Logo courtesy of Skagit Horticulture
Smith Gardens has acquired Skagit Horticulture’s inventory and is assuming control of the Riverbend facility operating out of Mount Vernon, Washington.
Effective April 8, 2024, operations at the Riverbend site will transition to Smith Gardens’ leadership.
The Riverbend site in Mount Vernon is the merged operations of the former Skagit Gardens, founded in the 1960s, and Etera/Northwest Horticulture, formed in the 1990s. The facility includes 24 acres of greenhouse and 20 acres of outdoor production space. This will expand Smith Gardens’ capacity, allowing the company to continue its tradition of growing quality plants and a diverse product mix.
Smith Gardens is operated by fourth-generation owners Eric Smith (CEO) and Mark Smith (COO). Based in Bellingham, Washington, Smith Gardens employs up to 1,000 people in four greenhouse facilities in Washington, Oregon and California that service big-box retailers in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. The company also owns Pacific Plug & Liner in Watsonville, California, which provides young plant liners to growers in North America.
Skagit Horticulture, including its Skagit Gardens and Northwest Horticulture brands, announced in February that it would be closing this spring and ceasing operations, citing current economic issues, including market pressures, production cost, energy cost, freight cost and the business climate in the State of Washington.
Based in Mount Vernon, Washington, Skagit Horticulture operated greenhouses, container yards and open field production centers in both Washington and California.
Skagit Gardens — which was founded in 1966 by Jim and Ruth Youngsman — provided wholesale plants and flowers to independent garden centers, small-chain retailers, landscapers and municipalities throughout the U.S. and Canada as the company’s Retail-Ready finished plants division.
Skagit Horticulture served as the brand for the company’s agriculture division, while Northwest Horticulture exclusively served large-scale home stores.
Northwest Horticulture and Skagit Gardens merged as one company, Skagit Horticulture, in January 2017.
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