Betty Quick said she first started the nursery from a house on a block of land in 1960s.

The initial site was on Tuson street opposite Bulte’s timber yard, later moving to a Lambert street address on the request of the council in 1979. 

Mrs Quick said the inspiration for founding the nursery was because she loved growing things.

“I’ve also loved trees. After I reared my family, I was sort of bored.”

So making cuttings and giving them to neighbours eventually turned into a full time job for Mrs Quick, in the form of the nursery that took on her family’s name.

Her husband wasn’t far behind her after he left his job as a train controller due to glaucoma. 

Mrs Quick said they had a great time in the years they were there.

“We used to have children come from high school to do work experience. We taught them how to propagate plants, how to serve, they didn’t have a clue,” Mrs Quick said. 

“A lot of kids are now married with families. You see them on the street and they still sing out ‘Hello Quickie’,” Mrs Quick said.

Despite having four boys of their own, the Quicks said that none of them ever took on the business.

All the boys are very sad about the nursery closing,” Mrs Quick said.

 “David was born in the nursery, it was all he ever knew.” 

Although they didn’t want to, the Quicks sold the business in 1986 due to ill health.

“We helped everyone out there. We helped the North school when that first opened. We gave boot loads of shrubs to schools for fetes,” Mrs Quick said.

Mrs Quick said they also helped the Chalambar Golf Club with their new bowling green and also gave the racecourse on Ballarat road a lot of trees. 

“The most memorable part of the nursery experience was helping people out and having lovely customers,” Mrs Quick said.