at the time. Joe tells, “Soon enough, owner Charles Thomas, who sponsored Victory Garden on PBS, wanted me to be head of propagation, but I declined the offer. I’ve been self-employed ever since and can’t imagine working for anyone else.” Upon graduating from Sandhills, Joe recalls, “I graduated from the program in May 1993, when I was 22 years old and bought this property from Sally Thomas, a real estate agent with Old South Realty. I had to wait for Jimmy Ross to get the tobacco off the field before I could put the driveway in, dig the well, and build the greenhouse. Those are the first three things I did, and I worked out of the greenhouse the first two years.” When he slows, I ask, “What did you want to be when you were a little boy?” Without hesitation, “A race car driver. I just wanted to drive fast. My wife Connie was going to get me a Richard Petty Driving Experience, but that hasn’t happened yet.” I have no doubt with such an impressive start that this will come. Situated on Star Ridge Road, the name came easy. Joe explains, “We’re on Star Ridge Road, and we’re an aquatics business, so we’re Star Ridge Aquatics, LLC. Situated on the highest point in the area, we’re the last to get frost because frost always settles in the low areas. In being up high, we also enjoy a continual breeze which keeps the dew from settling and delays the frost in the winter.” Obtaining the property allowed for the addition of a nursery and a retail location to the already established service and installation of water gardens. In defining Star Ridge, Joe informs, “Star Ridge Aquatics, LLC has been helping homeowners, farmers, communities, and businesses in supplying water gardens and biological pond management for 25 years. From the design, to the building, to maintaining—from start to finish—we provide the entire service for water gardens. The pond management includes biological algae controls as well as the installation of pond aeration fountains.” Quick to note, Joe welcomes any Do-It-Yourselfers who come to buy supplies for the job. Joe offers, “If someone desires to build their own project, they can come in here and pick my brain all they want. I’ll tell them exactly how to do it.” Eager to help in any way, Joe notes, “We don’t do general landscape design; however if someone wants to incorporate a waterfall, koi pond, or pond aeration fountain, we can meet their need.” Never using anything that is pre-molded or pre-formed, Joe custom builds each water feature for the site designated, and the specialties continue with the plants and fish incorporated into each project. At the nursery, Joe grows all of the plants, from the water lilies to the palm trees, banana trees, cactus, agave, Japanese Maples, and so much more. From plants to fish, Joe sells multiple varieties of goldfish and both butterfly and regular-fin koi. In addition, natural pond owners benefit from using the aeration fountains which serve a multidimensional function throughout all seasons. Joe explains, “These decorative fountains keep water surface free of debris; they de-ice by keeping the surface open during extreme cold spells, and most importantly they oxygenate the total water volume which in turn helps the fish and increases the effectiveness of the beneficial bacteria. Other benefits include clearer water, less algae, and an enriched fish population.” Customers can shop Star Ridge for all products from fish food to beneficial bacteria for ponds, pumps, filters, underwater lights, PVC fittings. Joe offers, “Anything that locals need for their pond or water gardens, we have, and our warehouse holds all the big stuff from liners to filters, skimmers, and the overflow of product. We’ve got landscape contractors all over the Carolinas who buy from us as we’re the sole distributor of a brand called Easy Pro.” From his years of experience, I wonder what locals would be surprised to know. Joe ponders, “First, that we even exist! We’ve been here for 25 years, and many locals have never visited our shop.” Secondly, Joe muses, “When you turn on HGTV, House Hunters, or any of those shows, all of those award-winning houses have a water feature. Many think that water features are just for the wealthy; however, the average homeowner can enjoy a water feature in their yard. Say you invest in a perennial flower garden, sure it’s pretty for a season, but its beauty is limited. However if you invest in a water garden with waterfalls and a stream, it offers year round beauty with refreshing sound, movement, specialty flowers, and colorful fish. When winter brings freezing temperatures, you’ve still got the waterfall and sounds, and all of a sudden, you’ve got all the winter birds visiting from up North enjoying the water. Water gardens offer an animated, three dimensional landscape.” Joe adds, “When you drive through Pinehurst, everybody’s got a patch of grass with pine straw accents, and the shrubs are like little round meatballs. Locals should understand that we’re living in an area where you can do so much more than grass! For year-round enjoyment, homeowners can install a water feature that provides visual beauty and sound therapy.” When properly-installed, water features are low maintenance. “Homeowners may spend 15 minutes a month maintaining theirs in addition to a good cleaning once a year. The rest of the time, it’s a matter of just emptying the skimmer net of leaves.” As for maintenance, Joe continues, “We have some ponds that we maintain weekly, quarterly, or annually. We fulfill the homeowner’s needs of desired service. In addition, we stand behind our installation for SIX ACRES con't. p. 32 Star Ridge Aquatics, LLC retail shop. p.30 The Pinehurst Gazette, Inc. No. 124


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