The tuba sculpture by the mailbox welcomes you to the thriving business that lays beyond – a two-year-old plant nursery called The Daily Plant-It. Despite the recession, this family run business is thriving.

Co-owners Heather Oesting and Joe Peltier had their first trial plant sale in September of 2008 — a tough month in which to start a business.

They unexpectedly sold 700 plants that first weekend and found they were on to something — for both themselves and their customers.

Ever since then, the business has been growing. They propagate and divide many varieties themselves, including hydrangeas, irises, grasses and sedums.

Some plants are held over each winter to begin the next year’s stock. This year they expect to sell more than 6,000 plants.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, The Daily Plant-It will hold its annual plant sale, with more than 2,000 plants priced to go.

The nursery is in their giant front yard on the Issaquah-Hobart Road just south of downtown Issaquah.

They sell plants at two price points, $4.97 and $9.97 – the top price is reserved for a few plants such as heucheras, so that people can also find something special.

Their business serves both the entry-level and the more experienced gardener because “you really can landscape the entire yard with $5 plants”, Joe said.

Heather, a former expert medical witness, and Joe, a computer engineer for Boeing, run the business.

Heather keeps track of the big picture, while Joe-the systems design engineer has designed and installed the extensive irrigation systems for the nursery. Beside themselves, the business includes three part time employees and the 20 horsepower John Deere tractor.

Bennet Murch, a two-year veteran at age 16 is a self-described “potting fool,” and is in charge of staff recruitment. He loves working outside and next wants to work for a landscape design business.

Cate Mueller, initially a Daily Plant-It customer who describes herself as a “devout gardener,” handles many business tasks, including bed design and matching the right plant to the right customer. Cate is an experienced home gardener and also belongs to the “Friendly Ladies Who Like to Garden, Chat and Sip Society.”

Bennet’s brother, Janzen, 14, handles all kinds of outdoor work opening and closing pot containment units (called PCU’s), tagging plants, spreading wood chips to deter weeds is in charge of plant transportation from the filed to the sales area. Janzen drives the 20 horsepower tractor. Bennet and Janzen are students at Liberty High School. Both agreed that working for The Daily Plant-It has given them portable job skills, and Heather said they both have a great work ethic.

In addition to the green leaves, the local business has its own green tinge.

Customers at The Daily Plant-It are encouraged to recycle their pots – just leave them by the mailbox. Plant tables for the selling season were built from recycled wood and used milk crates.

One promise of The Daily Plant-It is that they don’t sell anything that they haven’t grown and tested themselves in their own garden. Cate has designed the demonstration beds along the driveway, so customers can see how that new hosta, red twig dogwood, sedum or Japanese maple will look in their own yard. Intriguing plants in the demonstration garden include Harry Lauder’s walking stick, variegated irises and ‘red bunny tails grass’.

For the entry-level gardener, there is lots of help available, from the knowledgeable staff to the color-coded pots. Need a deer-resistant plant? Look for a red circle. Want a natural burglar deterrent? Try the Japanese ‘roseglow’.

With the help of the boys and Cate, Heather and Joe will continue to sell plants each May and September. There is another generation to be taught how to pot plants in between sales – Heather’s grandchildren.

The Daily Plant-It, while only two years old, is building a family one maple tree at a time.