Gooseberry Patch was started in 1984 one day over the backyard fence in Delaware, Ohio, by two women, Vickie Hutchins and Jo Ann Martin. They were next-door neighbors who shared a love of collecting antiques, gardening, and country decorating. Though neither of them had any experience (Jo Ann was a first-grade school teacher and Vickie, a flight attendant and legal secretary), they decided to try their hands at the mail-order business. Since they both had young children, this was perfect for them. They could work from their kitchen tables and keep an eye on the kids, too! As the children grew, so did their "little" business. They now have their own building in the country, filled to the brim with kitchenware, gourmet goodies, enamelware, bowls and their own very successful line of cookbooks, and calendars.