Berridge Nurseries has been growing blooms and cultivating community for over eight decades. This year, the local favorite Phoenix nursery celebrates its 85th anniversary.
It all started In 1938 when Jim Berridge Jr. saw the opportunity in Arizona’s emerging horticulture industry and opened Berridge Nurseries located at Central Ave. and Earll Drive. In 1952, the nursery upgraded to 21 acres off 16th Street and Camelback Road, offering a greater variety of trees and shrubs to meet landscape design trends. In 1979, Berridge moved the nursery to its current location off 46th Street and Camelback Road with a focus that remains on sourcing quality plants and providing expert service to help customers grow their dream gardens.
Today, talented sisters Christine Fortman and Melinda Walton are carrying on their family’s legacy as third-generation owners and operators of Berridge Nurseries.
While Walton oversees property maintenance and staff support, Fortman leads the back office and community engagement. Together, the sisters share the responsibility of making management decisions, setting up displays and solving daily challenges.
“We have worked together for the last 12 years and feel incredibly fortunate to have an opportunity to continue our grandfather’s and mother’s legacies as third generation owners and operators,” says Fortman. “And, because we share an office, we share everything in real time, which allows us to troubleshoot and provide answers expeditiously to vendors, customers and staff.”
The sisters have witnessed how world events and environmental conditions can impact clients’ gardening choices.
“Customer needs and preferences change as quickly as a declaration of a pandemic, drought conditions or a recession,” says Walton. “Regardless of the outside pressures, our garden center is always poised to meet the waxing needs, preferences and interests of our customer.”
Whether you’re gifted with a green thumb or don’t know where to start, the professionals at Berridge Nurseries can guide you through the rewarding journey of creating a thriving garden that can transform your outdoor living space.
“We strive to understand their exposures, watering techniques and maintenance levels to ensure the customer’s success years down the road,” says Fortman.
When they’re not running the business at Berridge, Fortman and Walton enjoy their own gardening.
“I’m all about my flower pots and roses,” says Fortman, who grows full “showy” blooms for the holidays and crafts indoor arrangements for spring.
“The dwarf jacaranda is by far my current favorite,” shares Walton. “The purple flowers are like no other!”
Giving back and educating future generations is an industry challenge the sisters view as an opportunity.
Fortman is the current president of the Arizona Nursery Association, where Berridge Nurseries has also established two scholarship funds that are awarded annually to college or continuing education students enrolled in horticulture-related curriculum.
“The enjoyment from a garden in bloom is why we are in business,” says Fortman. “It’s a special treat to see customers recognize each other and stop to chat and catch up while they’re shopping. It’s this full circle of community and family connections that makes our generational business such a gift.”
Berridge Nurseries is located at 4647 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ 85018. www.berridgenursery.com.
This story appeared in the AZ Foothills Home & Design, Best Places to Live issue. Read the full issue here.
