Petals From the Past

What Petals From the Past does

Petals From the Past is a privately held, founder-owned retail nursery and garden center headquartered in Jemison, Alabama, founded in 1994 by husband-and-wife horticulturalists Jason Powell (MS, Texas A&M) and Shelley Powell (BS, Texas A&M). The company specializes in antique and heirloom plants that are difficult to source at mainstream retailers, operating a curated catalog of 390+ plant varieties spanning 84 rose classifications (Bourbons, China, Damask, Hybrid Musks, Noisettes, Polyanthas, Rugosas, Teas, and others), 83 fruit plants (apples, Asian pears, berries, citrus, figs, grapes, kiwi, muscadines, peaches, persimmons, pomegranates, and more), 57 herbs, 53 shrubs, and 40 southeastern native plants. It is fundamentally a traditional horticulture business rather than a technology company, with physical growing operations, on-site display gardens, and a gambrel-roofed educational facility with seating capacity of 225 theater-style.

The business operates through two primary distribution channels: a single physical retail location open Tuesday through Sunday in Jemison, and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront that ships live plants nationwide via UPS Ground every Tuesday with a Friday noon order cutoff. Ancillary revenue streams include fresh fruit grown and shipped on-site (Satsuma Mandarin Oranges, Fuyu Persimmons, Kumquats), fee-based educational workshops ($10-$35 per participant) covering container gardening, orchid re-potting, herb cultivation, and antique roses, guided garden tours with optional box lunch for groups of 10+, a "Kids in the Garden" program at $10 per student for ages 8-12, gift cards in $25-$100 denominations, and event venue rental of the on-site educational facility for seminars, conferences, and receptions.

Pricing follows unit-based pay-as-you-go models across all streams. The go-to-market motion combines content marketing (Garden Gossip monthly blog, educational video library), organic social (Facebook, Instagram), email newsletters, and on-site educational events. Customer segments are horizontal and consumer-facing, primarily home gardeners seeking specialty and heirloom varieties in the Southeastern United States, supplemented by garden clubs, study groups, and families with school-age children. The company remains owner-operated under the Powell family with no external investment, no subsidiaries, and approximately 6 employees, operating year-round with seasonal hours adjustments in July and August.

Name

Petals From the Past

Legal name

Petals from the Past Inc.

Website

https://petalsfromthepast.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Petals From the Past is a founder-owned retail nursery and garden center in Jemison, Alabama, founded in 1994, specializing in antique roses, heirloom shrubs, and 390+ varieties of hard-to-find plants sold direct-to-consumer through a retail storefront and nationwide e-commerce shipping.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Nursery and Garden Center

NAICS

Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (44424), Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (444240)

SIC

Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200)

akta.pro primary industry

Plants, Seeds & Nursery Retail (Garden Centers) (CRAIAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Seasonal Color, Planting & Horticultural Services (BPABADAL)

Keywords

• Retail nursery plants
• Heirloom rose varieties
• Fruit trees shrubs
• Gardening education workshops
• Perennial herbs natives

Headquarters

HQ city

Jemison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Plant and Nursery Sales: Revenue generated from selling live plants including antique roses, heirloom shrubs, fruit trees, perennials, herbs, and native plants through both retail and e-commerce channels.
2. Fresh Fruit Sales: Sale of fresh fruit grown on-site including Satsuma Mandarin Oranges, Fuyu Persimmons, and Kumquats shipped directly to customers.
3. Educational Workshops and Events: Fee-based educational programs including container gardening workshops, orchid re-potting, herb classes, and fruit growing workshops. Also includes Kids in the Garden programs.
4. Garden Tours: Guided garden tours available with optional box lunch for groups of 10 or more.
5. Gift Items and Accessories: Sale of gifts for gardeners including jams and jellies, garden aids, pottery, and Christmas items.
6. Gift Cards: Gift cards available in denominations from $25 to $100.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Petals From the Past is a single-location retail nursery and garden center in Jemison, Alabama that grows and sells live plants, specializing in antique and heirloom roses (84+ varieties), fruit plants (83+ varieties), shrubs, perennials, herbs, and southeastern native plants. The company also sells fresh fruit grown on-site (Satsuma mandarins, persimmons, kumquats), gardener gifts, and operates an on-site educational facility offering paid workshops, garden tours, and children's programs.

Product overview

Petals From the Past is a nursery and garden center in Jemison, Alabama that operates as a single-location retail business with multiple interconnected product lines. The core offerings center on plant sales—particularly antique/heirloom roses (84+ varieties across Bourbon, China, Damask, Drift, Hybrid Musk, Hybrid Tea, Noisette, Polyantha, Rugosa, and Tea classifications) and fruit plants (83+ varieties spanning apples, Asian pears, berries, citrus, figs, grapes, kiwi, muscadines, peaches, and more). The company also sells fresh fruit grown on-site (Satsumas, persimmons, kumquats), gifts for gardeners (pottery, jams, garden tools), and operates a seasonal Christmas shop. Supporting the product portfolio is a robust educational arm including hands-on workshops ($10-$35 per person), educational videos covering fruit cultivation, and Kids in the Garden programs for children. The business also rents out its educational facility as an event venue. The company was founded in 1994 by Jason and Shelley Powell, both Texas A&M horticulture graduates, and operates year-round with shipping available nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Antique and Heirloom Rose Plants
• Fruit Plants and Trees
• Shrubs

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Heirloom Roses: Oregon-based mail-order nursery specializing in own-root antique and modern roses, with extensive variety catalog and online-first retail — competes in the same heirloom rose category with similar pricing structure.
• High Country Gardens: Mail-order perennial and native plant nursery specializing in drought-tolerant and regionally adapted plants — comparable in specialty curation, e-commerce-led distribution, and educational content marketing.
• Logee's Plants for Home & Garden: Connecticut-based specialty mail-order nursery focusing on rare and tropical plants, edible figs, and unusual fruiting plants — comparable in offering hard-to-find edible and ornamental plants via direct mail.
• Antique Rose Emporium: Texas-based specialty nursery focused on antique and heirloom roses with on-site display gardens, workshops, and mail-order sales — directly comparable in product niche, founder-driven brand, and education-led model.
• Almost Eden: Louisiana-based mail-order nursery specializing in rare and unusual plants, native perennials, and edibles — comparable regional specialty nursery with similar heirloom/uncommon plant curation focus.
• Brushwood Nursery (Climbing Roses & Vines): Mail-order nursery specializing in climbing roses, vines, and complementary ornamentals — comparable specialty mail-order model with curated niche catalog.
• Bluestone Perennials: Mail-order perennial nursery offering a broad catalog of perennials, shrubs, and ornamental grasses — comparable specialty nursery serving direct-to-consumer gardeners via e-commerce.

Broad incumbents

• Proven Winners: National branded plant cooperative selling proprietary annuals, perennials, and shrubs through retail garden centers — broader incumbent shaping plant retail assortment and consumer expectations that specialty nurseries must differentiate against.
• White Flower Farm: Established Connecticut-based mail-order nursery with broader perennial, shrub, and bulb catalog and gift-focused branding — broader incumbent operating in the same specialty mail-order plant category.

Emerging players

• Fast Growing Trees: Large online plant retailer with extensive fruit tree, shrub, and ornamental catalog and aggressive digital marketing — represents the online scale competitor pressuring small specialty nurseries in plant e-commerce.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/petalsfromthepast
• Instagraminstagram.com/petalsfromthepast
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/petals-from-the-past

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Petals From the Past