Family legacy lives on as Wingham Nursery & Florist seeks buyer - Manning River Times (Copy)

An iconic Manning Valley business has been put on the market after 54 years, following the sudden loss of its patriarch Ralph Sawyer, devastating floods, and the toll of a seven-day work week.

However, Chris Sawyer of Wingham Nursery & Florist promises the nursery's loyal customers that it remains "business as usual" while a buyer is being sought.

Chris, his wife Tanya, and his mother, Rhonda, who started the nursery in the family car shed in 1972, have made the decision to sell the business and its three blocks of land, honouring Ralph's wish to see the nursery live on rather than be sold to developers.

Though Chris and Tanya's two daughters have an interest in plants, they have already forged their own successful careers - Caitlin as a TAFE horticulture teacher and Tawny as a firefighter and aspiring paramedic - leaving no one in the next generation to take the reins.

Ralph had already decided to sell the business following the May 2025 floods, which devastated the nursery.

Half a metre of water washed across the road and through the front of the nursery, taking everything with it. Pallets were sitting at the front door, ceilings were gone.

"He sort of made the decision after the flood, that was it, it was done it for him," Chris said.

But then came the people with shovels in hand - including an 82-year-old man and a man in his 70s. Chris said there were people he didn't know helping out and they had so many people turn up to help the town's beloved nursery they had to start knocking them back.

"It was really heart-moving... Dad said, 'Well, I can't shut it now'.

"He said, 'Look, I want to keep going until autumn, and then we might put it on the market then'," Chris said.

However, Ralph died of a sudden heart attack on September 28, 2025, working until the day he died, leaving Chris and Tanya to run the nursery.

Ralph's death led to another community outpouring of love for the family and the business. A customer suggested community members "buy a tree in memory of Ralph" and the response was incredible.

"It was very humbling for us all, the whole family," Chris said. "I didn't realise he had such a following."

Although Chris loves the business, working seven days a week has become too much for him and Tanya and the burnout is real.

"Dad's funeral, we had to come back and work after the funeral... there's just no one to replace you. Christmas Day you work, Boxing Day you work," Chris said.

"When Dad was alive, it was good because if I wanted a day off, Dad would fill in, and if Dad wanted a day off, I'd fill in. But now it's just me and Tanya.

"It's time to stand back, go back to five days a week and enjoy life."

While the 2025 floods have passed and the nursery is back on its feet, the business is still feeling its effects.

Business has suffered a downturn with the destruction of the Bight Bridge, with many customers on the other side of the river electing to shop in Taree instead.

The loss of the bridge also adds to the daily grind for the Sawyers - they live at Mondrook and have to go around to Wingham "the long way".

"I used to say to Dad, 'You're never going to see that [new] bridge in your [lifetime]', and I'm starting to think maybe not in my lifetime either," Chris said.

The ideal buyer the Sawyers would love to see take over the business is a young family with a passion for horticulture, with modern marketing skills in social media.

"Unfortunately I just haven't had the time or energy to do that," Chris said.

Chris is willing to stay on and support the new buyers, keep training the new apprentice he took on, and even perhaps run some weekend classes, something he's always wanted to do.

And he will never lose what he calls the hidden reward for his work - the passion for plants and the ability to keep learning.

"The passion is for growing something... you're never ever too old or you've never been in the industry long enough to learn something."