Located in a bright yellow house between Barton and Orleans in Vermont, Nature by Design (http://www.naturebydesign.com/) is the destination for those who are seeking inspiration and selection for their gardens. And that’s exactly how owner Peter LeBlanc planned it. Peter grew up in the Northeast Kingdom and worked in a local nursery during high school. At the age of 19, he decided to pursue his “green thumb” passion and start his own business. Although not formally trained, Peter rapidly built a strong reputation as a landscaper and quickly began designing and maintaining high-end creative landscapes, putting his beautiful mark on many of our region’s properties.
In 2000, Peter purchased an old abandoned farmhouse property in Barton. “It was a visible location and accessible from the interstate – the perfect place for my business,” said Peter. He renovated the farmhouse and barn, and artistically developed the surrounding land to display his landscaping products. “I learned how to run a business through the school of hard knocks, and experienced my share of growing pains. NCIC was there with me – always aggressive in finding financial solutions to meet my needs and easy to work with,” said Peter. “With their financial assistance, I was able to make improvements to help grow my business and cover operational costs during the slower winter months.”