Located just five miles south of Floyd on Route 221, Wildwood Farms is not only a General Store, but also a two-acre daylily garden, entering their twentieth selling season! Wildwood’s daylily gardens have become a landmark in Floyd County, and they are very excited to have reached such a significant anniversary.
“It has been such a rewarding endeavor”, they tell us, “and we’ve made so many wonderful friends and that makes all the hard work worth it.”
Wildwood grows around one-thousand varieties of daylilies, with around six-hundred varieties listed for sale each year. They are one of the largest commercial daylily gardens in the state, and visitors are welcome to wander through the beautiful gardens.
For the most enchanting visit, however, Wildwood tells us the peak bloom usually falls within the first few weeks of July. For those wanting to purchase daylilies, the folks at Wildwood will dig them on the spot for customers to take along. They are also happy to ship the plants, if customers prefer.
Daylilies are summer-blooming, perennial flowers that are a great addition to any landscape. They are extremely hardy and carefree. Drought tolerant, they are also not bothered by most insects or diseases.
Wildwood has single flowers, miniatures, doubles, unusual forms, and flowers that bloom at different times of the season. The biggest challenge for most people is selecting their favorite plants from the huge variety! But don’t worry. Wildwood’s knowledgeable staff are happy to assist with that. Just tell them your favorite color or colors, where you will be planting, and they will help with a plan.
In 2013, Wildwood added the General Store, offering a great selection of home and garden décor. There is also “Mama’s Pantry”, where visitors can find bulk candy, old fashioned candy, dried beans, country ham, hoop cheese, and Virginia grown peanuts. Wildwood offers a good variety of jams, jellies, pickles, and other canned goods, canned right here in Virginia!
More recently, Wildwood opened “George’s Kitchen”, serving a variety of delicious grilled and toasted sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, and BBQ, as well as hand-dipped Hershey’s ice cream. The store and the kitchen are open seven days a week. Visit online at www.wildwoodfarmsfloyd.com for the full menu and daily hours. They can also be found on Facebook at Wildwood Farms General Store.
Wildwood Farms is a family business, owned and operated by Bob and Judy Bowman. The Bowmans strive to create a warm and friendly atmosphere, wanting customers to feel like the store is a home away from home.
Because Judy’s mother lived in Floyd, the Bowmans began their garden nearby. It was the perfect way to share her love of daylilies and gardening. She was a significant influence on their lives and taught them the true meaning of love and family. Before the passing of Judy’s mother and stepfather in 2012, plans were already being discussed for the addition of the general store. They knew they wanted music to be part of it, having grown up with traditional music all their lives. They also knew it would have been important to Judy’s mother. The Bowmans feel she would have loved store and the music, as well as visiting withal the people!
When the store was being built, a stage was added so musical performances could be offered. The Bowmans also wanted a venue that could host meetings and classes. To book the stage for a musical performance, or to book the space for your meeting or class, contact 540-745-5155, or email info@wildwoodfarmsdaylilies.com.

Wildwood Farms General Store has ample parking that can accommodate buses or visiting groups. Beside the store is a grassy area that’s used annually for Cruise-ins and the “Old Timey Fest”. The Cruise-ins feature a great showing of classic cars, along with a regular music jam. This year the “Old Timey Fest” will be on Saturday, October 17, featuring antique tractors, antique cars, craft and yard sale setups, woodworking, and other interesting demonstrations.
Wildwood Farms is proud to be the “neighborhood place to be,” and they are eager to assist with community events geared toward helping people locally. On Sunday, April 26th Wildwood will be hosting a fundraiser for the Roberson Mill Restoration. The event will include gospel singing and a silent auction. Visit online at www.wildwoodfarmsfloyd.com for details. There will also be several special events throughout the summer, including a series of Classic Rock Nights and Cruise-Ins. The Friday dates for this series are June 19th, July 3rd, July 31st, and August 28th.
The music will be outside on the patio, with the classic car Cruise-in happening in the parking lot. These events are so much fun, and all the folks at Wildwood want to urge everyone to come join in!
Looking for something to do on a Saturday night? Wildwood has live bluegrass music every Saturday from 7:00pm-9:00pm, with no admission charge. Judy’s sister, Sue, is the music coordinator, performing during the break on Saturday nights. Sue also leads the Music Jams on the first and third Sundays of every month. Visitors are guaranteed to be toe-tapping to the music of one of the great Bluegrass or Old Time Bluegrass bands that perform at Wildwood every week.
The adventurous can join Judy and her sisters on the dance floor. After working hard all week, these ladies love to kick up their heels and join their friends on the dance floor! Visit online at www.wildwoodfarmsfloyd.com for the full schedule of music and events at Wildwood Farms! Wildwood Farms General Store is a one stop shop for gardening, live music, great food, home décor, and some really unique gift items. Drop by today to shop, enjoy a delicious sandwich, and relax on the patio while enjoying the wonderful view of the garden and daylilies.

