Brookside Nursery: 50 Years of Growing with the Community

Brookside Nursery is celebrating 50 years of their family-owned business by opening a brand-new retail space and greenhouse. A ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. on August 15th will mark the next chapter in the storied history of Brookside Nursery. 

To accompany the ribbon cutting, Bars without Boundaries will provide seasonal drinks. Then at 10:30 a.m. Little Wild Poppy will provide a bloom bar, and Happy Little Faces will be painting faces. At 11:00 a.m. Adirondack BBQ Smokehouse and JJ’s Snack Bar’s ice cream will be available. Finally, at 2 p.m. patrons can participate in a fall planter make and take.  

Five decades ago, Brookside Nursery started as a one-room store centered around a wood fire stove. Ed Murray steadily expanded the blueprint of the nursery, building offices, and the original greenhouse in 1993, which is being replaced this year. 

Margaret Murray supplied memories from her home country, selling Scottish kilts, treats, and even dog houses. 

Ian Murray, the son of Ed and Margaret, took over the business from his parents and continued their legacy. 

Aissa Murray is the third generation of her family to continue the business and currently is raising the fourth generation, Henry and Harper.

“I went away for a while and came back here when my daughter was young. I remembered why I loved it so much,” Aissa told Saratoga TODAY. “I grew up here and loved it. I remember fondly many, many times just planting in the greenhouse and watering and all the time spent here.”

Murray says she now sees herself in her children. 

“My daughter is dying to get on the register and help customers. My son loves the equipment. He wants to drive all of it.”

And the parallels continue further:

“My son was here a couple days ago out watering the trees. My dad drove by and he called to him as he pulled in: “Hey, are you going to own this someday?” Henry hollered back, “Well, yea.”

“It has been the joy of my life to see my kids grow up in the business I grew up in,” Aissa said. “It would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of my father and my grandparents before him as well as the team of people we work with each day. We wouldn’t be successful if not for the amazing team that works with us each day and the amazing community who chooses to support small businesses.”

Brookside Nursery provides residential and commercial landscaping, and has even done work at the Saratoga Race Course. They also offer their expertise to home gardeners on what will grow in the inclement northeast climate and how to care for the plants.

Brookside Nursery will continue to host community events in their newly renovated greenhouse. Looking ahead, Wild for Life is bringing in a beaver on October 3rd and will do a presentation on how to rehabilitate animal habitats in the area. Also coming is monthly plant bingo, a goat milk soap workshop, and a bonsai workshop. 

To learn more about these events and to register, follow Brookside Nursery on Facebook.