A sweet aroma is overwhelming among the rows of roses with names like “Fire and Ice,” “Electron” and “Edith’s Darling” (named after Edith Crawley of Downton Abbey). Flyers on every wooden beam advertise everything from landscape design services to gypsum, and also a range of how-to classes. McShane’s Nursery and Landscape Supply, behind an iron gate off Highway 68 on the edge of Salinas, is colorful and eclectic in its offerings, both in products for sale and its workshops.
The 3-acre property includes a sprawling 8,000 square feet of indoor retail space and 8,000 square feet of outdoor space, some under the shade of trellises, some in full sunlight. But what sets it apart from Home Depots and OSHes is the years and knowledgeable expertise roaming around the aisles.
“The days are short, because we’re always busy,” Nursery Department Supervisor Robyn Peterson says of the constant influx of curious customers. In five years here, she’s answered all sorts of questions, like what to plant during a drought and whether a particular houseplant should go in the north – or south-facing window.
“We have an answer for every question,” Peterson says.
Salinas City Councilman Steve McShane owns the nursery. He studied soil science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and he’s nuts about all things dirt – so much so that over 250-plus soil samples later, he’s been certified as a master gardener by the California Rare Fruit Growers. He’s also earned the nickname “Dr. Dirt.”
“Far too few people know about their own soil,” McShane says. “It’s the one thing in gardening that matters most.” From discussing pH levels to analyzing soil texture, McShane offers consultations. He also dispenses free advice casually in the aisles to customers.
Building off this informal question-and-answer process that happens in the nursery aisles, McShane’s also offers weekend workshops, which are mostly free. Throughout the year, workshops cover everything from making do-it-yourself holiday wreaths to what flowers can say about your home, according to the Victorian language of flowers. McShane’s favorite is a tree-grafting workshop led by Cal Poly San Luis Obispo agricultural science professor Joe Sabol.
As much as customers are getting out of the on-site education, McShane says he’s learning as much from them. One client was recently poking around for a babaco papaya tree.
“[The customers] really make me go out there and talk to my suppliers and growers,” he says.
In that case, McShane learned all about the babaco papaya – it’s native to the mountains of Ecuador – but he didn’t find a source to purchase them.
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