Summerwinds Nursery
SummerWinds Nursery operates eight retail garden centers across the Phoenix metro and San Francisco Bay Area, selling plants, soils, pottery, and garden accessories — including its own CDFA-certified organic potting soils — to home gardeners and landscape contractors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersBoise, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Summerwinds Nursery does
SummerWinds Garden Centers, Inc., doing business as SummerWinds Nursery, is a private specialty retailer of live plants and garden supplies headquartered in Boise, Idaho. The company operates eight retail garden centers split between two markets: five stores across the San Francisco Bay Area and three stores across the Phoenix metropolitan area in Arizona. Its assortment covers ornamental and edible plants, bagged and bulk soils, fertilizers, pottery, tools, and outdoor décor, layered with the Garden Coach advisory service and the Gardener's Rewards loyalty program for repeat customers.
The company's origin traces to a Palo Alto location opened in 1960 under the Woolworth Nurseries banner; the chain was consolidated and rebranded as SummerWinds in 2002. A material footprint event was the July 2021 acquisition of two former Armstrong Garden Centers stores in Dublin and Novato, which raised the Bay Area store count to five. The company also develops its own proprietary organic potting soils that carry California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) certification, giving it a differentiated in-house SKU versus commodity bagged soils. Operational initiatives include a partnership with the North Marin Water District to curate low water-use plant assortments aligned with California's conservation mandates, and the launch of digital eGift Card commerce to extend transactions beyond the in-store channel. Leadership is structured with Frank Benzing as CEO and Quinn Tremayne as President.
SummerWinds' revenue model is anchored in direct retail sales at its physical locations, supplemented by a narrow digital channel (eGift Cards). Its customer base is bifurcated between a long-tail of individual home gardeners and a smaller-contractor segment that purchases higher-volume plant and material assortments, yielding a B2C-tilted mix. Distribution is intentionally concentrated in high-income metros, and pricing is set at retail margin across live goods and hardlines, with proprietary soils representing a small but higher-margin branded component.
Summerwinds Nursery firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Summerwinds Nursery
- Legal name
- SummerWinds Garden Centers, Inc.
- Website
- https://summerwindsnursery.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- SummerWinds Nursery operates eight retail garden centers across the Phoenix metro and San Francisco Bay Area, selling plants, soils, pottery, and garden accessories — including its own CDFA-certified organic potting soils — to home gardeners and landscape contractors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Summerwinds Nursery industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Retail Garden Centers
- NAICS
- 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
- Soils, Mulch, Fertilizers & Lawn Care Chemicals Retail (CRAIAIAC)
Keywords
Where Summerwinds Nursery is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boise
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices9 records
Markets served
Summerwinds Nursery business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail Plant Sales: In-store retail sales of plants including trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, succulents, cacti, houseplants, tropical plants, fruit trees, herbs, vegetables, and more. Also includes garden products such as soils, amendments, fertilizers, pottery, and accessories.
- Gift Cards: Physical and electronic gift cards sold in-store and online. eGift Cards range from $5 to $1,000 and are valid at all SummerWinds Nursery locations.
- Proprietary Soil Products: Sales of proprietary SummerWinds-branded potting soils including High Performance Organic Potting Soil and SummerWinds Organic Potting Soil.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | eGift Cards available in any amount between $5 and $1,000 |
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Summerwinds Nursery product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SummerWinds Nursery operates a chain of eight physical retail garden centers in the Phoenix Metro Area of Arizona and the Bay Area of California, selling a curated selection of plants (annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, succulents, houseplants, fruit trees, herbs, vegetables, and native varieties), proprietary and third-party soil amendments and fertilizers, pest solutions, pottery, and garden accessories. The company complements in-store retail with a Garden Coach advisory service, a Gardener's Rewards loyalty program, and an e-commerce channel limited to digital and physical gift card sales.