Wildwood Farms General Store • 2380 Floyd Hwy S, Floyd, VA Judy and Bob Bowman • wildwoodfarmsdaylilies.com 540-745-5155 • info@wildwoodfarmsdaylilies.com

by Ron Campbell

Hydroponical? Not sure if it’s a real word, but I like the sound of it. If I were to define it, I’d say that “Hydro” has something to do with the flow of water, and “ponical” means… ponical? That’s it. So, if we put the two pieces together, it means to me “the process in which the images flow through the minds of artisans onto the medium they are currently using”. Yeah. That makes sense.
I’ve been a resident of Floyd County for eighteen years. As co-owner of The Maggie Gallery, with my wife Lenny, I have come to know a great deal about the stuff that makes up the art community here. This would include the artists, the various types of art, and the methods of producing it. I’m not sure what it takes to become, or be called, an expert in the field of art, but I know it starts with watching what goes on in the community. I may or may not be an expert, but I will admit to having a copy of “Art History for Dummies” on my bookshelf, just in case.
We opened The Maggie Gallery and Custom Frame Shop twenty-one months ago. Since then, we have grown to display the art of seventeen Floydian and regional artists. The personalities of these artists are as diverse as their art. Trying to nail down what appeals to the art enthusiasts perusing the displays, however, has become a bit of a challenge. I am often asked by new artists “what type of art sells?”
Well, when the customer knows you personally, it may sell your art. It can also be the colors that you use, a subject that may connect with someone’s life history, or an emotion they may feel when seeing it. For tourists or the home-town proud, it could be a scene that conveys the spirt of Floyd. Even the size and type of framing has much to do with the sale. To pinpoint a basic, though, I think art should have life in it.
In the end, anything goes. All types of art can sell, whether abstract, impressionistic, or realistic. It’s up to the gallerist and artist to make the connection with the potential buyer.
Our mountain town of Floyd is fortunate to have several art galleries. However, it is overly-blessed with an abundant population of artists. In fact, there are so many artists that it’s difficult for all to find the opportunity to show. Even as a newcomer on the gallery circuit, The Maggie has a lengthy artist waiting list. In addition to The Maggie, Floyd galleries which feature multiple artists include Bell Gallery and Gardens, A New Leaf Gallery, Troika, New Mountain Mercantile, and The Old Church Gallery. I should also mention Arts on 8 in Riner; a new gallery having connections to Floyd. There is also the Floyd Center for the Arts, which is an anchor; giving both new and well-seasoned artists the opportunity to show in their facility on the hill above town. They also have an extension gallery at Hotel Floyd.  All this isn’t even counting the vast number of personal studios tucked in here and there across the county.
Now about those artists, of which I am one. We are unique, for sure. No need trying to figure us out. Our thought process is different than most, and our passions are reflected in the art we tirelessly create. We spend hours working away at what we love for maybe a dollar sum less than minimum wage, but we do it anyway. To get wealthy or famous, we’d have to mass produce so much art it would take the enjoyment out of doing it. But, the satisfaction of seeing it on a gallery wall in a town like Floyd clearly seems to outweigh any potential financial loss.
These facts are sometimes addressed as we talk to new artists who want to display at the Maggie, but enthusiasm remains in those who are true artists in the making. Despite some of these challenges, visitors and locals alike regularly sign up for the various art classes here at the Maggie. They want to learn the basics. They want to find the “place” that fits them. Those who are interested in pen and ink want their art to look like mine, just as much as I want my guitar picking to sound like John Denver. When potential artists come to me and say, “I don’t know a thing about art, can’t even draw a stick figure”, I tell them they are just the type of student we want to teach. They think they can’t, and we know they can.
We show them the basics. We take the scary out of it, and they are usually very pleased to discover the talent they never knew they had. We then send them off to find their place, build on what they have learned, and develop their own unique skills. As I have seen in the past twenty-one months here at the Maggie, many art classes in and around Floyd consist of painting with brushes, palette knives, and even some non-conventional items such as Q-tips and toilet paper rolls. I personally think a paint brush or an ink pen works better.
Long ago, as art evolved, it was discovered by the Masters that you could draw with a pointed silver scribe if the paper was coated properly (a process called Silver Point). So, it is good that we keep exploring all possibilities of placing images on paper or canvas. After all, the only thing that matters is the end result.
As I think about the evolution of different art techniques, I find myself drawing a correlation to other life experiences that have evolved over time, and it brings to mind an event that took place in my back yard some years ago. I started experimenting in the “art” of growing vegetables above ground using nutrients mixed into water which is then electrically pumped to the roots of the plants embedded into round porous clay balls at the bottom of plastic tanks. The process is called Hydroponics. I was proud of the results. The tomatoes were growing, and the cucumber was about four inches long. I changed the nutrients as recommended and kept the water pumping. So proud of this was I, that I showed my neighbor down the road; a young farmer who bales my hay every year. He quickly snapped me back to reality in his own very direct way, reminding me of the well-worn concept of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.
He looked over my vegelistic creation and paused. He then made one comment, expressed in his southern drawl. “What’s wrong with Dirt?” he asked. Why did I not think of this? So, for now, I’m sticking with the paint brush and the ink pen!

