Once someone gets the gardening bug, they often become pickier about where they shop for plants (those big box stores just won’t do!). Soon, the gardener has a wish list of harder-to-find plants they’d like to source for their garden, and eventually, they’re making special trips to visit nurseries. It’s a familiar tale because the truth is that plants make a garden. Many specialty and independent nurseries thrive on word of mouth. So, we asked some of our favorite garden professionals where they shop for their gardens. Here’s where garden pros buy their plants:
Bunker Farm Plants, Dummerston ,VT
Caleb Davis, the founder of ecological landscape design firm Songscape Gardens in Bar Harbor, Maine, shops for locally-appropriate plants through New England-based nurseries, among them Bunker Farm Plants. Songscape collaborated with Helen O’Donnell, the grower behind Bunker Farm’s plant operation, on a Mount Desert Island project last year. “We got to use a bunch of Helen’s amazing plants,” says Davis. “A gardener and designer, Helen grows a very fun mix of reliable garden performers, unusual annuals, and tender perennials (she spent time with Fergus at Great Dixter in her early days). She also grows native plants, sometimes using local ecotype seed collected by botanist friends. She grows mostly from seed using organic practices.”
Bird Rock Tropicals, Encinatas, CA
Loree Bohl, the author of Fearless Gardening and the blog Danger Garden has a penchant for all kinds of spiky and exotic plants that thrive in the Pacific Northwest. “You can visit Bird Rock Tropicals in-person, if you make an appointment (which I was lucky enough to do once!),” says Bohl, who notes that the rest of the time their website is where she goes to daydream about warmer climates and drool over bromeliads, tillandsia, and orchids. “I typically place at least one order each winter when I need a little pick me up and Bird Rock Tropicals’ plants never fail to put a smile on my face,” she says.
The Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden Nursery, Federal Way, WA
“You don’t have to be a member—or even pay admission to the garden—to shop at the nursery at the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden, but trust me, visit the garden, too,” says Bohl. “The nursery sells plants that are propagated on site from the garden’s vast collections, and while there is a great selection of Rhododendrons, that’s definitely not all there is. You’ll also find rare ferns, groundcovers, shrubs with fabulous foliage, and on occasion even agaves.” Bohl notes that members enjoy early access to the spring and fall online catalogues, so plants with limited quantities can sell out before ordering opens to the public.
Wonder Gift & Garden, Kingston Springs, TN
Cecelia Bedford, founder of Wattle Design Studio, a small Nashville-based design studio specializing in ecological landscapes and integrated hardscapes, likes to source locally grown materials for her projects. “This retail nursery is a fantastic source of native plants for gardeners in the South,” says Bedford. “Joy, the owner has an outstanding wealth of knowledge of the ecological benefits of native plants.” In addition to regional plants, Wonder sells plants that produce food and have medicinal properties; there’s also an excellent garden gift shop.
Lincoln Avenue Nursery, Pasadena, CA
Fi Campbell, the founder of Fi Campbell Design, primarily works and gardens in Southern California using a palette of heavy on California natives. Tucked away, close to the Rose Bowl, this nursery is a hidden gem with a vast selection of California native plants as well as Mediterranean varieties and fruit trees. “Ramon and his family have operated this nursery for decades and it’s one of my go-to’s,” says Campbell. “Their product is impeccable.”
Plant Material, Los Angeles, CA
With two locations in Los Angeles (one in Silver Lake and one in Glassell Park), Plant Material Nursery is “the standout brick-and-mortar nursery on LA’s east side,” says Campbell. Plant Material specializes in California natives and drought-tolerant plants, and they sell garden tools and curiosities. She notes, “They also host fun events and pop-ups and just do good for the community.”
Hardy Californians Nursery, Sierra Madre, CA
This is an appointment-only, backyard native plant nursery based in Sierra Madre (they also host occasional pop-up sales). “Hardy Californians has become a leading voice for swapping thirsty lawns for California native gardens,” says Campbell. “When you want to find that unicorn plant, Hardy Californians just might have it.”
My Backyard at Nectars, Titusville, NJ
Jeff Lorenz, founder of Refugia Design in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, and Rebecca Dragonetti, one of the firm’s designers, seek out hyper-local plants for their projects. Lorenz appreciates this small garden center for its emphasis on native and pollinator-friendly plants. “The owner creates these really nice design spaces with plants,” says Lorenz. “When people walk in, she’s educating them.”
Bowman’s Hill Wildflowers Preserve, New Hope, PA
This nature preserve has a nursery offering more than 200+ native plants (96 percent are straight species). “The super knowledgeable staff, who are mostly volunteers, make this nursery and preserve worth a visit,” says Dragonetti, who along with the rest of the Refugia team toured the propagation facility last year.
Barton Springs Nursery, Austin, TX
Austin-based landscape architect Cameron Campbell’s firm knows the right plants for Texas’s aesthetics and ecology. “Barton Springs Nursery has a wonderful selection of native and adaptive plant species laid out in a beautiful garden setting,” says Campbell. “Their staff is wonderful and I like how they have grouped their plants based on sun/shade and planting types: vines, grasses, evergreens, perennials, etc.” He notes they also propagate and grow hard-to-find native species such as Melica mutica, Sabal Brazoria, and Leersia.
Leaf Landscape Supply, Austin, TX
This well-stocked wholesale nursery is open to the public during their “DIY hours” on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. “Sometimes I like to go there and walk around to get inspired to see what they are selling, as the inventory is always changing,” says Campbell.
Midwest Natives Nursery, Lincoln, NE
Benjamin Vogt, the owner of Prairie Up, which offers garden design, online classes, workshops, and guidebooks, is known for his native, prairie-inspired design. While Midwest Natives only holds plant sales in spring and fall, Voght says this nursery is worth seeking out for its huge selection of diverse species that are 100 percent native to the local ecoregion (they are said to have the largest selection in Nebraska). He says, “Nathan, the owner, produces smaller, younger plants, which are more economical and settle in faster than gallons.” He notes that the spring and fall sale times coincide with the best time for plant health and establishment in the local climate.
Big Bloomers Flower Farm, Sanford, NC
In addition to writing a newsletter and producing a podcast, professor and plantsman Dr. Jared Barnes documents his own garden in Nacogdoches, Texas on his Meristem website. “They have incredible plants at very reasonable prices,” says Barnes. “I love to shop their perennial selection as they have an incredible selection of different cultivars.” He says he will load up a duffle bag and bring it back to Texas and has heard of other people driving hours to fill up a truck. (Taylor, the creator behind the account Tiny Green Thumbs also told us she loves this nursery!)
Digging Dog Nursery, mail-order from Albion, CA
If none of these nurseries are local to you, Barnes has a suggestion for a mail-order only nursery: Digging Dog Nursery. “I find they have a lot of herbaceous options that you can’t find anywhere else,” says Barnes. “I’ve gotten a number of asters, sunflowers, and other fall flowering plants from them.”
So, dear readers: Get thee to a nursery! Autumn is a great time to go plant shopping. Many perennials benefit from fall planting: The earth is still warm, but the days are cooler, so it’s a low-stress time for plants to put down roots. Plus, you can often nab discounts later in the season.
See also:
- Trend Alert: Hyper-Local Native Plant Nurseries
- Ask the Experts: Where Do the Pros Go to Source Native Plants?
- Shopper’s Diary: Flora Grubb, Now in Los Angeles
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