Descanso Garden Club

Plant Sources recommended by one or more members

Local Nurseries

Select the highlighted company name to look at its WEB page.

LOCAL NURSERIES:

• Grandpa's Mountain Nursery; Descanso
  • phone: 619-445-0869
  • This nursery is owned and managed by a local family. They have an interesting assortment of healthy trees and shrubs. Grandpa will make special orders for you, if you want a specific plant or shrub.
    
    
• Guatay Mountain Nursery; Guatay
  • phone: 619-473-0129
  • 27423 Old Hwy. 80
  • Open Saturdays, when gate is open and by appointment.
  • website: Guatay Mountain Nursery
  • This nursery is owned and managed by a local resident. It is an excellent source for California Natives and for plants acclimated to our mountain area.
  • Located south of Old Hwy 80 just after the 25 mph sign on the way to Guatay. Look for prominent white fencing bordering the nursery. No sign was posted when I was there.
    
    
• Armstrong Nursery; El Cajon
  • Armstrong
  • Gives a ten percent discount to garden club members. Some plants are acclimated to higher elevations; some need to be pampered their first year in Descanso.
    
    
• Summers Past Farm; Flinn Springs
  • Summers Past
  • Phone: 619-390-1523
  • This nursery is also owned and managed by a local family. They have an interesting assortment of herbs, plants, soaps and gifts.
  • They sponsor several enjoyable family weekend events.
    
    
• Kniffing Discount Nursery; Flinn Springs
  • website: Kniffings Nursery
  • Phone: 619-561-0611
    
    
• Home Depot & Lowes
  • Good, inexpensive source of summer color and occasionally carries some unusual perennials. Some perennials seem to be acclimated to higher elevations; most need to be pampered their first year in Descanso.

Mail Order Sources

Select the highlighted company name to look at its WEB page.

SEEDS

• Thompson and Morgan:
  • Thompson and Morgan
  • Phone: 800-274-8333
  • This is an excellent daydream starter for one of our long January rainy weekends.
  • The catalog contains a multitude of seeds from which to choose. There are many unusual and specialty seeds I haven't seen in any other source.
    
    
• Select Seeds:
  • Select Seeds
  • Phone: 800-684-0395
  • This is another winter daydream catalog.
  • The catalog contains a seeds for many cottage garden and 'pass-along' plants. There are seeds for some older plants that may be out of fashion with up-to-date growers.
  • They also carry some plants, which survive well in shipping but need some care if they seem not quite ready to plant out in the garden. I sometimes keep them in four or five inch pots for a few weeks until they are well rooted.
    
    
• Nichols Seed Co:
  • Nichols Seed Co
  • Phone: 800-422-3985
  • 1190 Old Salem Rd. NE, Albany,Or. 97321
  • Great people with whom to do business!
  • The catalog contains lots of different and unusual seeds - both flower and garden.
  • Their large seed packs are a great value.
    
    
• Territorial Seeds:
  • Territorial Seeds
  • Phone: 800-626-0866
  • P.O.Box 158, Cottage Grove,Or. 97424-0061
  • Lots of choices-no nonsense type of descriptions
    
    
• The Cooks Garden:
  • The Cooks Garden
  • Phone: 800-457-9703
  • P.O.Box 5030, Warminster,Pa 18974
  • A great catalog to curl up with and read.
  • Makes you want to turn into a cook ,even if you think you have no inclination to do so. Lots of unusual vegies!

BULBS

• Brent and Becky
  • Brent and Becky
  • Phone: 804-693-3966
  • Shipments are carefully packaged.
  • They have a good selection of unusual bulbs in addition to many named cultivars and species of tulips and daffodils.
    
    
• McClure and Zimmerman, Randolph, Wi.
  • McClure and Zimmerman
  • Phone: 800-441-0002
  • This company carries a wide assortment of unusual bulbs as well as the standard fall choices.
  • Shipments are carefully packaged.
  • Bulbs are healthy and shipments are packaged well. I have used the company for several years and never been disappointed.

PLANTS

• Antique Rose Emporium Brenham, Tx.
  • Antique Rose Emporium
  • Phone: 800-441-0002
  • They have a comprehensive selection of 'old' roses as well as information about rose history and details about the different types of roses (including some enjoyable information about 'rose rustlers'.)
  • Club member says: 'I love this catalog and spend many winter nights pouring through it. I end up marking almost every plant to consider for purchase. I would be better off just to mark the few I don't want!'
  • Shipments are very well packaged.
    
    
• High Country Gardens: Santa Fe, NM
  • High Country Gardens
  • Phone: 800-925-9387
  • Most plants are well suited to our Descanso climate.
  • Shipments are carefully packaged.
  • The catalog contains good plant information. They carry many drought tolerant plants and nicely identify butterfly and hummingbird attractants.
  • Many of its plants and shrubs are ideally suited for my dry, windy site.

GARDENING SUPPLIES

• Gardener's Supply Company, Burlington, Vt.
  • Gardener's Supply
  • Phone: 800-427-3363
  • This company carries tools, supplies and decorative items for gardens.
  • They go out of their way to resolve any problems with orders.
    
    
• Charley's Greenhouse and Garden Mt Vernon, Washington
  • Charley's Greenhouse and Garden
  • Phone: 800-322-4707
  • This company carries greenhouses, indoor and outdoor gardening tools and supplies.
  • They give a 10% discount to members of the Hobby Greenhouse Association.
    
    

Go to the top