Terry was born in the hills of southern Indiana. Upon completing a BS degree in Entomology from Purdue University, he moved to Chicago working for Ortho’s research division, then to Minneapolis, managing a horticultural company. Terry and family moved to the Shenandoah Valley in November 1979, envisioning a nursery business which became Fort Valley Nursery. After nearly 40 years of co-owning and retail managing the garden center, he retired in 2022, and now spends time with his business, ValleyScape consulting.

Terry has served as past president of the Shenandoah Valley Nursery and Greenhouse Association, and a member of the Woodstock Tree Board. He’s an honorary Virginia Master Gardener and is currently completing the Virginia Master Naturalist program.

When not consulting or spending time in his own garden, he enjoys kayaking our river, hiking mountain trails, and playing bluegrass music with friends.

He first canoed the North Fork of the Shenandoah on New Year’s Day in 1980, approximately one month after arriving in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley!