May 5, 1999

Since 1936, Marilyn Merrill Bailey’s home has been at 665 Warren Avenue in Washington. Just off the living room is a sitting room filled with little girls’ dresses hanging on coat racks and door frames. Behind this room is Mrs. Bailey’s office filled with sewing equipment and materials.

Mrs. Bailey displays many of the dresses as if it was a boutique clothing store.

She comments, “Many of the dresses I’m making are from patterns of the 1950’s. So much charm and a lot of fabric in them. I still handfinish everything. I put the buttons on by hand, these wouldn’t dare come off, and I make my own buttonholes. I hem by hand. The necks are hand stitched.”

“I’m big on buttons and bows everywhere. I put ruffles and lace on every conceivable place you can imagine. I lean toward the older, wide sashes and double them, so that they’re not tacky. I like them to look nice going as well as coming,” says Mrs. Bailey.

Mrs. Bailey finishes her dresses by putting a personalized label on each one. In a flowing script, the label states: “An original To Remember by Marilyn M. Bailey,” or “Made With Tender Living Care by Marilyn M. Bailey.”

You may know them as Flint Hill Herb and Flower Farm. But Richard and Rosalie Lysaght changed the name of their business this spring to Flint Hill Nursery. And with the change in name they have more to offer.

In addition to the bedding plants and annuals they are better known for, they also carry perennials, herbs, vegetable plants and geraniums. Mr. Lysaght says that the geraniums are very popular.

Landscape service is also new this spring at Flint Hill Nursery. In the past, the Lysaghts have focused their greenhouse on catering to landscapers. This spring, they started doing landscaping work.

Mrs. Lysaght wanted everyone to be aware that they do not use many chemicals in their greenhouses. She said that they are not organic farmers, but there is not much need for chemicals in a greenhouse because the environment inside is controlled. She says that many people may not be aware of that fact.