Best Garden Center/Nursery

1. Armstrong Garden Centers

Multiple locations; armstronggarden.com

Orange County’s pick for favorite garden center has a deep history in Southern California. In fact, Armstrong Garden Centers goes all the way back to 1889, when John Armstrong began growing eucalyptus and olive trees in Ontario.

Despite its origins, Armstrong developed a reputation for roses. Over 130 years, the company has been an innovator, cultivating hybrids of roses and other plants.

Today, Armstrong Garden Centers, which has been employee-owned since 2014, has nine locations in Orange County. Armstrong’s plant selection is ample and includes plants that are grown within the company’s own Armstrong Growers division. Armstrong offers landscaping services that include home consultations, design and installation, as well as an in-store personal shopping program.

Armstrong was the first garden center to offer a rose catalog, which may explain why its online shop is so easy to navigate. Scroll through everything from roses to strawberries and you’ll find descriptions that are clear, concise and incredibly useful. You’ll have a good idea of how to care for your new plants and what to expect from them before you buy.

Curbside pickup is available for online orders; you should receive notification of when your purchase is available within 48 hours of placing an order. After planting your garden, keep an eye out for Armstrong’s online guides, which offer growing advice and even recipes for your harvests.

FRANK BELLINO, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER An employee with Armstrong Garden Centers waters vegetables and fruits that can be grown in containers.

— Liz Ohanesian

2. Green Thumb Nursery

23782 Bridger Road, Lake Forest; 949-837-3040, greenthumb.com

“We’re probably the most complete nursery that you’ll find in Orange County,” says Karen Sandell, manager of Green Thumb Nursery in Lake Forest.

One of five Southern California locations in a family-owned chain of nurseries, Orange County’s Green Thumb has everything from house plants to fruit trees to barbecues. It’s also a butterfly magnet.

“I almost get hit with them daily and that’s amazing,” says Sandell.

If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, check out Green Thumb’s water plant selection in their display pond. If you have questions, the store does have experts who can help you navigate these waters. That’s the case throughout the nursery.

“We stress that anyone coming in has to have some type of knowledge, as well as they are constantly learning while they’re here,” says Sandell of the staff.

3. Roger’s Gardens

2301 San Joaquin Hills Road, Corona del Mar; 949-640-5800, rogersgardens.com

Roger’s Gardens is steeped in Orange County nature.

This past summer, the 56-year-old nursery partnered with the local Audubon Society to help educate customers on what hummingbirds they can find in the area and how to make gardens more hospitable to them. Ron Vanderhoff, general manager and vice president at Roger’s Gardens, has a personal passion for butterflies and milkweed that has also become a bigger topic among Southern California gardeners in recent years.

The nursery has helped fuel that movement by implementing a milkweed exchange program. Customers can bring in a non-native milkweed plant and exchange it for a native one at no cost.

Roger’s Gardens is also a go-to spot for unusual roses. This year, customers were clamoring for the Disneyland rose, which had fallen off the market years ago, but was reintroduced at Roger’s. It sold out in three weeks.