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In 1978, Mr. Jim Hodges and Mr. David Gress felt that there was a need for a wholesale nursery that supplied a more unusual line of plants than was commonly available at the time. Both men were directors of Santa Barbara Beautiful, an organization dedicated to the
beautification of public spaces in Santa Barbara. Mr. Gress was the arborist for the City of Santa Barbara and had found that many of the trees
that the city wished to plant were unavailable. Mr. Hodges was a retired businessman with an interest in horticulture who had dreamed of one
day owning his own nursery.
The two men decided to form their own nursery to supply quality plant material which was not readily available in the nursery trade. In 1979
they found a suitable site for the nursery on the eastern edge of the Goleta Valley. The original 6 acre site had an existing greenhouse that had
been used for the production of certified citrus and avocado tress. The new nursery was named San Marcos Growers in reference to its
location on the historic stagecoach route, which is now San Marcos Road. Shortly after the land was purchased, Jim Hodges passed away.
His wife, Marcia, decided to fulfill Jim's dream and develop the nursery as planned.
In 1981, 27 acres across from the original nursery were acquired for nursery expansion and the current General Manager, Randy Baldwin was hired as Production Manager and to oversee the plant introduction program. The acreage required by the nursery increased as its market
expanded, so in 1985 San Marcos Growers moved its office to a larger building on the east side of San Marcos Rd. and increased the area under production up to 15 acres. As awareness of the nursery's unique product mix increased and its emphasis on drought resistant plant
material was realized, it was apparent that more area would be needed for nursery production and propagation stock gardens. In 1987 an additional 6 acres of land for container production and a large propagation and demonstration garden was developed in the area to the east of
the office complex. In 1992 nearly an acre of land was planted out with New Zealand Flax for cut foliage production and propagation stock. Currently there are 20 acres in nursery production with an additional 2 acres dedicated to cutting and demonstration gardens.
San Marcos Growers recognizes that it plays an important role in the introduction of new plant material into the California nursery trade. The nursery belongs to numerous Botanic Garden Associations, both here and abroad, and has nursery contacts throughout the world.
Representatives from the nursery are active in trade and professional organizations such as the California Association of Nurserymen, California Landscape Contractors Association, International Plant Propagators Society, American Association of Botanic Gardens and
Arboreta, and the Perennial Plant Growers Association.
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