Get Growing

Spring is about to be sprung. Put these four specialty plant nurseries on your must-visit list.

By Joan Waters
Photography by Kat Alves

The Antique Gardener
This antique shop/nursery is packed with a remarkable collection of repurposed architectural pieces, locally made art and authentically old tools, boxes, ladders and other assorted implements. The owner is a master at combining cool new items with seasoned artifacts for home and garden. Walking through the nursery’s ever-changing array of potted ferns, succulents and miniature gardens is a treat. 80 Main St., Sutter Creek

Golden Pond
If you’re a water-garden aficionado (or if you’re not—yet), this paradise will knock you out. With more than 200 pond-plant varieties and 300 other perennials and grasses, the nursery offers tiny surprises and unusual plants. Golden Pond’s always got an interesting project going, and it’s an incredible resource for newbies and advanced water gardeners alike. 3275 Sierra College Blvd., Loomis

Kurt’s Garden
This collection of specialty plants and trees is like an art gallery disguised as a nursery. You’ll see 10-foot braided-trunk wisterias, spectacular specimen Japanese maples, palms, a monkey-puzzle tree, low-growing Japanese red pines, a Taiwanese fir and hellebores. Hand-wrought, locally made sculptures accent the grounds. 595 East Main St., Grass Valley

Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply
If you’re dreaming of a one-stop shop for organic gardening supplies, bags of beneficial insects, interesting ornamentals and locally grown garden edibles, your wishes come true here. Peaceful Valley is a hub of all things natural, organic and sustainable. Check out the wall (yes, wall) of non-GMO seeds and the comprehensive selection of cover crops (a Peaceful Valley specialty). 125 Clydesdale Court, Grass Valley

If you’re dreaming of a one-stop shop for organic gardening supplies, bags of beneficial insects, interesting ornamentals and locally grown garden edibles, your wishes come true here.