The Case For The Local Nursery

 
In September one of my favorite nurseries in San Diego closed. I understate that. Cedros Gardens was not just one of my favorite nurseries, it was one of my favorite places. When Cedros closed, many people were heartbroken. It was a source of very unusual plant stock, but also a place of beauty and peace, sounds of water and birds, a few mellow cats, beautiful flowers and scents. I shared in the sadness of the nursery closing as others had, but my grief was more profound. Mia McCarville and her husband Mike (the owners) are my dear friends; Mia was the heart and soul of CG. She has an eye for beauty and design, is an expert plantswoman, and has an encyclopedic knowledge of horticulture; she was a free resource for our region for over two decades. It was my great pleasure to work with Mia at the nursery a few years back. I have such sweet memories of the place, and the people. I was there the last day, to help close down. At the end of our labors, I sat in my truck around the corner and cried.  Mia and Mike will be fine, Mia will do consulting and designs. But we as gardeners lost more than we know. We, as a horticultural community are bereft of a priceless treasury of knowledge, wisdom, and plant choices.

Another star in the heavens of local nurseries had fallen to earth. So many wonderful nurseries are gone; others teeter on the brink of solvency. I was heartsick when on my last trip through Solvang, one of my favorite nurseries had closed. I detoured from the 101 on every trip north to visit, and to purchase something unusual. It became a tasting room. Apparently there is more money in wine than plants.I miss so many nurseries from the past.

Presidio Garden Center was amazing. The Asakawa family ran not just a nursery, but a florist, tropical fish store, koi and pond supplies outlet, and a Christmas shop Santa Claus himself would have envied. Moto, Bruce, Sharon, Glen, all ran a first rate operation. When I was a kid, my brother and I would ride our bikes there and hang out all day. We loved the place! Years later, Bruce and Sharon's influence is still felt in my life. In part, they are responsible for my love of horticulture and koi. Once when I was just starting in the landscape business, I was struggling with some issues...alright, a lot of issues. Bruce spent a whole Sunday afternoon with me, helping me sort it out. Thank you Bruce! My brother went on to form a company that makes koi ponds for Hollywood celebrities, the rich and famous, and aquariums in Monterey, Sea World, Las Vegas, and around the world. Bruce was always so patient, helpful, and inspiring to a couple of fledgling landscapers and aquarists. Bruce and Sharon are still on the radio, but Presidio is gone.

Another of my favorite nurseries was Simpson's garden town in Jamul. It really was a town. It was sprawling and massive, one of the first nurseries in town you would drive through. What a selection of plants they had. It was funky and anachronistic. They didn't take credit cards, they wouldn't chat on the phone about availability, they'd just say "get down here". They sold everything with a pad and paper. Lee Smith would be there in his stetson, like he stepped out of a Wieghorst painting of the old west. At the end your transaction you could get a cold apple from the box. Remember that? My kids adored the place. A trip to Simpson's was like a trip to the country, a day in another place and time. My truck became an H.G. Wells time machine. Simpson's is gone.

I have fond memories of old Mr. Andersen at Walter Andersen's, and Byron Geer, Ada Perry, Phil Johnson, all legends in local horticulture. I am glad the nurseries in San Diego and Poway are still around.

I went into Mission Hills Nursery last week. Do you know it is the oldest nursery in San Diego; founded by Kate Sessions herself (the mother of Balboa Park)? I toured the nursery, enjoyed the sunshine, and was ready to leave. It hit me. It is my duty to help support my local nurseries, and my horticultural friends. I bought a few things I suppose I could have lived without, but I want to keep another great nursery open, and support the Palafox family, the owners.

As someone that has owned a nursery, let me tell you, it is harder than you will ever know. Plants are perishable things, they look good for only so long in a little plastic pot. Water is expensive, land is insanely expensive, labor is costly, we are in a drought, I could go on.

It becomes harder and harder to source unusual plants. The big box stores carry a very narrow selection of plant material. I laugh when I see fruit trees at the orange label, big box store and see fruit trees with 800-900 chill hour requirements. Are you kidding me? Those will never bear here. You can buy grapes, but they are all Thompson seedless, and won't do well here. You can buy a pomegranate, but they only have "Wonderful", and by the way, it isn't wonderful.

Local small nurseries are a rich source of knowledge, as well as a source of more than just a few generic plant choices that you'd find in your local industrial park landscaping. Visit them, support them, buy from them. You may blink, and they'll be gone.