Product overview
SummerWinds Nursery is a retail nursery chain operating physical stores in Arizona (greater Phoenix metro area) and California (Bay Area), plus an e-commerce platform. The core offering is a curated selection of quality plants (annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, succulents, houseplants, edibles including fruit trees, vegetables, herbs, and berries) complemented by proprietary branded potting soils (SummerWinds High Performance Organic Potting Soil and SummerWinds Organic Potting Soil) and third-party garden products (E.B. Stone Organics fertilizers and soils, Bonide pest solutions, True Organic fertilizers). The e-commerce operation centers on digital gift cards (eGift Cards) and physical gift cards sold in-store. A Gardener's Rewards loyalty program provides member benefits. The company emphasizes its plant guarantee, expert Garden Advisor services, and in-house training in Customer Service, Merchandising and Horticultural Knowledge.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SummerWinds eGift Cards Digital gift cards emailed to recipients, available in denominations from $5 to $1,000, valid at all SummerWinds Nursery store locations. Sold online via the company e-commerce site.
- SummerWinds Physical Gift Cards Physical gift cards available for purchase in-store at Arizona and California SummerWinds Nursery locations. Do not expire.
- Plants Curated retail selection of plants including Annuals, Bulbs, Edible Plants (fruit trees, vegetables, herbs, berries), Holiday Plants, Houseplants, Low-Water Plants, Native Plants, Ornamental Grasses, Perennials, Roses, Seeds, Shrubs, Succulents & Cacti, and Trees, sold in-store at SummerWinds Nursery locations.
- SummerWinds Potting Soils Proprietary SummerWinds-branded organic potting soil line including SummerWinds High Performance Organic Potting Soil (premium mix with extended moisture retention) and SummerWinds Organic Potting Soil (general-purpose blend). Both products are CDFA-approved as organic.
- Soil Amendments Soil improvement products including SummerWinds Planting Mix, Redi-Gro Chicken Manure, E.B. Stone Organics Organic Compost, Top Soil Plus, Earthworm Castings, Steer Manure, Soil Sulfur, Peat Moss, Perlite, Pumice, Vermiculite, and Horticulture Sand, sold at SummerWinds Nursery stores.
- Fertilizers Organic and conventional fertilizers including E.B. Stone Organics All Purpose Plant Food (5-5-5), Azalea/Camellia/Gardenia Food (5-5-3), Citrus & Fruit Tree Food (7-3-3), Hibiscus & Palm Food (6-5-3), Rose & Flower Food (5-6-3), Sure Start (4-6-2), Tomato & Vegetable Food (4-5-3), Ultra-Bloom (0-10-10); True Organic fertilizers; and Espoma Organic Bulb-Tone. Sold at SummerWinds Nursery stores.
- Pest & Insect Solutions Organic pest control products including Bonide All Seasons Horticultural Spray Oil, Captain Jack's Deadbug Brew (Spinosad), Insecticidal Soap, Neem Oil, Diatomaceous Earth, Captain Jack's Orchard Spray; and Monterey Sluggo Plus and Sluggo for snail/slug control. Sold at SummerWinds Nursery stores.
- Pottery & Accessories Indoor and outdoor pottery in various shapes, sizes and colors, plus garden accessories, sold at SummerWinds Nursery stores.
- Container & Raised Bed Gardening Products Products for container and raised bed gardening including SummerWinds Potting Soil, E.B. Stone Organics Raised Bed Potting/Planting mix, FoxFarm Bush Doctor Coco Loco Potting Mix, moisture-retaining additives, watering supplies, and decorative planters. Sold at SummerWinds Nursery stores.
- Garden Coach Service Expert in-store guidance service connecting SummerWinds Nursery customers with knowledgeable Garden Advisors for plant selection, soil recommendations, and gardening advice, including personalized in-person consultation at store locations.
- Gardener's Rewards Program Loyalty rewards club offering future savings on SummerWinds Nursery purchases, with member purchase records maintained on file to enable receipt-free refunds and other perks.
Companies that use Summerwinds Nursery
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Summerwinds Nursery technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Summerwinds Nursery partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- North Marin Water DistrictminorPartnership supporting Low Water Use Plants at the Novato location. North Marin Water District works with SummerWinds to promote water conservation through appropriate plant selection for the community.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Summerwinds Nursery competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Monrovia Nursery Company: A major wholesale grower of premium container plants, many of which are stocked by independent retailers including SummerWinds. Functions as an upstream supplier to the channel rather than a competitor, but its branded plant program shapes what consumers expect from specialty nurseries.
