Newsletter Articles
Green Thumb Nursery is 80 Years Old
By Richard Flowers
Let’s all say Happy Anniversary to the driven success of Green Thumb Nursery, and it’s all because of you, the customer. Let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we? Isn’t it amazing that the family-owned Green Thumb Nursery, established in 1946, has been a Southern California local’s favorite for 80 years, providing high-quality gardening supplies, outdoor plants, and décor? Our lawn, garden, and plant experts are available to answer any questions you may have about your next outdoor gardening project.
From indoor and outdoor plants to fountains, statues, and patio furniture, come find out why Green Thumb Nurseries is one of the best places to buy plants and home, lawn, and garden décor.
Dale Bergquist was born on June 2, 1918, in Shickley, Nebraska. As a boy, he began growing poppies, a passion that led him to start his own nursery business as a teenager.
The driving spirit in Shickley, Nebraska, was the same as in Canoga Park in 1946. The two towns shared similarities in their early years. Both were small, developing, mostly agricultural communities that thrived along railroad tracks running through town.
Canoga Park differed slightly because California was the land of opportunity at this point in time. The Los Angeles Aqueduct brought new life to dry agricultural land in the San Fernando Valley. Real estate developers were building new tracts of homes as new industries developed and demand for housing grew.
In 1946, businesses were flourishing, so Dale knew his next move was to pursue a business opportunity. Dale had been working for Germain’s Seed Company for about a year when he asked one of his suppliers whether he knew of an existing plant nursery he could buy. Some weeks later, a small nursery in Canoga Park went up for sale. Dale convinced Errol Newton, his co-worker at Germain’s, to go into business with him and make an offer on the nursery. After considerable negotiation, the sale was consummated, and Dale & Errol became the proud new owners of the very first Green Thumb Nursery. They each invested $500 to purchase the business, which included a shovel, a wheelbarrow, some tools, plants, and a small building. The deal was sealed with a handshake.
The business’s early years were tough. Dale was being paid fairly well at Germain’s, $35 per week, and had to take a major pay cut to keep the business going. Dale, his loving wife, Verna, and their two children had to cut back on many expenses so Dale could pursue his life’s dream. In 1948, Dale had hoped to finish his education at UCLA, but in 1950 he received the wonderful news that his wife was pregnant with their third child, so he postponed his academic pursuits.
Dale was a very driven and determined man. He was known for driving Errol throughout the San Fernando Valley in the early morning hours to compile an extensive mailing list of new homes under construction. He called it marketing 101. Nancy Newton Lee wrote, “My father, Earl Newton, and Dale were partners at Green Thumb, which began in 1946.”
They had complete trust in each other. It was not because they always agreed, but because they respected each other’s opinions. It was a wonderful melding of two very great men with forward-thinking minds.”
It took a lot of hard work and commitment, but Dale and Errol built a successful business. Dale was so pleased with the business’s success that he called his brothers, Max and Bob, in Nebraska. He suggested they move to California, “where things are happening,” and they did. Max and Bob became owners of a related business, Green Arrow Nursery.
During the 1950s, business really began to take off. New homes were being built, which meant new lawns, landscaping needs, and a high demand for beautiful garden products. Homeowners needed new patio sets and gardening gear because the economy was booming and people wanted to entertain guests and decorate their homes. Dale developed creative marketing techniques, including innovative advertising, little red wagons for “self-service,” and “friendly customer service with a smile” that resonated with his customers and kept them coming back for their gardening needs.
In the early 1960s, Dale and Errol acquired a parcel of land near their retail location. Dale returned to his original passion, plant cultivation. Over the following years, they expanded the facility to its current 20 acres. The Growing Grounds in Canoga Park supplies plants to all of the Green Thumb Nursery locations, as well as to architects and landscaping companies.
In 1965, Max and Bob met with Dale & Errol and formed Green Thumb International, which had locations in Ventura and El Toro. The Newhall location opened in 1971. Dale, a highly respected and caring civic leader in the community, passed away on January 5, 2010, in West Hills. He was 91. He had said, “My life has been a great ride.”
