The history of Yard ‘n Garden Land began in 1965 when Roy Sonney and his sister LaVada Harris opened the shop. The store was a nursery that sold plants and material, as well as bark products for haul. Today, the company has become a Clark County staple. The business transferred ownership to Sonney’s children, and it is still family owned and operated today.
The retail garden center is expansive, offering top quality plant material sourced from local growers, including perennials, trees, shrubs, hanging baskets, annuals and more. They also sell bark dust, soil, rock and gravel, and have a large selection of pottery, indoor plants and custom containers. In addition to the two resident cats that roam the grounds, there are 15 full-time year-round employees and 15 seasonal employees, many of whom return from year to year.
Since opening, Yard ‘n Garden Land has established itself as a place that is dedicated to knowledge and customer service.
“I believe we’ve succeeded in this community for a variety of reasons,” said Jessica Flatt, CFO and buyer at the company. “We’ve always prided ourselves on excellent customer service, backed by a knowledgeable staff. We try and sell only the highest quality nursery stock so our customers can be successful in gardening.”
She said that their team is committed to maintaining strong community partnerships that have been built over the years. Yard ‘n Garden Land regularly donates and partners with multiple organizations around the area, including the Vancouver School District, Clark County Food Bank, Vancouver Elks, Share House, Friends of the Carpenter, Salmon Creek Little League, Furry Friends, CASA of Southwest Washington and many more. Flatt also said that the company has strong relationships with local landscape companies that rely on them for plant material and bulk products.
As the company looks toward the future, Flatt said that their ability to grow and adapt with the market has always been a part of their core philosophy.
“Another key to our success is the ability to grow and adapt with change,” she said. “We’ve been in business a long time and have dealt with a lot of economic ups and downs. It’s important to watch trends in the housing market and growth in the county, as well as the overall economy to predict our revenues.”
“We hope to continue growing and changing with Clark County,” Flatt continued. “There is tremendous growth happening right now, and we hope by listening to the needs of our customers, we will remain successful. Many have smaller yards or are gardening in urban areas, which require us to offer smaller growing plant material. We provide advice on clever ways to maximize those spaces. Customers drive what sells and as long as we stay in tune with those needs, I believe we will continue to thrive as a business.”
