A Tale of Two Cities

Fall annuals gracing the nursery for the first time this week

33% OFF All* Plants & Bags of EarthMix® Garden™ through 9/10/26 + ONLINE sale Sunday & Monday! 

I’m sure you’re familiar with McMinnville, TN. Our nearby neighbor two hours Southeast has been famous as the Nursery Capital of the World since the early 1970s. A name well earned with their over 400 nurseries and growers. However, there exists a second McMinnville in Oregon, named after our very own by one of her sons.

Just a short 34 years after the founding of the Tennessee town, William T. Newby claimed the land he would soon name after his home. He couldn’t have foreseen the agricultural similarities mirrored by the names, but he knew there was good, rich soil that would be able to sustain his family and townspeople. His journey there was not without difficulty — as many of us have experienced secondhand through the iterations of The Oregon Trail video game. Those seeking a firsthand account can read Jesse Applegate’s A Day With the Cow Column in 1843.

Newby’s heart might have been stirred by the similar temperate climate, rich soil, and nearby access to water — all things that could have reminded him of his beloved hometown. Flash forward to today, while our city boasts a larger concentration of nurseries, their McMinnville has nearly three times the population. Where the residents of Warren County may have historically seen Moonshiners, those of Yamhill County have utilized their rich soils for vineyards.

Nearby in Dayton, Oregon is the headquarters for Monrovia, which recently celebrated their 100th anniversary. On Monday, I got to tour their 800 acre grounds, test gardens, and shipping facilities. Their commitment to excellence was apparent throughout. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to see how the magic is made.

That’s it for this week, friends. Tune in on Saturdays at 8 am for Gardening Inside Out. Follow along on Instagram for the Know Down & behind-the-scenes fun. Queue up the podcast for your next adventure. We look forward to seeing you soon, and remember — keep watering!

Happy Gardening,

Sara Bates

*Sale is limited to BatesRewards Members (free to sign up at checkout!), in store only (except Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th) through 9/10/26; excludes gift cards, delivery fees, and Japanese Maples