Introducing Ashland Greenhouses, your source for 100% locally-grown plant starts. Ashland Greenhouses is your one-stop shop for annuals, vegetables & edibles, herbs, perennials, color bowls, hanging baskets, poinsettias, pollinators, and drought-tolerant plants. In today’s interview I spoke with business manager Sarah Valdivia about the return to normal, upcoming events, and spring planting and gardening tips.
Hi Sarah, thanks so much for speaking with me today and congratulations on all the success you have been having at Ashland Greenhouses.
I appreciate the help the LocalsGuide provides us to get the word out about our products. I love that you chose us for a spring interview as the timing is perfect to talk about plants. With the help of our amazing customers, Ashland Greenhouses continues to thrive as a local business here in Ashland. We have a loyal group of customers that really appreciate the hard work we do to provide the best quality and best-performing varieties we can find. We’ve also been meeting many new faces as more people have taken up gardening with the ability to stay closer to home with remote work, and the growing interest in producing one’s own food whether it be for health benefits or to battle the rising costs of food. We can’t thank the community enough for choosing to buy local. Whether they are buying directly from us or looking for our logo on tags at their favorite nursery it all helps us continue to do what we love.
To begin with, things are finally returning to normal with happy customers, abundant plants, and plentiful supplies. Please say more.
It feels really good to be getting back to normal. We are most excited to have our in-person events back for 2023. Our events and classes really give us a chance to educate about planting and growing and helps us build stronger relationships with our community. We’ve already hosted our ‘Cool Season Annuals and Perennials Class,’ as well as our ‘New Variety Showcase and Open House’ for the year. Everyone has been so happy they are being offered again and it’s so refreshing to see everyone’s smiling faces. We have more coming up throughout the year. Our next classes are our hands-on container planting classes offered throughout April, and our Heat Lover’s Class coming in May. This class will be about plants that thrive in the hot summer heat. We list our events and classes on our website as well as our Facebook page for more information and details on registering. We offer new classes and events with each coming season spring, summer, fall and winter.
In addition to our in-person events coming back we are also happy to see our supply chain regaining some consistency. For the last few years, we’ve really had a hard time sourcing our seeds and cuttings for some of our most loved plants as our industry recovered from the aftershock of the pandemic. This year we’ve had a much better time finding the tried-and-true varieties that we know do well in our area and haven’t been facing shortages like we did. We know our customers will be thrilled with the quantity and selection we are able to offer this year. There’s always a silver lining when things don’t go as planned though. Even though the last few years with suppliers were tough, we were able to find even more great plants that we brought in to try when there weren’t any other options. Some of the plants we brought in out of desperation, when our orders were being canceled left and right by our suppliers, are now some of my favorites. For perennials we have Aquilegia ‘Winky Double Mix,’ which is a colorful mix of double blooming Columbine, and Verbascum ‘Southern Charm,’ an antique shades mix of Mulleins. We’ve kept the tiny and adorable ‘Zinnita Mix’ Zinnias that are a bush-style Zinnia covered in loads of tiny little double blooming flowers. I’d say the best new offerings are the peppers we’ve found. We now offer the huge Aconcagua roasting peppers, the Sriracha Jalapenos, and the Melrose bell peppers. Who knows how long it would have taken us to find these amazing varieties if we weren’t desperately looking for available products during all the shortages.
Ashland Greenhouses grows 100% of the plants that it sells, but not only that, you also provide plants to resellers all around Southern Oregon and even into Northern California.
What makes us unique from other nurseries is we grow all the plants we sell right here on site. This allows us to be in full control of our costs and quality. This is really important to us because not only do we sell plants right here at our store in Ashland but all over Southern Oregon and Northern California, to other nurseries, garden shops, markets, and hardware stores. Our plants can be found as far as Klamath Falls and Mt Shasta. Our plants are easy to spot with our logo on each plant tag and on the front of our carry out flats. Some of the local resellers here in town are the Ashland Grange Co-op, Ashland Food Co-op, and Market of Choice. Customers can enjoy the added convenience of picking out a few plants at their favorite stores while they are shopping for other items on their list. It’s great to see all our plants around town and beyond. As an avid gardener myself, nothing makes me happier when perusing other nurseries than seeing our tag and healthy plants on store shelves.
Sarah, what are some local favorites that you sell at Ashland Greenhouses?
