Buckman’s Home & Garden owner selling family business

A sprawling brown structure caught in a sea of vibrant blossoms, colorful bird houses and flapping flags, Buckman’s Home & Garden, just south of Doylestown on Easton Road has been a landmark for more than half a century.

Julie DeFlavis, daughter of Bob Buckman, who founded the business in 1972, first started working there more than 40 years ago. She was 14 and her job was watering the plants. Over the years, she’s taught herself about flowers, nurtured and grown her colorful collection. She’s done the same with the business she now owns.

Christine Auman, her assistant, and one of four part-time employees of this all-female business, said, “We call Julie the plant whisperer. She’ll find that one plant that’s in distress and make it better. It’s truly incredible.”

Just as her father had built additions to the original barn, DeFlavis has gathered an array of home décor products to supplement her collection of perennials, annuals and tropical plants. An-end-of-season sale of plants is now underway.

Buckman’s garden line includes glass birdbath tops, windspinners, handsome pots in a rainbow of colors and concrete statuary.

Areas of the shop are arranged by themes, such as seashore, wilderness, sunflower and bees, and roosters. Shelves and walls are covered with tea towels, placemats, napkins, flags, doormats, candles, room sprays and diffusers, and wreaths and holiday items. Custom-made wreaths are also available.

DeFlavis has finally decided it’s time to sell Buckman’s, but only to someone who “has the same passion for unique home decor and gifts as well as great high-quality plants and plant products as I do,” she said.

Faced with the sale, she looks back to the time her father acquired the barn, which stood smack in the proposed route of the Route 611 Doylestown bypass and was to be torn down. He dismantled it and re-built it on its current site.

In 1984, he turned the business over to Julie and her brother, Dan. Dan eventually went in another direction and Julie continued to grow the business.

DeFlavis said, “In any business your staff is so vital to the success of the company. I have been extremely fortunate to have loyal, friendly and talented staff presently and throughout my 40 years with the company. My team takes pride in giving attentive, friendly customer service to all.”

Although she’ll be leaving the responsibilities of the shop behind, it’s certainly not going to be a complete retirement for her. In addition to the garden center, DeFlavis has done house calls over the years, developing a large residential and commercial client base. She particularly likes doing container gardens. She calls that “potscaping.”

“My team specializes in garden maintenance, landscape design and container gardens,” she said. “We’ll continue to service these accounts into my retirement. I can’t give it all up because I love it so much and my clientele are like family.” She has now arranged to use space on some fenced-in acreage near Carversville for growing plants,

Over the years Buckman’s has participated in many community programs, such as the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce Bucks Beautiful events and kitchen and garden tours.

The garden center also sponsors its own special events. Coming up is Ladies Night on Sept. 29, beginning at 5:30 p.m. and featuring wine and light fare along with special sale prices, raffles and giveaways.

The center’s annual Christmas Open House Weekend is scheduled for Nov. 10-12.

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