divaqs's Blog

Favorite Nurseries for Edible Landscaping
May 25, 2007 | 9:17 AM PST
Tags: nurseries , edible landscaping

In the Pacific Northwest we are really fortunate with a growing trend for edible landscaping.  I think a good part of this has been encouraged by some of our regional nurseries, who not only offer great plants that combine aesthetics with harvestable benefits, but some even offer classes and help with how to incorporate edibles in your landscape design.

I have about four nurseries that I feel have been of incredible help to me in my passion for edible landscaping.

Please note that all of these nurseries are in the Pacific Northwest, so they might not be the best match for your climate. They all have online websites and mail-order catalogs. I don’t represent them in any way, but personally have found them of great value.

Raintree Nursery

The nursery that introduced me to the idea of edible landscaping was Raintree nursery.
www.raintreenursery.com

Back in about 2000 I drove the 2 hours to their location from my home and took a day class with them on edible landscaping. The most exciting part of this class was sitting down with a landscape designer for half an hour, who looked over my landscape plot and sketched out a plan for me that incorporated a nice design filled with fruit trees, berry bushes, and more.

I spent the next summer implementing that plan, and to this day think that my yard became one of the most beautiful, productive, and interesting back yards I’ve ever seen. Later, I was really sad to sell that home, mostly due to my love for that yard. My kids still refer to it as “The Garden house.”

Raintree has one of the best selections of plants for edible landscaping you can find. They grow a lot of things directly in their nursery, but also offer a wide selection from other nurseries, which further expands what they offer.

I was really impressed with the knowledge and passion of the people that own and run this nursery. Their owner has such a passion for what he does that he visits and stays in touch with experimental stations in New York, Russia, Washington, and other locations in the search of new exciting edible landscaping options. It seems like every year their owner has gotten back from some new international adventure with exciting edibles he has found.  Their catalog is filled with wonderful pictures and a whole lot of helpful information.

I probably wore out my welcome at their nursery a couple years back, when they had to discourage me from over-picking their on-site orchard.

I’d say that prices are mid-range with them. Factor in the cost of shipping or driving there, and the cost is a little bit high. They have summer sales and specials, which can really bring the costs down.
I’ve gladly and well spent thousands of dollars buying plants from Raintree.

Cloud Mountain Nursery

I later discovered a somewhat cheaper nursery called Cloud Mountain Nursery.
www.cloudmountainfarm.com

This nursery also offers edible landscaping workshops. I haven’t tried any of their workshops, but was impressed with their facilities and the helpfulness of the people working there when I visited them to buy my 20+ blueberry bushes.

They grow a lot of their own grape plants and other plants, and seem to undersell Raintree in price, though their selection is not as varied.

Burnt Ridge Nursery

Probably the most affordable nursery I’ve found is Burnt Ridge Nursery.
www.burntridgenursery.com

This is a smaller nursery, with the owners running a weekend farmers market stand. They have a great selection of nut trees and a limited selection of other berry and fruit plants.

There have been times I have purchased plants from one of the other nurseries, only to discover that Burnt Ridge sells those same plants for much cheaper. So, I now try to remember to check with them before buying elsewhere, though I often forget due to the allure of the prettier catalogs of the other nurseries.

The drawback to Burnt Ridge is that their selection is more limited, unless you are shopping for nut trees.
I spoke with the owner at the farmers market and he was really personable and helpful. We’ve exchanged emails on a few occasions and direct service, which was a rare treat you don’t get with some of the bigger nurseries.  I was impressed.

One Green World

The fourth nursery I greatly value for edible landscaping is called One Green World.
www.onegreenworld.com

What really caught my eye with this Oregon based nursery was their catalog, which has great pictures and helpful information. Sometimes I can find things offered from them that aren’t offered by Raintree, though that is rare. Prices are comparable to Raintree.