Van Berkum Nursery – Growing Perennials the Right Way

Two weeks ago I ventured up to Deerfield, NH to meet with John Gedraitis, the General Manager of Van Berkum Nursery. Many of us in the field of horticulture in New England consider them the best growers of perennials, and a great supplier of some not so easy to find native and non-native plants.  The nursery was started by Peter and Leslie Van Berkum over 30 years ago largely with native woodland plants, and now they are arguably the finest wholesale supplier of perennials to contractors and nurseries across New England.

While the nursery was under a layer of snow and not yet in production mode when I visited, there was plenty of activity in preparation for the coming weeks, and as John told me there never really is any downtime.

I encourage you to look for their plants at your local nursery, chances are you will find them, especially if you are looking for native or woodland plants. They usually are not on the current trend offering the latest varieties of Coneflower or Astilbe, but, as an example, you will find a huge number of different Epimedium, one of Peter’s favorite plants and a stalwart in the shade garden.  While they are not first to the market with new plants, they grow over 1200 different plants that are grown on about 15 acres in southern New Hampshire. More than enough variety to grow just about any garden of your dreams.

What makes Van Berkum plants special is the passionate team who nutures and cares for the plants, and the manner in which they are grown.

John started at Van Berkum 15 years ago and, now as the General Manager, oversees the hiring and more importantly maintaining a culture of passion and caring that goes back to the early days with Peter and Leslie. He described it as ‘Van Berkumness’ and it exists from the propagators and growers to the sales staff and delivery drivers. He likened it to a family where everyone knows each other and the two breaks each day are always spent together in the break room, even after they continued to grow in size. During the COVID summer, employees would still gather at distance outside to be together. But, as in any family, there are challenges like the Great Tomato Staking War two years ago.  Apparently during a break a discussion broke out about the proper way to stake tomatoes, and, as one can expect with a group of people passionate about growing, many opinions and suggestions were presented with great fervor. This love of their chosen work shows in the care provided to the plants. Peter and Leslie still live on the nursery, and Peter is often providing input and supporting the teams in the field. I believe this collaborative environment shows in the delivered plants that establish and grow so well rather than ‘steroid grown’ plants that come from larger production facilities.

This leads to the second important point, which is the manner in which Van Berkum grows their plants. John likened their philosophy as not purely organic but with a ‘light touch’. They start with choosing the proper medium.  Their years of experience informs them on the soil mix to use for each plant based upon the moisture and air preferences. This allows the plants and roots to mature in a healthy environment. They have also learned from years of experience how to size plants, which is why mature plants for sale will come in a variety of container sizes. Some plants just don’t like big pots while others don’t like little ones. With all of these considerations being managed, it means that plants are healthier and thereby requiring less intervention with chemicals.  John said that 50% of plants will be sold having never been sprayed with a chemical. That is a far cry from many large operations where plants are constantly sprayed to manage insect infestations and disease. In fact a property they purchased across the street several years ago has allowed them to grow plants with greater spacing, which can help mitigate some challenges in large scale growing.

Please remember that they are a wholesale operation and don’t sell to retail customers, but you can certainly use their resources to design and ask your contractors to source from Van Berkum or even talk with your local nursery about bringing in Van Berkum plants. I encourage you to look through their catalog of plants, or search their design list to search for plants by color, size, lighting, etc. I almost always specify Van Berkum plants on jobs because I know the quality of the product that will be delivered.

I asked John about some of the popular plants that they grow beyond the more common plants like Salvia, Echinacea or Daylillies, and he gave me an interesting list of plants that should be considered, especially if you are interested in some native woodland plants.

• Waldsteinia (Barren Strawberry) – I love this plant as a mostly evergreen dense ground cover with yellow flowers in late spring. Drought tolerant once established and spreads readily in most any condition, especially in the shade.
• Comptonia (Sweet Fern) – Not a high profile plant but is great in areas or on slopes that have challenging conditions or soil. 3+’ tall and spreading in nice in large clumps with a dense, fern-like appearance. Great for erosion control. Classified by VB as a ‘Wicked Rugged’ plant.
• Polygonatum (Solomon’s Seal) – Several species with different heights and characteristics, but all are for woodland, mostly shady conditions. They have graceful arching stems with spring flowers and summer fruit.  Can spread well to form great colonies with time and a necessity in a native woodland garden. Classified by VB as a ‘Wicked Rugged’ plant.
• Smilacena (False Solomon’s Seal) – Similar arching stems to Polygonatum but flowers are terminal on the stems as opposed to hanging below. Wonderful foliage plant for the woodland garden. Classified by VB as a ‘Wicked Rugged’ plant.
• Gaultheria (Wintergreen) – Sometimes mistaken for the invasive Vinca, but this beauty has glossy leaves with summer, white flowers and big red berries in the fall.  Leaves have a wintergreen smell when crushed which helps in identifying. This is understated but fantastic when clumps become established.
• Epigaea (Trailing Arbutus) – This little ground cover can draw you in from a distance with its fragrance while in flower. Very drought tolerant after becoming established with small pinkish flowers and evergreen leaves.

The nursery is already into its early propagation and will be into production in March.  John is expecting strong demand this season as it looks like all of us will continue to spend time at home and in our gardens.

Please find a way to support an excellent regional business that has always done it right. Request Van Berkum perennials from your contractor and nursery.