Destination Nursery

Once in awhile You hear the term, destination nursery. My Dad, Steve Locker used to talk about destination nurseries once a while. Back in the day in his blog, Horticulturally Incorrect, he would post on the Internet about Blue River Nursery being a destination nursery. We were even featured in a book by Betty Earl close to ten years ago as a midwestern destination nursery. Between my fathers old post and Betty’s book the response we would get was amazing! He was posting before posting was even an existing term, or FB was much more than an idea!

My favorite story is of a blessed gardener that came all the way from Virginia to pick up plants at our nursery that she was to plant in a garden for her friend on the shores of Lake Michigan for her retirement garden, awesome!

Occasionally, I visit a destination nursery I find on the internet or I find through some unusual garden catalog I picked up through a client or just to look into on accident.

The other day I heard a disturbing, although unshocking report from a phone call from an Indianapolis, Indiana gardening fanatic that claimed that she was from Michigan and was absolutely disappointed in the selection of nurseries in Indiana. I told this young lady that she sure wouldn’t be disappointed in our nursery.

When I have free time away from the nursery I often times visit nurseries in Michigan. Michigan is a great gardening state. Over the years I have taken some of the elements of the places I have visited in Michigan and incorporated them into our special place.

Furthermore, I have journeyed to the Northwest Coast, my spiritual homeland and visited nurseries there and brought the most usable elements there back to the front lines of conservatism and horticultural stagnation and grafted them to our indigenous canvas.

It may sound like I am a rip off artist for ideas, which I may be. However, there is this thing called the weather which is an unforgiving corrective variable that I have embraced and wrestled with for 24 years. I marry those foreign ideas to my cruel environment and arrive at my own conclusions and beauty!

Come visit me! If you are in Chicago, Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Louisville, Champagne, St. Louis or somewhere else come visit us! We often times host parties for traveling garden clubs as well as local garden clubs. If you want your event catered we can help arrange that for you. There is a local smokehouse that makes some of the best ribs, brisket, and barbecue around. I highly recommend them, they are called the Columbia Locker.

We are creating the nursery we have always “wanted to visit,” as my father always said. As I tell my clients our location is secret, but not too secret, its 4484 East Hartman Road, Columbia City Indiana, 46725. We are 3 miles north of U.S. 30. Go to 300 east turn and go North 1 mile. Turn right on Hartman Road, locally known as 13 Curves. The nursery is located 2 miles up the road on the right after curve 11.

Unlike the current garden scene we are trying to do our own thing and blaze our own trail. Our plants are one thing. We also support local art by exhibiting a full line of garden art made by local artisans, Jerry and Penny Whisenhunt from Huntington, Indiana. All of their designs are original and made of heavy grade steel. These are full time mid-western artists who produce far higher quality work than you will ever find elsewhere! Support local art! They support us and we support them and we may both support you and keep all of our money in this country! From trellises to pot post to bottle trees Jerry and Penny make it! Come out and see their exhibit and take a piece home to add to your collection! Ask to see Penny’s new design, ‘The Sparkfly’!

Do you need original insight into a design debacle? Bring pictures and demensions of your gardens with you so John, Shawn and Patty can help you with your design dilemma. Our plant selection is second to none and we have many non-traditional suggestions we would love to share with you. We want your business and will do whatever we can to earn it. If you can not visit the nursery and wish to see our plants, request some pictures. Unlike other Mailorder nurseries, we are not aloof and unappreciative of your interests. We are happy to send you pictures of individual plants or blocks of plants or greenhouse shots! We have it all and are happy to show it off.

My name is Shawn Locker and I own Blue River Nursery. My dad started it 24 years ago and my son may take it over some day. My Father in law and mother in law and Mother work here, as well as my beloved Step Father, Dave. We are a family owned local business. Let us know how we can earn your business. Call Shawn on his direct line at 260-414-6213 or contact him at his direct e-mail address at shawnlocker@gmail.com. Forget those aloof places and contact an old school, midwestern nursery that is not scared to personally interact with its clients.