A gardening oasis marks the entry to downtown Montgomery along Hwy. 105. The gates of A&A Plants and Produce overflow with eye-catching greenery and multicolored blossoms during the fall planting season. Nearly 30 years ago, this 3-acre landscape nursery was a simple produce stand operated by owner Cathy Arthur’s parents, Alice and Adam Flores, who founded the business in 1989. Today, although the founders have since died, Arthur runs the original location and still sells produce. The nursery features a cacti room, herb garden, outdoor vegetable patch and a statuary. It offers a variety of local products such as honey, molasses, pure Mexican vanilla and jelly, colorful corn and mini-pumpkins for fall decor, birdhouses, tools, gloves and fertilizer. Handmade pottery and hand-selected plants— which Arthur acquires from special twice-yearly trips to Mexico—can also be found at A&A Plants and Produce. “That [produce stand] did very well, but it was my mother who had the green thumb,” Arthur said. “In the houses I grew up in, her yards were always the envy of the neighbors. She particularly enjoyed roses—she was just gifted in plant knowledge and growing various things—so little by little, my mother started incorporating plant material at the produce stand and then bringing in some concrete statuary and whatnot—and the business seemed to take off.” Today, the nursery offers educational classes with guest speakers from nearby universities along with seasonal parties at Easter and Christmas, a pumpkin patch during October, garden clubs and tours. “What would be in season to plant right now…we’re moving into our cooler-weather items: [chrysanthemums], alyssum, snapdragons, pansies, zinnias, marigolds—and a lot of folks are starting their fall vegetable gardens,” Arthur said. “What’s nice about being here in this [plant hardiness] zone is we have two harvest times.” A&A Plants and Produce 20689 Eva St., Montgomery 936-597-5070 www.montgomerynursery.com Hours: Mon.-Sun. 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.