Nicknamed an “urban nursery” by Owner Max Wolf and famous photographer and employee Dylan Furst, Ferny’s Nursery lives next to a busy street and train tracks. Ferny’s mission is to “help inspire and create resilient landscapes through the use of native and edible plants in the urban environment,” and they are doing just that.
From plant enthusiast to owning a plant nursery with his wife, Wolf began his career in 2018 with his landscape architecture business, Project Landworks. The birth of Ferny’s happened organically, as it’s always lived in the back of Wolf’s mind to open one. Now, after opening in March, Ferny’s has become a well-loved part of Bellingham.
“I think we’re making people excited about using native plants and gardening with native plants. I’m excited about introducing gardening to younger generations. I think lots of nurseries cater to older folks, but we have different branding that I think really appeals to younger generations,” says Furst.
Ferny’s is stocked to the brim with fun trinkets, such as vegetable-shaped candles, nature-inspired stickers, and beanies with the heads of frogs printed on. They are heavily involved in the community, hosting events such as Hardscaping 101 and Intro to Native Plants, and have a fantastic blog.
They have reached out to lots of local businesses and traveled with their Japanese import truck to places such as Kulshan Brewing Co., Hammerhead Coffee Roasters, and Cafe Blue. While Ferny’s has already done a lot, the team has many fun plans for the nursery’s future.
“I’m hoping to partner with some schools or outdoor education companies to bring more attention to [gardening amongst kids], and get people stoked about native plants,” says Wolf.
1012 Holly St., Bellingham, 360.530.9028, fernysnursery.com
Photograph by Dylan Furst
