The Arbor Gate, located in Tomball (Northwest of Houston) is one of my favorite nurseries to visit. Packed with a large selection of perennials, native plants, roses, herbs, garden art, two gift shops, and a very knowledgeable staff, you are sure to find inspiration here. To sum up the Arbor Gate in one word: COLOR. If you love color, you’ll love the Arbor Gate. Beverly Welch is the owner and she knows her stuff. She’s charming, authentic and practices what she preaches… Organics! No pesticides or synthetic fertilizers are used in the gardens here. And by looking at the amount of butterflies and bees darting around, you know it’s true. The entire nursery is one giant Garden Insectary. It’s filled with creative displays that show how to use color, plants and art to create authentic designs that express who you are.
Awesome Lectures!
The Arbor Gate knows how to host lectures and seminars. First rate! My friends and I attend often. There is usually a tent in front of this amazing metal pavilion for guests to sit under. That is how I met my good friend Chris Wiesinger of Southern Bulb Company aka the Bulb Hunter.
All of their classes, lectures, and events are planned and listed here. I like being able to browse the list, and schedule visits based on what I am interested in learning more about. This place is not just a nursery… it’s a great place to learn and make friends.
Eye Candy for Gardeners
If you love garden art, you’ll be delighted with the choices available to you in every color and price range imaginable. I particularly love the kinetic copper sculptures and will be saving up for one. Have a look at some of the treasures I spotted.
Good Foundations: Leaf Mold Compost and Rose Soil
Beverly uses and recommends Leaf Mold Compost and Rose Soil from Nature’s Way Resources. You can buy them at Arbor Gate in 40lb. bags. If you’ve read some of my other posts, you know how much I love the leaf mold compost. It’s what Randy Lemmon calls the “2-Year-Old Leaf Mold Compost”. This compost has done wonders for my vegetable beds as well as my containers, and ornamental beds. Beverly uses it like mulch! The layering approach to adding organic matter to your soil is easy. No digging! Their raised beds have all had the benefits of Nature’s Way compost as well as Arbor Gate’s very own brand of organic fertilizer. Ask Beverly about it.
Perennials and Native Plants
The mainstay of any garden. Annuals come and go, and have their place in the garden, but perennials RULE! What I call the BONES of your garden that keeps everything together. When you incorporate native perennials in your garden, you attract beneficial insects and help create a sustainable garden. Year after year your efforts will be rewarded. Perennials make a lazy gardener look good.
The contrast of yellow and purple illustrate how a warm and cool colors complement each other garden.
Herbs
High on my list of favorites are herbs. Arbor Gate has a fantastic selection of herbs. Not just the common ones you see everywhere, they’ve got a lot to choose from.
Don’t miss one of Ann Wheeler’s lectures on herbs. She knows herbs. Check the schedule.
Two Gift Shops!
And as if there wasn’t already enough reasons to visit The Arbor Gate, you can shop two gift stores filled with treasures. Find something unique for that loved one, friend or family member.
Variety of Unique Plants
Roses
The selection of roses is so large, they have their own house! I remember learning about Earth-Kind® roses at a lecture here for the first time about five years ago.
Inspiration is Everywhere
How to get to The Arbor Gate?
Visit their website for hours and directions or call 281-351-8851. Be sure to tell them you heard about Arbor Gate on Southern Post.
Stay tuned for Beverly’s Top Five Tips for Fall and more photos from the Arbor Gate!
Full Disclosure: This post is solely my opinion. It is not an advertisement nor was I compensated for writing it. The goal of reviews like these is to help local gardeners discover places that educate and inspire us to work with nature to create sustainable gardens.
