The Studya Abroad group visited Oakland Nursery, Columbus April 19 1999. Our host was John Reiner, the CEO of Oakland Nursery. One group focused on the Garden Center operation, and another looked at the Divisions related to landscape design and installation.
Oakland is unusual in that it is a large garden center in an urban area, rather than in a more typical suburban location. The garden center features a full range of garden supplies: shovels, hoes, trowels, rakes, seeds media and garden chemicals. During the winter, Oakland offers a variety of cut greens, Christmas trees, and various decorations used for the interior and exterior of a home or business. During the spring, a full range of herbaceous and woody plant material is offered. The emphasis is on ornamentals, but fruits and vegetables are also on sale. During the fall, the garden center is full of bulbs, and fall flowering plants. During the summer, Oakland offers seminars on herbs, water gardening, and lawns.
Pictured above are some Japanese Maples for the wholesale or the retail customer. Oakland takes pride in the variety and quality of its plant material. In John Reiner's words "If they grow it in North America, then Oakland Nurseries sells it.". Walking through the nursery, one can find numerous cultivars of Rhododendrons and Boxwoods, anything from Katsura trees to weeping hemlocks. Some specimen trees have root balls four feet in diameter and a price tag of $1500. Although it is squeezed into a city location many people come to the nursery for "recreational shopping".
Oakland Garden Center also offers lawn ornaments and statuary to complete the look of a home garden. Offered in this section are ornamental planters, statues, bird houses, and outdoor works produced by local artists. This is in keeping with John Reiner's belief in the fusion of art and nature in the garden.
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