August 8 • 2019 27
jn

— with hybrid tea roses, Asiatic and 
Oriental lilies, hostas, gladiolas, astilbes, 
75 different kinds of calla lilies and 
more, bursting in joyous colors around 
meandering walking paths.
“It took maybe five years from start to 
finish,” Hoffman says. “But I was always 
making improvements. After 10 years, 
I’
m finally done. I was limited because 
it’
s more of a shade garden — no areas of 
my property receive the minimum eight 
hours of sun to grow vegetables — so I 
had to concentrate on shade to part-sun 
flowers. 
“I’
m not artistic at all,” Hoffman says. 
“I have a hard time drawing a circle. But 
this is my creativity. I enjoy getting my 
hands dirty — my wife, Shelly, is always 
telling me to go wash my fingernails.”
To satisfy his desire for vegetables, 
Hoffman keeps a vegetable garden 
at his Roseville store, the Road Show 
(Hoffman previously owned the iconic 
Tobacco Road locations throughout the 
1970s).
“It’
s been very gratifying to start from 
scratch, build it up and see beauty come 
to form,” Hoffman says. “I walk out here 
and think, ‘
Oh my God, is this beautiful.’
 
I love seeing all my hard work and labor 
come to fruition. But mostly, I love the 
beauty, peace and tranquility the gardens 
bring.” ■

TOP TO BOTTOM: “We own the Road S 
how, a 

9,000-square-foot store,” Hoffman says. “We go to 

Vegas often for buying trips and trade shows, and they 

have a garden section where I always shop for myself. 

That’
s where the giraffe came from.”; An Asiatic lily; An 

Oriental lily; Hoffman added a Cape Cod-style walkway 

with slab steps up to the front door; Rows of astilbes 

and Shasta daisies. Hoffman’
s tips: Start with good dirt 

and keep the weeds out, no matter how time-consum-

ing (his wife, Shelly, helps with that tedious job).