Garden Center and Nursery Round Up: Berkshires And NWCT
By Madaline Sparks Last week, we highlighted some of the must-go places in Columbia and Dutchess Counties to find plants, supplies and services to get your garden growing this season. This week we cover a sample of the best locations in Berkshire and Litchfield Counties. The weather is finally warming up (woo hoo!) and our gardens await our undivided attention. Berkshire County Taft Farms
Taft Farms growing fields.
This family-owned 55-year-old farm specializes in growing hard-to-find tropical, succulent, and specimen plants and offers a huge selection of hanging baskets. Every spring Taft Farms grows thousands of pesticide-free varieties of vegetables, herbs, fruits and berries to sell, including the very varieties they grow in their own fields for their farm store. Heirloom, ethnic, and GEO-free varieties are a specialty. A bakery, deli, fresh produce, and many locally produced products make regular stops throughout the season a no-brainer. 119 Park Street N., Great Barrington, MA (413) 528-1515 Ward’s Nursery and Garden Center If you live within driving distance of Great Barrington, you most likely know about Ward’s. Since 1957, this family business has continued to expand and grow into the full-service operation it is today. Open year round, Ward’s offers 1400 perennials, 700 different woody plants and thousands of annuals, seeds, fall bulbs, houseplants and tropicals. A well-stocked complement of lawn care supplies, an impressive selection of tools, and all the lotions, potions and amendments you could possibly need are available here. Containers, birding accoutrements, and a variety of outdoor accessories — among them hammocks, porch rockers and trellises — fill out the ample inventory in the garden center. There is also a member rewards program in place. 600 S. Main Street Great Barrington, MA (413) 528-0166 Windy Hill Farm I could wander for hours among the paths at Windy Hill, discovering their amazing selection of shade, specimen and flowering trees; ornamental shrubs; interesting conifers and broadleaf evergreens; tree and small fruits, espaliered apples and pears; hardy shrub roses; vines, choice perennials and ornamental grasses. One can always find traditional favorites and Northeast natives but also more unusual and atypical specimens at WHF. The retail garden center has a curated stock of garden accessories, tools, pots, and ornaments. Known for the knowledgeable staff, Windy Hill Farm also features a pick-your-own apple orchard and blueberry field and a full-service landscape department. 686 Stockbridge Road Great Barrington, MA (413) 298-3217 Whitney’s Farm Market and Country Gardens A huge greenhouse full of annuals, patio tropicals, hanging baskets, a selection of aquatic plants (including hardy and tropical water lilies), and a nursery yard lined with natives and ornamentals await you at this nursery near Lanesboro. There’s a full inventory of fruit trees, perennials, shade trees, and flowering and evergreen shrubs. Bulk landscape materials such as soils, mulch, stone, and compost are available here along with full landscaping and design services as well. 1775 S. State Rd. - Rt.8 Cheshire, MA (413) 442-4749 Another garden stop worth the trip in Berkshire County: Campo de’ Fiori: Classic European-style aged terra cotta pots, inspired garden ornaments and accessories, and a gorgeous display garden to enjoy. 1815 N. Main Street Sheffield, MA (413) 528-1857 Litchfield County Kent Greenhouse & Gardens Over three acres of nursery stock can be found at this garden center set in the pastoral, picturesque environment of western Connecticut. Departments include annuals, perennials and vegetables. KG & G specializes in specimen landscape-sized plant material sourced from local farms and national nurseries. Sophisticated selections with a “country formal style” are the norm. They are a full-service design-build firm whose offerings include garden design, landscape services, water features, masonry, architectural woodwork, site work and site planning. 30 S. Main Street Kent, CT (860) 927-4436 White Flower Farm Store For devotees of the famous plant catalog (aka “garden porn”), the opportunity to visit WFF in person is a remote possibility. For those of us in the RI region, it’s right here in our own backyard. The store offers many of the plants listed in the catalog, plus many more that space doesn't allow them to show in print. Also find tools, garden accessories, trellises and shade plants in the Lath House. And the pièce de résistance: the display gardens! See the plants you love in situ and utilize the lessons learned about plant combinations and correct siting in your home garden. 167 Litchfield Road Morris, CT (860) 567-8789 Old Farm Nursery Old Farm Nursery is a great source for fine plant materials and therefore a destination for the discerning gardener. The nursery features landscape-sized specimen trees, shrubs and perennials among the five acres of inspiring display gardens. The Barn Shop features vintage and unusual garden-related items including one-of-a-kind ornaments and plant supports, which are crafted in house. A complete landscape design and installation service is also available. 158 Lime Rock Road Lakeville, CT (860) 435-2272 A couple more destinations worth a visit in Litchfield County: Beardsley Gardens: A charming full-service garden center carrying an eclectic selection of perennials, annuals, trees, and shrubs from the “new and different to the tried and true.” 157 Gay Street Sharon, CT (860) 364-0727 Salisbury Garden Center: A hallmark of this business is their expertise to help customers select plants and use products the right way. It carries a full array of all plant and product categories. A design/build/maintenance landscaping company handles large and small projects adeptly. 167 Canaan Road Salisbury, CT (860) 435-2439
Restaurant URL: A roundup of garden centers and nurseries in the Berkshires and Litchfield County.
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