Nursery draws landscapers, green thumbs

Light glistens off the leaves of the shade trees towering over the flowerbeds at Forever Gardens. The sound of birds chirping intermingles with the soft melody of the wind chimes blowing in the breeze.

Forever Gardens is not just a garden center, but a garden, said co-owner Tricia Martin, and gardens are meant to be appreciated.

"We have customers come in the morning with coffee and the paper just to sit and enjoy it," she said.

Martin and her husband, Jon, started Forever Gardens as a landscaping business 12 years ago. They began leasing property in Georgetown to put in a nursery in 2002 and moved to their location on Williams Drive in 2004.

"It's off the beaten path but not hard to get to," Martin said.

Landscaping remains an integral part of the business. Martin said the level of landscaping service ranges depending on how much help the customers need. She said some clients come in and only need a few tips, while others have no idea what to do with the space they have. In the latter case, Martin will visit the property for a consultation, draw up a design for the space and then help build the project, which could include planting and masonry work.

Forever Gardens carries a selection of native and adapted plants—giving the vegetation an edge when Texas temperatures veer upward and rain fails to fall. Martin said she encourages people to buy plants that need little to no water.

"I'm a big promoter of conserving our resources, because water is scarce," she said.

Georgetown resident Sloan Childers has been a customer for about 10 years and said the Martins have helped him with landscaping his property.

"Tricia knows everything about the native plants and what to put in," he said.

In addition to flowers, Forever Gardens also carries trees, shrubs, vegetable plants, herbs, cactuses and some yard art.

Martin said she has always loved plants and flowers, which is why she pursued a degree in horticulture business from Texas State University.

She said her husband has a green thumb and was raised in his dad's garden. Together they make a good pair—he has the vision of where everything should go in the landscape design and she knows how to fill in all the details, she said.

The name of the business came from the term of endearment, forever, that the couple uses when signing letters to each other. But Martin said Forever Gardens also has another meaning.

"Things that we encourage people to plant are things that will grow here," she said. "So truly, it could be a forever garden."

For sale at Forever Gardens

Other items for sale:

• Cactuses
• Trees
• Shrubs
• Herbs
• Vegetables
• Flowers
• Birdhouses
• Yard art
• Hanging plants
• Stepping stones

Forever Gardens, 6970 Williams Drive, 868-3373, www.forevergardens.net