5/17/2023: What a delightful experience today! This nursery has a wonderful selection of plants and trees and they are all in excellent condition. I found their prices to be competitive. (I have visited a number of nurseries over the past week.) And, their customer service is excellent.
So, how did I discover them? I struck up a conversation with a woman at another nursery, who highly recommended this place. She enthusiastically shared that a lovely couple had bought this business (formerly Tower Perennial Gardens) and that they offer a large variety of trees and other plants. She also said that the owners and the other folks who work there are all wonderful people. So, I headed on over.
Upon my arrival, I was quickly greeted by Russell. I was looking for small scale trees (and I am drawn to the weeping varieties) that wouldn't outgrow my limited spaces and would do well in each location. I had driven around town and taken photos of trees that captured my fancy.
Well, Russell was the right person for the task. He patiently listened and looked at my photos. He quickly understood my preferences and goals. I wasn't looking for a specific tree. I wanted guidance and options and that is exactly what he provided. He patiently showed me several trees that would work, including some that I had not been aware of. And, I never felt rushed.
I shared my disappointing experience with ANOTHER local tree farm that planted a 28-foot alpine fir in the spot that is now available (due to death of this very expensive tree). That tree farm did not remove the cage and burlap when they planted. The WSU plant clinic experts advised that failure to remove the cage and burlap can result in root strangulation. I was happy to learn that these guys are attentive to this when they plant.
I chatted with Casey, one of the owners, who is a down-to-earth, nice guy. This is a family-owned, family run business.
I selected a beautiful weeping Norway spruce for delivery. Brook took care of my payment and gathered my information for delivery. She is young, sweet, and enthusiastic.
And, it turns out that the nursery hosts a beer garden with a food truck on Wednesday evenings, so I had a nice meal before returning home.
All in all, this was a wonderful experience. And, they just became my nursery of choice.
UPDATE 6/2/2023: As life would have it, I ran it to site issues when prepping (digging) for the arrival of my Norway spruce. I will spare you the ugly details, but it became obvious that I will need some serious site work if I intend to plant a tree in that location. This will push out any planting activity into the heat of the summer. And, I don't want another tree death.
So, I went in and spoke with Casey. I asked if I could relinquish the tree for now and receive a gift card. Mind you, my tree has been "off of the showroom floor" for 2 weeks and this is a family owned business. (I never want to create a hardship for a good business.) But he said he was fine with just refunding my money. How gracious can you be? And, his lovely wife, Trish, took care of the refund. She is just as helpful and gracious as Casey.
This interaction just solidifies my stance that they are my nursery of choice.
