We all experience joy walking into our favorite nursery to just “sneak a peek”…and we often walk out with more plants than we have room for. We don’t typically think about what it took to make those plants ready for sale at a retail nursery, but this class will remedy that with a expertly guided tour of Puget Sound Plants, a wholesale nursery in Snohomish. We’ll gain an understanding of the skill and commitment that goes into supplying our community with high quality plants cultivated from seeds, cuttings and tissue culture. Discover the never-ending tasks required to make sure pests are managed sustainably, fertilizers are used properly, water is balanced and the elements are controlled as much as possible–all in service of creating healthy, desirable plants and happy customers.

Puget Sound Plants is a family-owned wholesale nursery that sells to landscape professionals throughout Washington State. It focuses primarily on growing trees, shrubs and perennials. Over the last decade the company has expanded to include five locations. They have three production sites around the state, totaling over 400 acres that provide everything from container plants to in-ground grown material.

Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase plants from a selection of shrubs and perennials, pre-selected for our group. Credit card preferred, cash accepted, no checks.

Instructors’ Bios:

Zack Zobrist is a senior manager and production manager at Puget Sound Plants. With 12 years of professional industry experience in nursery production, he has introduced many sustainable practices to increase plant health success and reduce the use of chemicals and fertilizers in the nursery. Zack holds a bachelor of science degree in integrated plant sciences with a focus on landscape nursery and greenhouse management from Washington State University. He was a proud member of the Future Farmers of America in high school and placed at nationals in floriculture in Indianapolis.

Michelle Rau is a NHS Board Member, horticultural educator, plant nerd and all-around hoot. She has 12 years of experience in horticulture and is a Certified Professional Horticulturist, ISA Certified Arborist and faculty member at Edmonds College.