October 23, 2000
858-535-8101
Custom Grown for Excellence
Brad Lenahan leans against the base of one of many pillars used to landscape the new Fenton Market Place. The concrete pot atop the pillar is planted with dwarf (sterile) pampas grass for seasonal variety and movement, and with Bignonia vines, which will grow to drape over the edge of the pot. SAN DIEGO, CA — Need 200 bougainvillea in 24-inch boxes, each the exact same color and height? At Miramar Wholesale Nurseries (MWN) that kind of request is not unusual. As a leader in the commercial landscape industry, MWN frequently grows plants to meet specifications for clients with special needs.
Shopping centers, apartment complexes, hotels, golf courses, any business with a large area to landscape can benefit from a custom grow. MWN works with the landscape architect’s plan to ensure enough plant materials are available to meet the design specifications. Frequently, that means all the trees, shrubs or flowers have to be the same size, color and always must be of consistent quality. Plant materials are not typically available in enough quantity to meet that need, so the custom grow is a safe choice.
“Custom grows are becoming more necessary,” said Brad Lenahan, landscape architect with Nowell & Associates. “The economy is booming and plant materials in Southern California are hard to come by because demand is so high. In order to ensure we get what we wanted, we had to order ahead of time.”
Nowell & Associates placed an order last September for a contract grow to landscape Fenton Market Place in Mission Valley. MWN has grown a variety of flowering perennials, shrubs and ornamental grasses for the shopping center, which is under construction near Qualcomm Stadium. MWN grows plants for anywhere from five to 8 custom grows each year.
While many custom grows are large, requiring hundreds of plants, some are smaller, needing special, hard to find plants. MWN handles both with the same commitment to excellence. Depending on the plant materials selected, successful custom grows require an 8 to 12 month lead-time. For information about contract growing at MWN, contact Alan Stockton at (858) 552-0592.
Miramar Wholesale Nurseries is Southern California’s leading supplier of landscape plant material and supplies. MWN grows a wide-variety of perennials, shrubs, and trees at each of their three locations for future projects in and around the region. Their fully stocked will-call facilities in San Diego, Irvine/Lake Forest, and San Juan Capistrano serve the immediate needs of commercial properties, institutions, property managers, and commercial landscapers. In an acquisition in early 1999, MWN became a member of the San Diego region of TruGreen-LandCare, a ServiceMaster company.