We really do have great plants here at Ashland Greenhouses. There of course are some undeniable favorites among the crowd. There are two favorites that immediately come to mind because they check all the boxes. These are drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, pollinators love them, and they are perennials, meaning they come back year after year. The first is Verbena ‘Homestead Purple,’ a favorite for its ground cover abilities and bright purple flowers. Some may say this plant is indestructible. It survives the hottest locations but can still survive the cold cold winter and come back strong the next year. Second is Salvia ‘Hot Lips,’ the smallest 4” start will grow to almost a bush by the end of summer, sending up hundreds of spikes covered in red flowers that last all throughout the fall. It’s also a favorite for hummingbird enthusiasts because once you plant it there’s no keeping those buzzing green birds away from it.
There’s also some favorite vegetable starts that we know customers can’t get enough of. First are ‘lemon’ cucumbers. They are little yellow globes the size of…you guessed it…a lemon. These tender and never bitter cucumbers are beyond prolific. One plant is all you need for more tasty cukes than a single person can eat. The second most favorite are the ‘Sungold’ tomatoes. These are an heirloom cherry tomato that ripen to a bright orange color and are by far the sweetest tomato I’ve ever tasted. Their only downfall is you need a large space, and a heavy-duty tomato cage to keep them contained because one plant gets very large.
When it comes to flowers, Calibrachoa (also known as Million Bells) and Zinnias are the most common flowers that people just can’t go without. We get masses of phone calls and people stopping by just to make sure we are going to have them because they want them so badly each year. Calibrachoa is a trailing plant that looks like tiny petunias. It’s very prolific and can trail up to 3 feet long by summer. It comes in all the primary colors as well as some fun striped and multicolor options. Zinnias’ popularity comes from their ability to be planted by people with deer problems. Many blooming annuals are a soft and tender snack to the deer but not zinnias. They have micro-sized pokey spikes all over their stems and leaves that the deer feel with their lips and tongue and say “Ouch, no thank you!” Whereas, to our thicker skin those tiny little spikes are barely detectable.
What makes your business unique here in Southern Oregon?
Our giant selection of annuals, perennials, herbs, veggies, starts, and baskets really makes us unique. Many times, these types of items take up a small section of other nurseries whose primary focus may be other products like trees and shrubs. We are the only nursery around with such a large area dedicated to only these items because it’s what we specialize in. You won’t find any trees or shrubs here, and we aren’t interested in getting into that market. We want to focus all of our efforts into what we are good at and provide the best we can offer. Our color selections are off the charts. For example, just for Petunias alone we offer over 70 different styles/colors. You aren’t going to find that many options anywhere else. We are able to offer a massive selection because we are growing not only for our store but also to be able to fulfill our orders to other garden centers and nurseries.
Sarah, I´d love for you to take us on a quick tour of the greenhouses. Please walk us around and tell us about what you have going on.
We have the most amazing view here at the greenhouse. The first thing you notice when you get out of the car is the picturesque view of the mountains, including the snow-covered Mt. Ashland as a beautiful backdrop to the bright and sunny greenhouses. When you come inside the warm greenhouses, you’re immediately greeted overhead by beautiful hanging baskets with trailing flowers and vines as an encasing canopy. The sweet smell of flowers and earthy wet soil motivates the brain to start planning endless gardening projects. Flawless plants as far as the eye can see are arranged by use to make finding the perfect plant a simple task. Sorted by types (annuals, perennials, edibles), and light needs (full sun, part sun, shade) gives gardeners an area to be creative selecting different colors and textures to work for their intended use. Around the outside border of the greenhouses are tables of hardy plants, fully exposed to nature’s elements so they fit right into your garden beds at home with little to no acclimation needed.
Scattered throughout are helpers wearing Ashland Greenhouse apparel ready to help answer any question or provide a helping hand while you shop.
Beyond the store we have our production area where we are busy filling pots with soil and transplanting tiny starts into their final pot size to be grown until ready for sale. From here the tiny plants make their way to a whole separate string of greenhouses and cold frames not open to the public where another crew on electric carts move around collecting flats of plants for orders to ship out.
Sarah, let’s talk about spring planting and gardening tips. What’s at the top of your list?