Today, Green Thumb Nursery remains a family-owned business led by Bud, Steve, & Nancy Bergquist. Green Thumb continues its tradition of “friendly customer service with a smile” and maintains one of the best reputations for a quality garden center in Southern California.
In the early 2000s, after applying to the Ventura location twice, I got the call to come in for an interview. I was hired on the spot. I have always loved plants and gardening, and I have taken several years of formal horticulture and plant science courses, earning merit awards and certificates. I worked at other nurseries and garden centers, gaining practical experience in plant growth. I shopped at the Ventura location for years. While attending Pierce College in Woodland Hills, I went on field trips to The Van Nuys Store on Sherman Way in the San Fernando Valley for plant identification. During the interview, the manager said most people stay for decades or longer. They like it here.
We are all close, passionate, and know our plants very well. We have over 100 years of combined plant knowledge among our employees at this store alone. We have several California Certified Nursery Professionals on staff, and I am glad that you are one too. That would be an excellent addition to our legacy. I remember the manager looking at my resume and experience and saying that I know everything there is to know about plants. If a customer asks me something, I know the answer and can provide the advice they need to make their gardening endeavors more successful. I responded that I know a lot, but if I don’t know, I will find out. That was the answer the manager was looking for. From there, the rest is history.
Since March 2002, I have worked at the Ventura location of Green Thumb Nursery and have loved every moment. Listening to the advice of seasoned plant experts with their incredible knowledge is so rewarding and makes me strive to give 100% to every customer who comes in. During my time here, Green Thumb has faced many challenges: economic downturns, recessions, drought, fires, rain, wind, heat, and the Pandemic. We survived because customers came back because they trust us. We built loyalty, and our reputation exceeds that of competitors. Customers count on us, and many of them know us by name. We cultivate a relationship between both parties. I have contributed my time and effort for several years, writing timely, garden- and plant- worthy articles for the public to get inspired by. These articles are published in our weekly newsletter and are housed in the blog section of the Green Thumb Nursery website. Many longtime customers have commented and love the articles I wrote.
Today, many of the employees who were here when I started are not with Green Thumb anymore, but we still survive. New employees come on board, and shifts in leadership occur, but most importantly, you (the customer) come back and help restore the legacy of what Green Thumb is. Today I am still working here and will be for the foreseeable future, spreading my love and passion for plants to everyone in the gardening world. I am honored to share my knowledge with the newer generation of employees and customers and to see them thrive.
I have only been with Green Thumb Nursery for 24 of its 80 years in business, but I have been shopping here for over 30 years. I meet customers multiple times, and they say their grandfather and grandmother have shopped here since before I was born.
Generations of loyal customers still come, shop, and enjoy the wonderful items at Green Thumb. I am amazed to see new customers, young or old, who have never gardened before or have never been to Green Thumb. They are overwhelmingly pleased. In honor of all customers, new, old, and future, for our 80th-year anniversary, we are proudly hosting a sales event with coupons. Please see the advertisement.
Green Thumb Nurseries has 5 top-rated Southern California Garden Centers known for a high-quality selection of unique and popular plants, friendly garden experts, and beautiful garden décor. Our extensive selection includes drought-tolerant plants, fruit trees, vibrant flowers, water plants, perennials, annuals, succulents, giftware, pottery, lawn and garden supplies, and more, making Green Thumb California’s one-stop shop for all your gardening needs. Visit our Orange County Garden Center in Lake Forest, our San Diego Garden Center in San Marcos, our Los Angeles Garden Centers in Canoga Park or Santa Clarita, or our Ventura County Garden Center in Ventura.
Customers choose Green Thumb Nursery for superior customer service, knowledgeable garden experts on-site, and high-quality plants, all at an affordable cost to the customer. Green Thumb offers a full-service garden center with many California Certified Nursery Professionals at every store. Green Thumb offers a variety of products, including plants, gardening supplies, hardware, irrigation, casual patio furniture, garden art, water features, and much more! Come celebrate and honor our 80-year legacy with a multi-day sale as a thank-you for your loyalty. Here’s to many more years of Green Thumb Nursery.
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