History

Laurel Bay Gardens has been installing and maintaining landscapes on the Oregon coast for over 25 years. Laurel Bay Gardens started as a home business in 1988. Using flowers and herbs from their garden, Lisa made culinary and dried flower wreaths and sold fresh basil and flower bouquets. In 1989, the yard maintenance part of the business started, helping customers with their flower gardens and lawns. After four years of maintaining landscapes, Lisa obtained her landscape contractor’s license.

Over the years, Laurel Bay Gardens has designed and installed many commercial and residential landscape projects. From small intricate cottage gardens to large commercial projects spanning acres, Laurel Bay has been an important part of the local landscape of Florence. We take pride in our part in making our town look beautiful and helping our community present a great landscape to all our visitors.

In the mean time, David had been busy with his own projects. Ginseng and goldenseal beds were incorporated into the flowers and herbs. After a few unsuccessful years, David determined that the Oregon coastal climate was too mild and wet for these herbs. For Christmas in 1989, Lisa gave David a book on bamboo, and Bay Bamboo was started as a side line business. The bamboo nursery spread (literally) in the home garden. People came from all over Oregon to visit and buy hard to find species of bamboo.

In 2004, Lisa and David bought the old Indian Forest wayside attraction on Highway 101, four miles north of Florence. In May of 2005, Laurel Bay Gardens with Bay Bamboo opened up as a full service nursery, specializing in plants suited for growing on the Oregon coast. With over 80 varieties of bamboo and many bamboo products, the nursery has become a destination point for bamboo plant lovers.

The nursery has a large selection of rhododendrons, heathers, kalmias and azaleas, great for our climate. The Gift Shop at Laurel bay features a full line of gardening products along with wonderful gifts for every occasion. We invite you to visit and spend time enjoying the flowers.