In the mood for a nice drive during one of these sunny days?
Check out Blake Nursery during your leisurely travels, a full service, family owned and operated retail and landscape nursery near Big Timber, Montana. Their reputation is based on: providing a huge selection of hardy, quality plants, including many Montana natives; quality landscape design, installation and maintenance services; a knowledgeable and helpful staff; and many years of experience (since 1977!) in the same location.
Blake Nursery opened its doors in Montana in 1977, but its beginnings are found years before and several thousand miles away in England. In 1967, Sandi and Francis Blake moved to London (then Gloucestershire) from the east coast. Francis earned a degree in agriculture and worked on a diverse crop and livestock farm. Sandi meanwhile discovered and nurtured her love of horticulture and growing plants. She worked in a floral shop in London and later a retail nursery. Looking to establish roots in the U.S. where they could raise a family and further pursue agriculture, Sandi and Francis moved to Big Timber, MT in 1973. They bought a ranch and started raising Angus cattle. For Sandi, horticulture and caring for plants took a back seat to nursing baby calves and raising three sons, but horticulture was never far from her mind.
With Francis’ encouragement she opened Blake Nursery in 1977. The emphasis was on hardy, quality plants. For the first several years Sandi and staff propagated plants, experimented with new plant varieties, and expanded the inventory. They also gained professional expertise and honed their skills with shovel and spud bar–Blake Nursery didn’t own its first skid steer until the mid-1980s. In 1983 Sandi wrote the nursery’s first catalog that included plant availability and insights regarding Montana gardening. Soon after, a greenhouse was built and a growing area came on line. Meanwhile Blake Nursery responded to the need for landscape design and installation. From the get-go Francis was involved. If he wasn’t tagging calves or irrigating he was repairing the nursery irrigation system or experimenting with new plant varieties. Today he is the nursery’s native grass seed specialist. Alex and Amory, Sandi and Francis’ youngest sons, are part of the team as well. Amory shares management responsibilities with Sandi, and Alex is in charge of the books. Sandi and Francis’ oldest son, Peter, lives in Palo Alto, CA with his wife Molly and their two daughters, Helen and Leah.
Meanwhile, everyone is involved in the ranch with Francis and Alex taking leading roles. Now 39 years after Blake Nursery opened its doors, it remains committed to customer service. Plant selection is now more diverse than ever and Montana natives remain a focus. Meanwhile, the nursery continues to benefit from great employees and loyal customers. Come check out why Blake Nursery is called the “gardener’s paradise!” For more information, please visit blakenursery.com/. •