I recently asked readers of this column if they could recommend nurseries that more of us should know about.
In response, Peggy Neiman suggested I visit the San Gabriel Nursery & Florist in San Gabriel, “The employees are delightful and knowledgeable with a wonderful variety of plants and flowers,” she wrote, noting the nursery’s “very interesting history.”
The story is indeed interesting, and I’m going to share a summary of that history here that I got from the nursery’s website, but you can read it in full at sgnursery.com. Before doing so, I should mention that I have visited this nursery and can testify to its vast selection of fruit trees, roses and ornamental plants that’s second to none. If you are looking for cut flowers, this is also the place to go since they have a wide selection of exotic flora from which to choose. Garden accessories are also available in generous supply. Unfortunately, San Gabriel is in the citrus quarantine zone so you will have to look elsewhere for these trees.
The story of today’s San Gabriel Nursery & Florist begins in 1917, with the arrival by boat of 21-year-old Fred Yoshimura in San Francisco. He had come to America with the dream of starting a business that would enable him to support his family in Japan. The following year brought Yoshimura to San Gabriel, where he lived in a boarding house while working in the gardens that were being planted in San Marino and Pasadena. The enterprising young gardener took cuttings from the plants and with money saved from his gardening jobs was soon able to rent a piece of land and establish Mission Nursery, from which he could sell nursery stock that developed from his cuttings. At this time, sprinkler systems were being installed for the first time and Yoshimura became an expert in this technology, adding to his skills as a gardening professional.
Soon afterward, Yoshimura met Mitoko Naito. At the age of 15, she had come to South Pasadena to work in a home as a domestic helper. In 1924, the two young immigrants were married. At the suggestion of one of their customers, Mrs. Yoshimura became one of the first florists in the area, learning flower-arranging skills from this same customer. As their business grew, so did their family, with the Yoshimuras having two boys and two girls, all of whom would help to expand the thriving family business.
By the early 1930s, Mission Nursery had 60 employees and business was booming. In addition to selling plants, the nursery installed irrigation systems, fish ponds, and rock gardens. The nursery also imported stone lanterns and benches from Japan which became quite popular, even hiring a man who had spent time in Japan learning how to craft these special Japanese garden accessories.
Fred Yoshimura was proud of his heritage and helped those around him gain a better understanding of his culture. He was active in the Chamber of Commerce and president of the Nurserymen’s Association. His charitable nature came to the fore in donating truckloads of plants to military bases throughout California.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Fred Yoshimura, along with 120,000 other Japanese Americans, was sent to an internment camp even as his oldest son would be drafted and serve in the United States Army. Once the internment of Japanese Americans began, it was assumed that the nursery would have to be sold. Mrs. Yoshimura was approached by several buyers but rejected their offers which were too low.
Finally, Manchester Boddy, publisher of the Los Angeles Daily News, presented a fair offer that was accepted by Mrs. Yoshimura. Not only would Boddy’s offer allow the Yoshimuras to pay off their bank loans, but they would receive monthly payments throughout their internment that made it possible for them to start another nursery business in the future. It should also be noted that while Mrs. Yoshuimura was in the camp, she was hired by the government to run a flower shop. She grew the plants and flowers that were used in floral arrangements for weddings and other events.
When the war ended in 1945, the Yoshimuras returned to San Gabriel and established San Gabriel Nursery & Florist across the street from where Mission Nursery stood. That nursery was soon closed when Manchester Boddy took all the inventory to his estate where he started his own nursery business. That estate eventually became Descanso Gardens and visitors there will set their eyes on camellias, azaleas, and Japanese lanterns that were from the stock Boddy acquired when purchasing Mission Nursery from the Yoshimuras.
On the nursery’s website, there is a compelling photo of a field of pansies on the San Gabriel Nursery property at that time. In those days, pansies (and other flowers, I am sure) were not purchased in plastic containers. You would go to the nursery and point to the flowers you wanted and they would be dug up for you to take home and transplant into your own garden.
It should be noted that Bellefontaine Nursery, in Pasadena, was started in the 1930s by the Uchidas, another Japanese American family. They too were interned during World War II, but with the assistance of friends were able to keep possession of the nursery during the war. You can read the complete history of the nursery and the family behind it at bellefontainenursery.com.
California native of the week: Foliage, flowers and hips (fruit) of California wild roses (Rosa californica) are all fragrant and the hips are recommended for making tea. California wild roses will appreciate a bit more moisture than other native plants. While growing in full sun close to the coast, they will benefit from partial shade in hotter, more inland environments. California wild roses make a fine natural barrier because of their nasty thorns that will keep out meandering urban wildlife. Individual plants will grow in a thicket, with each rose bush reaching up to 6 feet tall with a spread of 10 feet. There is a wonderful display of these roses in a planter at the entrance to the Los Angeles Zoo.
Related Articles
Why now is the time to harvest this citrus fruit from your trees
Where to get good gardening information when you move to a new zone
7 ways to get the dog and cat fur out of your furniture
Why it makes sense to hire a Christmas and holiday lights professional
What you need to know about microclimates and your garden