Unique Bulbs for Warm Climates

Meet Chris Wiesinger, founder of the Southern Bulb Company

“Most of the time you’re not going to find this stuff in the fancy neighborhoods around Dallas,” BankTexas customer Chris Wiesinger explains, “but in places where people couldn’t afford to plant new things.”  He is referring to flowers, but not the ordinary varieties that pop up in national catalogs and massive home and garden stores.   Instead, Mr. Wiesinger is a fan of tried and true, resilient plants that can stand up to the test of time – and hot Southern weather.

“We are conditioned to think of hardiness in terms of what can withstand cold weather,” Mr. Wiesinger said, “and not in terms of what will survive extreme heat and humidity.”  Garden experts agree, adding that heirloom varieties of plants generally require less water, spraying, and vigilance. 

Mr. Wiesinger is the founder of the Southern Bulb Company.  He collects heirloom bulbs from fields, homes, and abandoned lots throughout East Texas, then propagates them on his farm near Mineola.  Afterward, he distributes them to nurseries and over the internet through his website, southernbulbs.com.

A growing business, Southern Bulb is already gaining notoriety in gardening circles.  House & Garden Magazine included Mr. Wiesinger on its list of most important American tastemakers in April.  And in July, a reporter from The New York Times joined him on a trek through Lufkin, Alto, and Nacogdoches, then recounted the adventure in a story entitled “The Bulb Hunter,” which appeared on July 6.

All of this media attention has contributed significantly to Mr. Wiesinger’s renown, making him a sought-after speaker.  BankTexas Vice President Keith Haisten, Mr. Wiesinger’s banker, heard him speak at a recent meeting of the Quitman Kiwanis Club.  “Chris has a real passion, almost missionary zeal, about his work,” Haisten said.  “You know that from the first moment you meet him.”

Most notable about Mr. Wiesinger’s story might be the fact that he is just 25-years-old.  He started the Southern Bulb Company in 2004, drawing on a business plan he devised as a senior in Texas A&M’s horticulture program.  He runs the business with the help of two friends and two part time helpers: Brad Gaultney and Ben Arcuni, both of whom were in the corps of cadets at Texas A&M with him, along with Grant Cox and Zac Coventry, a graduate of Quitman High School and former Texas A&M student body president.

Mr. Wiesinger grew up in Houston and California.  He traces his love of gardening to his high school years, when someone dropped off a few boxes of roses as a donation to his school.  Mr. Wiesinger planted them.  “Anyone sent to detention had to come out and help me weed,” he told The Times.

BankTexas is proud of Mr. Wiesinger’s early successes.  He is a fan of eBank, BankTexas’s free internet banking service.  “Banking online has really been helpful,” he said.  “We use BillPay to have all of our bills automatically drafted from our account.” 

Mr. Wiesinger is one more example of how BankTexas customers can use online banking services to save time managing money.  In this case, Mr. Wiesinger has more time to work on growing his business.

If you can’t wait for Southern Bulb Company’s rare and heirloom varieties to appear in a nursery near you, check out its website at southernbulbs.com.  Sixteen beautiful products are available for planting this fall.