Best Plant Nursery '95

Best Plant Nursery

Harlow's Landscape Center & Nurseries
5620 E. Pima St.

READERS' PICK: Budding gardeners of all ages love this centrally located nursery because of its vast array of trees, shrubs, seedlings, herbs and seeds. A perennial favorite with green thumbs citywide, Harlow's is a sensory fix: gardenias in bloom, butterflies flitting over to the lavender for another hit of nectar, lemon basil and chocolate mint vying for attention, velvety roses calling for a caress, and bougainvillea bursting with fuschia and Mexican sunsets. Create your own secret garden with help from the friendly, knowledgeable staff, which tends to its customers well by offering suggestions when asked and answering every question posed. Finally, we have to mention the plants at Harlow's are so healthy that even those of us known to have the dreaded Thumb of Death have been able to successfully transplant a shrub or two.

READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: Since we are all regular members of the First Church of Petey Mesquitey we thought we should warn you we take our desert and its plants pretty darn seriously. Okay, got that out of our systems. Pay a visit to Desert Survivors Nursery, 1020 W. 22nd St., and you never know what you'll learn, who you'll meet and what will go home with you. The warm-hearted people who run this nursery are care-takers in more ways than one. They also train and employ disabled adults. The plants are predominantly Sonoran desert species with a few exotics thrown in for fun. The staff knows its stuff; they'll tell you the formal (scientific) name of each plant you meet, if you want. And they'll give you plenty of tips on the care and feeding of those green friends. And about that Petey Mesquitey? Oh he's been around there for a while, kind of loves the place, and even does a radio show on KXCI 91.3 FM, all about desert plants (called Growing Native Wednesdays at 3 p.m.)

1998 Winner: Harlow's Nursery
1997 Winner: Harlow's Nursery
1996 Winner: Harlow's Nursery