This longtime Whatcom garden nursery under new ownership, plans to add delivery service
A longtime Whatcom County garden nursery is under new ownership, but customers won’t see too many new changes in how it operates.
Isaac and Laurie Burrous recently took over Kent’s Garden & Nursery, which is at 5428 Northwest Drive near Ferndale. Ginny Crump and Nancy Henshaw, who have operated the 5.5-acre property since 1999, sold the business to them in February. The Burrous are the third owners of the business, which was first opened in 1976 by Kent Gerard.
In a phone interview, Isaac Burrous said Kent’s has been his happy place for the past nine years as he became a regular visitor buying products as a commercial landscaper. Owning the business has also been great, he said.
“The community has been incredible. So many folks who have met me said they appreciate Kent’s sticking around,” Isaac Burrous said.
Burrous said they’ve spent the first couple of months listening to what customers want. The most common request is for a delivery service, so that’s something they plan on starting in the coming months.
The company is also planning to expand its commercial contractor services, trying to connect with companies that are putting in landscaping. When he was a commercial landscaper, one challenge was finding local plants, noting that they tend to last much longer than plants trucked in from warmer climates.
So far this spring it’s been busy at Kent’s as residents try to replace plants damaged not just by last winter’s floods and cold snaps, but those damaged by last summer’s heatwave. As customers look around, Isaac Burrous said he wants to maintain that atmosphere that he found was special to him.
“You gain a sense of peace just by walking around the property,” Isaac Burrous said in a news release announcing the ownership change. “This place is magical and the staff is just incredible.”
Along with annuals, Kent’s offers a variety of local and regional perennials, berries, fruit trees and vegetables. Details about the company can be found on its website.
This story was originally published April 25, 2022 at 12:05 PM.
