After 70 years in business in Des Moines, Furney’s Nursery announced on Monday, April 24 that it will be closing at the end of May.
Staff from the historic nursery, located at 21215 Pacific Highway South, announced the closing on Facebook.
“It is with heavy hearts that we must announce that Furney’s Nursery will be closing its doors at the end of May,” they said in a statement. “This includes both the wholesale and retail divisions. We are saddened to have come to the end of an era, but we will look back at our 70+ years of business with great pride!”
Furney’s has a deep and storied history in the Pacific Northwest that dates back to 1901, when Everett Furney was born. In 1929, Everett and his wife, Edith moved from Seattle to Des Moines to start an orchard stand by the side of old Pacific Highway. Back then, Pacific Highway was just a dirt road, not the bustling commercial corridor that it is today. In fact, the Furney family orchard was pretty much surrounded by trees! Edith Furney was an avid gardener, and she kept a beautiful garden at their house by the side of the road. The customers at their orchard stand loved her garden so much that they started asking Edith to find plants for their own gardens. Before long, they were selling more plants than fruit, and Furney’s Nursery was officially born in 1946.
Furney’s Nursery grew quickly and became South King County’s most beloved nursery. Furney’s Nursery was so successful that, for a time, two satellite nurseries were opened in Bellevue and Bremerton. The Furneys also purchased 150 acres of farmland in Oregon to help supply the nursery with plants. Eventually, Edith and Everett turned over the reins of their nursery to their son, Robert, who remains the owner and president to this day.
Furney’s Nursery has left an impact on this region that will live on long after the nursery closes its doors for the final time. Over the years, gardeners and landscapers have planted millions of our plants in landscapes all over the Pacific Northwest. Many of those plants are still happily growing in gardens and landscapes today. In fact, many of the trees we have sold over the years will still be around 100 years from now!
“We would like to thank you for growing with us all these years,” they added. “We hope we have inspired you to continue planting! After all, the world could use a little more green!”
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After 70 years, historic business Furney's Nursery will be closing
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Oh, no! The very first trip I take to Furney’s each spring is one of the things I look forward to most alllll winter. I love everything about this business and the wonderful people who run it, and will miss them greatly. They have left their mark all over my yard. Whenever my family wanted to buy me something special for a birthday or Mothers Day, and whenever I needed something beautiful for a special event stage, it was always Furney’s.
I was just there yesterday and I thought it looked a little stark for this time of year so sad
Wow, just another loss of community due to the current drive to have more house and less yard. Why go outside to do yard work, it would require getting off the couch and putting down the pizza. Huge loss to the gardening community, including my yard.
Thank you for sharing your many years of grande IMG business, with the people of South Seattle. You will be missed. I’m sure all the yards in the south sound have plants from Furney’s. God’s Blessings for your family and staff.
I am so sorry to hear this. I am the third generation in my family to be a Furney’s shopper. Sad news.
This makes me very sad. I am not able to garden as much as I did when I was younger but always loved going to Furney’s for plants and other gardening needs. What a loss to our community. I wish good luck to the family.
Oh no! How sad! Slowly all the small nurseries we had in Burien and Des Moines have faded away but Furneys was there. Now it is also going away. Where will we go locally for our plants and garden needs? Thanks for all the years.
So very sad to hear of Furney’s closing. Well wishes to the family and staff. Your knowledge and experience will be missed as much as your unique selection of plants and love of our earth.
IT IS VERY SAD TO LEARN AN HEAR IT JUST SEEMS LIKE WE R JUST GÖNNA B CONCRET N AUTOS I SO DISPISE JYST AFTER EVEN 50 URS AGO OUR FAMILY LIVED OFF 216TH N PACIFIC..I TO REMEMBER AS A CHILD WHERE I5 IS MOW IT WAS NOTHIMG BUT WOODS N I N MY FRIENDS WOULD GO IN THE BACKS OF OUR YARDS N PLAY OM I5 N COIIECT TADPOLES!! IT WAS GREAT I MYSELF IS A LOVER OFF PLANTS N FLOWERS MY YD IS ALWAYS SO BEAUTFULL COME SPRIMG TIME THEY CALL ME THE PLANT LADY!! FUNNNY IM VERY SORRY TO HEAR THE LOSS OF THEBISNESS OF FERNEYS SO SAD:(
Very sorry to hear about this. The staff were always so knowledgable and I always appreciated that.
Are they closing because of a decline in business, or just because they don’t have the energy or staff to keep it going now? If it’s the latter, maybe another buyer could come to the rescue and keep it going.
Zenith Holland in Des Moines. John and Lyn. Another family business. A true nursery without all the retail frills.
NNNOOOOOOO…..that is my favorite nursery. I am so saddened by this. Thank you for all your years of service. A great loss to our community. :'(
My modest yard is now an urban oasis filled with mature and thriving Furney’s plants, bushes and trees! Furney’s will continue grow and adorn our yards and community for years to come.
Sad to see it go. My grandfather who was a noted area landscaper bought his plants from Mr Furney. I worked 7 years part-time and full time there – and all the major plants in my garden are there due to my employee discount. 🙁
I happened to be at the Des Moines city council meeting when the Furney’s property plans were discussed (with our Boy Scouts, for Citizenship in the Community merit badge). I understand that the family was not willing to carry on the business.
It was very interesting hearing the discussion advocating between big box store vs. light industrial/warehousing. Presented was the fact that no retail had been interested in other properties in the area, and also the impact on small business downtown. Click the link, or this: http://www.desmoineswa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/1465
I remember my dad buying many many plants from furney’s Nursery I also went to school with Stacy furney I wonder whatever happened to her we’d gone to Totem Junior High sudden to see it closed as we have bought many many plants there over the years and much dirt it’s very sad to see if the doors are not going to be closed take care