Whidbey Islanders feel so lucky to have a full-service nursery at historic Bayview Corner - a nursery so full of desirable plants and staffed by such knowledgeable people that we'd go there even if we had as many nursery choices as Seattle offers.
Owner Maureen Murphy and her talented crew don't take it for granted that they have a captive island audience....and are expanding Bayview Farm and Garden to make it a destination for anyone visiting the island. The staff is friendly, engaging, and as ready to offer Bridget a biscuit as they are to advise on plants and products. This is a dog and people-friendly place...and now Bayview Farm and Garden has partnered with Plant Talk ...check out their new ad, and please thank Maureen for supporting this blog.
From the glorious spring-blooming laburnum arch, underplanted with purple allium, to her spacious new greenhouse, Maureen is turning Bayview Farm and Garden into a place to hang out and enjoy plants as well as to buy them. "I've made four trips to England over the past 12 or so years," says Maureen of her inspiration for upgrading and expanding the nursery. " I toured retail garden centers; I love the gardening culture in England. There's such a love for plants, collecting plants, nurturing plants and enjoying them in every day life. The national love of gardening is reflected in the culture of the retail garden centers. The British retailers are masters of plant theatre. The artful displays, signage, traffic flow, classes, cafes, demonstrations on using the plants in the garden, all of this adds up to a fun, stunning and satisfying shopping experience. I have wanted to absorb not just the practical and technical ideas (of which there are many), but the flavor and vibe of some of the garden centers I saw in England."
"One thing I know is that a garden center can be a truly organic part of a local community. That is, that the flavor and expression of a community supported garden center such as mine, grows up from the ground, taking on the character of the community and natural world that has nurtured it. The gift for a store like Bayview Farm & Garden is that we can live and breath within a close, organic, intimate relationship with the community and with our surrounding wild, natural environment while uniquely celebrating beauty and the seasons of life."
With Bayview's spacious new greenhouse holding a wealth of flowers and vegetables, and planning well underway for a new cafe and gift shop, Bayview is bustling. You can't find a finer assortment of Japanese maples, or hydrangeas anywhere, and Maureen's son is now growing gorgeous annuals exclusively for the nursery. When I have a woody plant question, I seek out veteran nurseryman Eric Studebaker, who is generous about sharing his expertise.
Bayview Farm and Garden is located on South Whidbey island, right off the main highway at 2780 Marshview Ave.; phone is 360-321-6789. On Saturdays in spring, summer and fall, the biggest Farmer's Market on the island is held at Bayview Corner, right next to the nursery.
At Bayview Farm and Garden, you can pick up a bag of organic dog food or potting soil, choose from a selection of beautiful pots, seek advice on just about any gardening question, buy herbs, vegetables, blueberries, flowers, trees, shrubs, tools, orchids, lanterns and houseplants at Bayview Farm and Garden. You'll be inspired by their displays and container plantings - I love the planted up garbage cans at the entry.
Soon enough you'll find a broader range of gifts and be able to get a great cup of coffee and a snack at the cafe, with Maureen's daughter as chef. I'm so pleased that Plant Talk is pairing up with this dynamic nursery....thanks Maureen, for your support...
Love Bayview!! I always visit when we come up from Bellevue, and my garden has some choice selections from the nursery. Great selection, great staff. And, oh so beautiful. Even our mid-winter visit was gorgeous.
Posted by: Ruth | March 08, 2012 at 09:16 PM
Tracey, you , Jo and I have to go here someday in the not to distant future, Lenny can come to. I'm sure you've already heard about it, it is a deatination nursery like your's will be, and a photographers dream.
Love, Mom
Posted by: Linda Pardee | March 30, 2012 at 02:14 PM
I just bought 2 pots there on Thursday and the laburnum is in full bloom right now. Just gorgeous. Thanks to your post, I had made a mental note to stop by in May and because of this I also realized that one of the trees in our front yard in Seattle is also a laburnum...I'm a bit of a gardening novice. :)
Posted by: Karen | May 25, 2012 at 12:29 PM