For more information about the Maggie Gallery and the art classes offered, visit online at http://themaggiegallery.com.
The Maggie Gallery • 187 N Locust St, Floyd, VA Ron Campbell • 540-745-8000 • www.themaggiegallery.com

In the late Fall of 1987, Annie and Jeff Armistead were married and found themselves living in Check, occupying an old farmhouse that had definitely seen better days. Somehow, with the help of wonderful and generous neighbors, they survived a few winters in that old house.
During some home renovations, Bill Graefe was a particularly generous neighbor; not only having helped the Armisteads on many other occasions, but also with the renovation work. Graefe and the Armisteads continued to trade talents over the years, tackling everything from standing seam roofing to woodworking. Jeff has considered Bill a good friend ever since.
As time passed, the Armistead family grew while Jeff and Annie progressed in their careers. After two local moves, the Armisteads eventually bought a farm in Riner. In more recent years, Annie found herself drawn once again to the wonderful Floyd community. She began driving into Floyd to work part-time at Troika Gallery, reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones.  When Silvie Granatelli, Susan Icove, and Gibby Waitskin decided to sell Troika in 2018, Annie, along with potter Abby Reczek, decided to take a leap of faith and buy the gallery. Annie and Abby each brought individual talents to Troika. Annie excels in staging art, where Abby is wonderful with marketing and social media.
Barely one year had passed when Bill and Corinne Graefe, with six grown kids between them, decided to retire. For twenty years, they had built Phoenix Hardwoods into a thriving business that eventually became an integral part of Floyd. Without a buyer, however, the Graefes faced having to close up shop. They agonized over the fact that long-time staffers, Bradley, Eric, and Henry, would lose their jobs. As most of the community knows, these young men are extremely gifted woodworkers.
One afternoon, Corinne stopped by Troika to drop off some pieces and explained to Annie about the Graefes’ plan to retire. After the initial shock, it didn’t take long for both Annie and Jeff, along with their son Ben, to begin discussing how the Armistead family could be a part of preserving the local legacy of Phoenix Hardwoods. They felt as if they were presented with the opportunity to not only continue cultivating fine local woodworkers, but to also continue producing beautiful hardwood furniture and accessories.
Once again, the Armisteads found themselves back in the warm embrace of the Floyd community. This time, it was thanks to the very folks that had helped them more than thirty years earlier, when they’d first put their hands into Floyd County the soil.
When the decision was made, Annie and Abby didn’t sit still for long. While Jeff and Ben took over the Phoenix Hardwoods operation located just six miles from Floyd, Abby and Annie were busy planning a presence for Phoenix in town. They leased another space in The Station that will provide room to display larger pieces of furniture and accessories. The new store will be called “Troika Home”, and it will open its doors to the public in April of 2020. Meanwhile Jeff is discovering that many of his life experiences have led him to this new, special place. He will soon finish his tenure with the Department of Forestry, which will allow both him and Ben the time to focus solely on Phoenix Hardwoods.
Jeff’s career has been in conservation for decades. First, he was Director of the Selu Conservancy. He was then Board President of the New River Land Trust, managing a family tree farm and doing research for the Virginia Department of Forestry.
Ben was born in Floyd and feels he has landed where he has always belonged. For the past twelve years, he has worked with his hands as a talented carpenter; most recently under the tutelage of Al Anderson, restoring timber frame structures. He plans to continue keeping his hands dirty in the shop but will also be learning the business end of what Corinne and Bill have started.
Change is difficult, yet Bill and Corinne have excitedly welcomed the changes to the old showroom, including new gallery lighting, paint, flooring, and windows. It has created a new space for Phoenix’s talented wood workers to proudly display their art. Jeff and Ben are now working closely with Bill, Corrine, Bradley, Eric, and Henry to learn every aspect of the business. They have made a promise to Bill and Corinne that they will continue in their stead; ensuring that Phoenix Hardwoods keeps thriving for many years to come.

Phoenix Hardwoods • 2540 Floyd Hwy N, Floyd, VA Annie & Jeff Armistead • phoenix-hardwoods.com 540-745-7475 • hardwoods2020@gmail.com