After more than 50 years of business, Obenchain's Garden Center in Northwest Roanoke is closing its doors June 30. The owners, Tyler and Donna Palmer, plan to sell the property on Shenandoah Avenue.

When reached by phone, Tyler Palmer wouldn't comment on the reasons behind the closing, except to say it's a personal matter. A plywood sign posted outside the store Monday announced the closing, along with a sale of 50 percent off on all items.

The Palmers bought the business in 2000 from Jane and Tom Monroe, a couple who had run the greenhouses for nearly 20 years after buying them from the original owners, Evelyn and Felix Obenchain.

The greenhouses sit on two parcels of land that together are worth about $282,000, according to Roanoke property records. Tydon Enterprises, a limited liability corporation, is listed as owning the land, which straddles both sides of Shenandoah Avenue. Tyler Palmer declined to discuss his connection to the corporation, although Virginia State Corporation Commission documents list him as a member-manager.

Evelyn Obenchain, an avid gardener, opened the business in the early 1950s. With part-time help from her two sons, she grew and sold flowers, plants and vegetables out of nine greenhouses. In 1980, the Obenchains sold the business to the Monroes and moved to Bedford County, where two years later Evelyn Obenchain opened a second greenhouse near their home in Stewartsville.

Another Northwest Roanoke fixture, Reid & Russell Florist, also has closed after 30 years in business. The shop, co-owned by Betty Reid and Frances Russell, opened in 1977 on Cove Road. "It was time for both of us to retire," Reid said. She declined to comment further.