After Nearly a Century, McArdle's Still a Perennial Favorite

– By April Miller –

In 1910, a small seed shop opened in a storefront on Greenwich Avenue. Nearly 100 years later, McArdle's Florist and Garden Center is the oldest family-owned business in Greenwich. Now located at 48 Arch Street on an acre of land, the store still sells seeds, along with everything else a gardener needs.

Today, the business is owned by Jim McArdle and managed by his son, James McArdle. “It's one of the things that makes this place special,” says in-house horticulturist John Horn. "Any business starts at the top with the people that run it. McArdle's is a reflection of the people who own the place."

As the nursery industry gets ready to transition into spring, the weather has other ideas. Mr. Horn's face fell as he picked dead blossoms off some rhododendrons just brought over from Oregon. Not used to the ever-changing weather, they began to bloom only to be frozen during a cold night snap. "Everything is about a month behind this year," he said. "The plants are a little out of sync."

But after a century in the business, the McArdles and their staff (fluctuating between 30 and 65 depending on the season) are pros and used to all kinds of conditions. The crazy weather won't keep the store from bringing in a large selection of favorite flowers, as well as some exciting new ones.

Several new types of hydrangea were developed this year, including the first-ever dwarf blue hydrangea. Known as Mini Penny, it is a re-bloomer and can bloom on old or new wood. It flowers spring, summer and fall. Look for it at McArdle's in May.

An especially beautiful new hydrangea is the Blushing Bride. Bred from the Endless Summer hydrangea, the blooms start out pure white but mature to a light pink or blue, depending on soil acidity. According to Mr. Horn, the plant quickly re-blooms, is unusually hardy, and unlike other hydrangeas can be pruned at any time. Perhaps for these reasons, as well as the flower's appearance, Blushing Bride will only be available in limited quantities. Luckily McArdle's will carry it.

"You'll never find these at Wal-mart or Home Depot, only at a specialty shop like ours," said Mr. Horn.

This year, McArdle's brought in double the number of containers they stocked last year, due to high demand from container garden enthusiasts. The store carries a large selection of cast stone (a type of limestone) and fiberglass containers, which can sit outside all year long, in all types of weather. They also stock many beautiful terra cotta pots, but these must come inside during cold, wet weather. "When the clay gets wet, then freezes, the pots will break," said Mr. Horn. If you love the look of these pots but don't want to lug them inside when it gets cold, McArdles carries faux terra cotta made from a much more durable fiberglass.

"With a container garden, it's easy to evoke a season or a holiday with what you plant," said Mr. Horn. "The best thing about them is you can change them as often as you want." Pansies are a good choice while the weather is still an issue and they look lovely in a container.

McArdle's prides itself on being a full-service garden center and florist. That means staff are not only knowledgeable, but happy to share that knowledge with customers.

"We try to take the mystery out of gardening," said Mr. Horn. "Anyone here can answer your questions. Don't be afraid to ask. Our goal is to encourage people to get into gardening.” Gardeners, novice and experienced, can also visit their website, www.mcardles.com, for gardening tips, such as what to plant right now.

Whether you're looking for trees and shrubs, flowers for a wedding, gardening gloves or just seeds, McArdle's carries them. Gardening devotees hope the store will be around for another 100 years.