Broad incumbents
- Armstrong Garden Centers: A long-established California retail garden center chain that previously operated stores now run by SummerWinds in Dublin and Novato. A direct specialty-nursery competitor in Southern California with a broader store count and overlapping customer proposition.
- Lowe's: The second-largest U.S. home improvement retailer with parallel garden-center departments in its Bay Area and Phoenix stores. Competes with SummerWinds on plant price points and one-stop convenience for DIY gardeners.
- Home Depot: The largest U.S. home improvement retailer with significant live-plant, soil, and garden-product assortments. Represents the dominant big-box competitive threat on price, convenience, and assortment breadth for commodity garden items.
Emerging players
- Fast Growing Trees: A leading online-first plant retailer specializing in trees and shrubs shipped directly to consumers. Represents the digital channel that SummerWinds currently under-addresses, capturing homeowners who prefer doorstep delivery over in-store nursery visits.
Direct peers
- Whitfill Nursery: A long-established Arizona-based retail nursery with multiple Phoenix-area locations. Competes head-to-head with SummerWinds' Phoenix, Glendale, and Mesa stores on desert-adapted plants, soils, and gardening supplies.
- Moon Valley Nurseries: A large Arizona-headquartered retail nursery chain operating multiple locations across the Phoenix Metro Area. Directly competes with SummerWinds' Arizona stores for desert-climate trees, shrubs, and landscaping plants among homeowners and contractors.
- Green Acres Nursery & Supply: A Northern California retail garden center chain with multiple Sacramento-area locations offering plants, garden products, and landscape services. Comparable specialty nursery retail model serving a California market adjacent to SummerWinds' Bay Area footprint.
Regional players
- Pike Nurseries: A multi-store retail garden center chain primarily serving the Atlanta, Georgia metro. Operates the same specialty nursery retail model—curated plants, soils, expert advice—but in a different geography, making it a useful comparable for unit economics and loyalty-program design.
- Calloway's Nursery: A Texas-based retail garden center chain with ~20 stores across Dallas–Fort Worth and Houston. Closely comparable specialty-nursery retail format with climate-tailored plant curation; useful for benchmarking store-level revenue and seasonal traffic patterns.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Summerwinds Nursery social profiles
Digital presenceSummerwinds Nursery financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Summerwinds Nursery leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Summerwinds Nursery funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Summerwinds Nursery M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Summerwinds Nursery
What does Summerwinds Nursery do?
SummerWinds Nursery operates a chain of eight physical retail garden centers in the Phoenix Metro Area of Arizona and the Bay Area of California, selling a curated selection of plants (annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, succulents, houseplants, fruit trees, herbs, vegetables, and native varieties), proprietary and third-party soil amendments and fertilizers, pest solutions, pottery, and garden accessories. The company complements in-store retail with a Garden Coach advisory service, a Gardener's Rewards loyalty program, and an e-commerce channel limited to digital and physical gift card sales.
Is Summerwinds Nursery a public or private company?
Summerwinds Nursery is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Summerwinds Nursery founded?
Summerwinds Nursery was founded in -1.
Where is Summerwinds Nursery based?
Summerwinds Nursery is headquartered in Boise, United States, in the North America region.
How does Summerwinds Nursery make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Retail Plant Sales are the primary driver. The others are gift Cards and proprietary Soil Products.
Who are Summerwinds Nursery's main competitors?
Monrovia Nursery Company is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Armstrong Garden Centers, Lowe's and Home Depot. Fast Growing Trees is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Whitfill Nursery, Moon Valley Nurseries and Green Acres Nursery & Supply. Regional players are Pike Nurseries and Calloway's Nursery.
Does Summerwinds Nursery have an API?
No public API is recorded for Summerwinds Nursery.
What industry is Summerwinds Nursery in?
Summerwinds Nursery's product category is Retail Garden Centers. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAIAIAB, Plants, Seeds & Nursery Retail (Garden Centers), with a secondary code of CRAIAIAC, Soils, Mulch, Fertilizers & Lawn Care Chemicals Retail. Its NAICS code is 444240 and its SIC code is 5200.