Sara’s Garden & Nursery at 389 East Avenue in Brockport is celebrating a remarkable milestone this year – 40 years in business.
What began as a small farm wagon offering homegrown veggies and fruits in 1977, has become a destination for area gardeners – a family-run nursery with an abundance of thriving plants, garden necessities, ornaments, and perhaps one of the most personable, gracious and knowledgeable business owners and gardening experts around – Kathy Kepler.
“It’s hard to imagine Sara’s as a small wagon selling fruits and vegetables on East Avenue,” Kepler muses. “Over the course of 40 years, we have fallen into what really is our passion – working with ornamental plants and sharing that love and passion with our customers. It is the force that drives us each day: we love flowers.”
Keeping the business going over four decades has meant many changes as home gardening has evolved.
Twenty years ago, Sara’s became the source for water gardens, including both fish and plants. Extensive and well-manicured display gardens on site offer refuge, inspiration and a bucolic spot for tours, weddings and a community vegetable garden.
Kepler says Sara’s works to stay on top of trends in gardening – things like color preferences, the “do it for me” trend, the “teach me everything” trend – but right now she observes, “all the cards are on the table … there is a niche for all things gardening. The vegetable trend does seem high right now and it’s great that folks are devoting time, energy and garden space to vegetables, and this year they are mixing them with their flowers, too. If there is no space, the container of tomatoes can give folks that fresh tomato fix, and they are doing that.”
Advances in technology and personal electronic devices have impacted home gardeners, Kepler says. “With everyone having a smart phone, they can Google a plant name and get tons of info. We love that. We have a small staff and it is great when it’s a crazy weekend and we don’t have enough hours in the day to help people on a one-to-one basis. Plus, it really helps people ask some pretty thoughtful questions … we love seeing phones come out at the nursery.”
Stone wall follies have prominent spots in the display gardens, and Sara’s has worked in recent years to provide educational weekends on the folly-making process, so anyone can learn about how to create the hardscape “ruins” which add so much character and “age” to the garden.
“Our Stone Wall Follies weekends are one of the things we are most proud of,” Kepler notes. “There are some pretty special local supporters of that event each season and were it not for Scott George of Clarkson, all of the great student stone work would not be on display.”
She credits great employees as another main factor in Sara’s success over multiple decades. “The young people in our region are a wealth of talent and commitment. Our long-term members are devoted with the same passion for plants that we have,” Kepler says, “As a team, we accomplish a lot each year.”
A special volunteer – William Schmitt of Clarkson – helps Kepler with maintaining the garden at Sara’s every year. He, “has been a good customer of Sara’s for years and it was always a pleasure to help him with his garden each season. Now that he has retired, he has devoted many hours to keeping the garden in great shape.”
Additionally, Sara’s Garden Center generously shares its bounty of beauty with the greater westside community.
Clarkson Supervisor Paul Kimball says Sara’s donated plants for the traffic circle to keep it in bloom during the growing season. “Their efforts are greatly appreciated,” Kimball says, “and may have been under-appreciated in the past. We are fortunate to have them in the town and are grateful for all they do for the community.”
Sara’s annually helps Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener volunteers promote their “Garden Makeover” contest and provides $1,000 in plant material to the lucky winner. Kepler is always happy to let the winning family come to Sara’s to select the flowers and shrubs for their project.
“Kathy is our ‘Rock Star’ supporting the Master Gardeners of Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension,” Master Gardener Don O’Keefe says. “From our Education Days to our Master Gardener Makeover, she is truly a great asset and resource to the community.”
Kepler says community outreach is important for Sara’s. “If it promotes a love and appreciation for plants, we are in,” she says. “It really is a common denominator among all people … everyone should have the opportunity to grow and nurture something as rewarding as a plant. There is an emotional connection with other living, growing things. Plants give back so much on a myriad of levels and everyone should have that opportunity to experience and discover that connection one way or another. There should be no barrier that prevents that from happening on some level: knowledge, experience, financial. We want to make sure we can help that happen.”
Sara’s is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday; Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
