WEST FARMS ARTISANAL GROWER AND NURSERY

Local nursery owner has lifelong love of plants



PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER BETH ELLIS

Proprietor Lon West has collaborated with Victoria County Master Gardeners for years in sharing knowledge and often providing plants for plant sales and Victoria Educational Gardens at Victoria Regional Airport.  He has had a lifelong love of plants and generously shares his knowledge with friends and clients at West Farms.

To say that Lon West, proprietor of West Farms Artisanal Grower and Nursery, has had a lifelong love of plants would be a vast understatement.


Personal journey
As a child, his interest began with spending many long afternoons with his father working in the family garden in Victoria.

The old Ander’s Nursery on U.S. 59 North was his favorite place to go as a young boy. When the Red Barn Nursery was later built within walking distance of his home, Lon spent many hours there improving his knowledge of all things horticultural.

By high school, Lon had converted an old shed in the family backyard into a greenhouse, where he spent many hours focusing on what eventually became his favorite part of the nursery business – propagation. Eventually, Lon developed his love of plants into a series of successful business ventures, culminating in the retail nursery that he and James West own and operate today.

Turning plants into business
After college, Lon and James created DesignSmith, a venture combining Lon’s interest in plants and landscape design with James’ interest in architecture. After a few years redesigning houses and landscapes, the two relocated to Lon’s hometown of Victoria.

Eventually, DesignSmith was refocused to property investment (now West Properties), and Lon became the vocational director at Devereux Foundation at the Victoria campus.

• Horticultural collaboration

While at Devereux, he developed and expanded the greenhouse operation and continued his horticultural education (particularly in regards to large-scale operations) under the auspices of Louise Alston.

It was during these years that Lon and Devereux Gardens at its growing center on U.S. 59 South toward Goliad first began working together with the master gardeners to educate the community in good horticultural practices. Knowledge was shared as were plants occasionally donated to the master gardeners for planting and observation at Victoria Educational Gardens (VEG) located at Victoria Regional Airport.

• Wholesale, retail

When West Farms was originally opened in 2006, it operated as a wholesale business distributing plants to several retail operations in cities and towns throughout the region. The decision to convert to a retail nursery in 2016 took time, planning and lots of angst.

Worries about the business being off the beaten track and slow to develop a customer base proved to be unnecessary as word quickly spread among plant lovers far and wide. Today, patrons flock to West Farms from as far away as Austin, Houston, San Antonio and Corpus Christi on a weekly basis – not to mention those of us from the local area.

• Daily operations

Daily operations at the nursery are intensive, with hours extending from 8 a.m. to midnight for seven days a week during the season. Each day begins with watering and restocking.

• Planting, propagation and more

Plants are propagated and placed in cutting trays and then into 4-inch pots, and when ready, are moved into larger pots as required. While Lon propagates many plants, the nursery also orders cuttings, which can sometimes number into the thousands each week.

He also works with local growers to supplement what the nursery offers. And, of course, not only does Lon assist customers during open hours, he answers their questions and makes suggestions as needed. As a bonus, he also advises customers regarding landscape designs.

Lon’s favorites
When visiting, it’s easy to see that Lon’s favorite plants are tropicals and flowering plants – in fact, it’s safe to say if he loves it, he grows it. A huge variety of hibiscus, coleus, purslane and angel’s trumpet are typically available, along with lots of other plants.

Vegetables are also a favorite and include a variety of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplants and others of choice. While not an organic grower, Lon does not use chemical pesticides on the vegetable plants he sells. Premium fertilizers and potting soil are also available.

Artisanal grower, more
People often ask Lon what artisanal means in reference to the nursery. He chose to include the word in the business name because it harkens back to his experience as a youth, working in that old shed in the backyard.

Just as in those long-ago days, today everything at West Farms is done by hand. A true mom-and-pop venture, he and James spend long hours of watering, potting, cleaning and upkeep, without the help of machinery or additional employees.

The dedication that Lon and James have for the plants, the nursery and their customers is obvious. So, if you are looking for plants raised with love, check out the beautiful oak-shaded nursery on Winding Way Drive. You’ll be very glad you did.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER BETH ELLIS

West Farms Artisanal Grower and Nursery can be found at 346 Winding Way Drive East off of U. S. 59 South toward Goliad from Victoria.  The setting under live oak trees welcomes one into a colorful palette of plants, most of which have been grown and propagated at the nursery.  With distinctive selections, many can be found in numerous varieties like the coleus front and center, hibiscus and purslane in 20-30 varieties, bougainvillea in 10 different colors and also various hanging baskets, bedding plants and vegetables.