Nurseries

For twenty years we have made annual trips to a garden store in Woodinville, Washington. With a feeling of disappointment following this year’s pilgrimage, we set out to discover new Seattle nurseries to support our habit. Here’s our new list of Portland and Seattle favorites:

• Swanson’s Nursery — Seattle, Washington
  We found this nursery this March and have returned twice already. This jewel, filled with plants, is housed in a series of glass houses more open to the air as the weather warms up. I’ve found the staff very knowledgeable and willing to answer all of the questions I have. You might want to visit at lunch time when the café is open. Sit by the koi pond and have a bowl of soup with the amazing cheese bread. WORTH THE DRIVE!
• Portland Nursery — Portland, Oregon
  Our first forays into Portland Nursery were twenty years ago. We had two little boys then and we would hand them each a maple bar as we walked in the gate. We always hoped that the gooey treat would slow them down, but soon the boys would finish eating and would begin their expeditions along the gravel paths, usually dragging my wagon of plants with them. When you visit Portland Nursery you’ll want to check out the perennial benches for sure, but take time to walk further back in the yard to check out the trees. Portland Nursery usually has a very good selection, and they DELIVER! This is another nursery with great employees.
• Wells Medina — Seattle, Washington
  We heard about this one from Michael Schultz, our family landscape architect. He thought we’d want to see Wells Medina and I couldn’t agree more. The nursery feels like a Sunset Magazine shoot, with wood everywhere and gravel paths that scrunch when you walk on them. Aside from the amazing plant selection and beautiful setting, these guys have a RESEARCH LIBRARY! Can you imagine?
• Joy Creek Nursery — Scappoose, Oregon
  We love this nursery. It's small, but it comes with a huge goal. "We are creating the nursery we always wanted to find." And that is just how it feels. The benches of plants are perfection, and the ability to wander through their display gardens makes this special place more of a garden than a nursery. Give your soul a treat and head to Scappoose.