A lot of noise is being made these days in support of local businesses, and it isn’t just hype; a collection of studies showing the economic impact of a dollar spent locally vs. a dollar spent at a national or international chain shows that when you shop from locally owned businesses, it generates more economic growth within the community and supports businesses that generally provide the majority of local jobs at better wages than national and international chains.
Not to toot our own horn (well maybe just a little bit), Fort Collins Nursery has been locally owned and operated since 1932. We have always operated with the belief that we thrive at the mercy of our community, and this belief has treated us well. Every year we donate thousands of dollars in cash donations, sponsorships, and donations of plants and gardening supplies to local non-profit organizations. We make every effort to buy locally grown plants and locally produced products. We like to think we are about as local as it gets, and we have just taken a huge step forward to be even local-er.
Come this spring, you will see tons of #1 (1 gal.) perennials in light brown pots bearing the Fort Collins Nursery logo, the Talking Tree. Each plant you see in one of these pots is guaranteed to be grown right here at our nursery. In fact, we already grow most of our perennials here. In 2011, out of 65,237 #1 perennials that moved through our nursery this year, 56,567 of them were grown right here at the nursery. We just found a better way to show you which ones are which so you know your plants are true locals.
We are proud to be local, and we know you are, too. Now you can garden with the peace of mind that if a plant comes in one of our branded pots, it is a true hometown hero.
Originally published on November 30th, 2011. Updated on December 29th, 2011.