Great plants start with good soil. For planting into containers, gardeners will have the best results if they use fresh workable potting soil that allows for good drainage. In the ground it’s important to work your soil before planting. Whether it’s rototilling or tilling by hand, the more you prep your soil for planting the better success you’ll have. If you have less than desirable soil consistency there are many amendments to help. Adding compost is usually a great place to start. It helps your soil retain moisture, breaks up clay, provides a home for beneficial microbes, and adds nutrients to feed your plants. Feeding your plants is the next most important tip on my list. Containers/pots benefit most from a pelleted fertilizer or a water-soluble fertilizer you can mix in a watering can. Feeding your potted plants keeps them growing and blooming for the most impressive show. For my in-ground vegetable gardens I prefer a less processed approach to fertilizing and always see the best results using good old manure. Composted manure has the least chance of burning. Use caution using fresh manure that can burn plants. Putting fresh chicken manure straight onto a planted garden can be problematic and could burn roots and foliage.
Another often overlooked tip is really paying attention to your lighting. It seems really simple but it’s important to know how much light an area gets. Just because something gets sun at some point in the day doesn’t mean it’s full sun. Really pay attention to how much sun it gets throughout the whole day. If it’s 6-8 hours, then yes, you’ve got yourself a full-sun spot. If it’s less than that you might have better success with a part-sun option. When you plant in an area with different light requirements than the plant you’ve chosen, you’re not going to see it perform its best. Plants may stretch for more light, never reach full size, fail to bloom, or slowly fade away.
Can you please talk about drought-tolerant plants and what you have in stock at the moment?
It’s hard to think about drought-tolerant plants when we’ve gotten so much snow and rain lately. Hot summer is right around the corner though. Planting drought-tolerant options BEFORE the heat will allow the strong taproot to reach deep down into the soil so they can survive with minimal water during summer. Drought-tolerant plants are only drought-tolerant once established, so they still need close care and careful watering while they are young. We have many perennial drought-tolerant options available and even keep a handout readily available in the store for anyone who needs help choosing them. Currently we have Yarrow, Gaillardia, Rudbeckia, Jupiter’s Beard, Gaura, Salvia, Lavender, and so many more.
Sarah, Ashland Greenhouses is actually one the oldest businesses in Ashland. What do you think has helped it to stand the test of time?
Ashland Greenhouses had been around since 1906, started by Joseph Sanders and his son W.G Sanders growing cut flowers and vegetables in the early years. It has stood the test of time because of its adaptability. Production of cut flowers was decreased to meet the demand for more annual bedding plants, herbaceous perennials, and poinsettias in the early 80’s. Currently we no longer grow cut flowers and have switched entirely to plant starts and live potted plants. We rely heavily on our customer’s feedback to keep growing plants relevant to their needs. In recent years we’ve had increases in demand for more vegetable starts and herbs, as well as more desire for bigger 1-gallon pot options for an instantly finished look after planting. We try to stay as aware as we can so that we don’t get stuck doing the same thing year to year and always keep an ear to the ground for changes in our customer’s needs.
In your day-to-day work at Ashland Greenhouses, what do you enjoy most about what you do?
I went to college thinking what I wanted to do was marketing for financial services. I love numbers and analytics but also have a creative side. I thought that would be the perfect way to use both. Boy, was I wrong! Just being stuck in the classroom in the beautiful town of Ashland was hard enough when all I wanted was to be outdoors. I knew I would never find happiness stuck in an office living a very corporate lifestyle. I found Ashland Greenhouses for part-time work while attending SOU and I never left. My business degree has still served me very well as I now manage the business of Ashland Greenhouses alongside owner Kelly Brainard.
The thing I enjoy most about what I do is for sure being able to go from office work to outdoor work whenever I need to give my eyes a break and get some movement in. I can go from working on an extremely detailed database to bouncing around through flower-filled greenhouses checking on quality. Even in the winter there’s warm greenhouses full of poinsettias. What’s wonderful about the greenhouses is even though you’re in a covered area, it still feels like being outdoors. It really is the best work for me as it keeps all parts of my brain feeling fulfilled and happy.
In conclusion, you have hundreds of happy customers. Can you share a few positive testimonials from them with us?
“Plants are always healthy so they thrive when they go into my garden.” Leanne Moon
“Very helpful. Willing to give recommendations and answer LOTS of questions.” Scott Downing
“Great plants & veggies! Also, prices that are the best in town.” Susan Hoose
Thanks so much for speaking with us today.
I’m so happy to do so and I can’t wait to start seeing everyone at the greenhouses now that spring is here!
