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2301 San Joaquin Hills Rd, Corona del Mar; 949-640-5800; rogersgardens.com

“What we’re really trying to do is connect people, gardeners in particular, with nature. The tool that we’re doing that with is their gardens and their plants,” says Ron Vanderhoff, general manager and vice president of Roger’s Gardens.

Founded in 1965, and located in Corona del Mar since 1975, Roger’s Gardens is an institution for Orange County residents. Its large, lush campus is a destination during the summer months, when hummingbirds flit amid the flora. Part of the appeal, Vanderhoff says, is that customers can come to Roger’s and see the variety of wildlife that gardens will attract, so long as you select the appropriate plants.

The nursery’s demonstration gardens help inspire and educate visitors, but they also host education events that range from talks with wildlife experts to plein air painting. Meanwhile, the store’s website and YouTube channel are chock full of advice for gardeners.

There’s a conservation element instilled at Roger’s Gardens too. The store has collaborated with Sea & Sage Audubon, an Orange County chapter of National Audubon Society, to raise funds for education and conservation programming. Roger’s Gardens has also partnered with The Xerxes Society for Invertebrate Conservation to raise funds for the group’s work in monarch conservation.

Whether you’re looking for unusual roses, like the pink-and-orange Disneyland Rose that’s a hit at the store, planning a vegetable garden, or need more drought-tolerant plants that will attract pollinators, Roger’s has the experts on hand to help you.

“Whether that’s a hummingbird or a monarch or a tomato plant or a rose, it’s all fine with us,” says Vanderhoff. “Whatever it takes to get people to connect to the planet. That’s what we’re all about.”

32413 San Juan Creek Rd, San Juan Capistrano; 949-240-2107; plantdepot.com

Since black olive trees started trending in the plant world last year, Plant Depot has seen growing demand for them. “There’s this huge drive for this plant that I had honestly never seen before,” says Jennifer Kittles, second-generation co-owner of the family-owned business.

But that’s not the only reason why people are heading to San Juan Capistrano to visit the 27-year-old gardening center. Their edible plant selection is impressive, stocked with 120 varieties of tomatoes and a bounty of fruit trees. Succulents range from tiny plants that can be used in decorating projects to large ones ideal for landscaping. Then there is their selection of imported pottery, with finds coming in from Brazil, China, Indonesia, Vietnam and Italy.

“We have the largest pottery selection in Southern California by far,” says Kittles, adding that, what the store doesn’t have on hand, it will try to track down for customers.

23782 Bridger Rd, Lake Forest; 949-837-3040; greenthumb.com

Since 1965, Green Thumb Nursery has been serving Saddleback Valley shoppers. In recent years, though, the Lake Forest shop has been attracting gardening enthusiasts from well beyond its usual customer base.

“I’m amazed at how far they come,” says store manager Karen Sandell, who has been with Green Thumb since 1978. Sandell suspects that might be a result of store closures in the aftermath of COVID-19. However, Green Thumb has also earned a rep for its knowledgeable staff, which includes two landscape designers, fruit tree experts and a succulent buyer who “knows all the succulents you could ever imagine.”

The store also boasts an impressive water garden department with a pond plant expert on staff. Green Thumb is also a popular source for fountains. “Many places don’t sell fountains anymore because they are hard to manage,” says Sandell. “We have people that are very experienced in what it takes to have a fountain.”

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