Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Dutt
Hi Amy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Scioto Gardens native plant nursery is rooted in experience. Founded in 1999, we provide high-quality, containerized native landscape plants using a proprietary natural soil mix and breathable Root Pouch (TM) containers. Native plants represent an area of untapped growth and expansion for the nursery industry. Scioto Gardens’ longevity and name recognition as native plant experts help position us for growth in this market.
In 2019, Scioto Gardens was purchased by six purpose-driven owners with diverse backgrounds in landscape design, natural resources, horticulture, wetlands, engineering management, and operations. Our shared goal is to substantially increase the supply of native plants produced in Ohio. More and more landscapers and homeowners are demanding native plants for the benefit of the environment and wildlife, particularly pollinators and bird populations, which are experiencing global declines.
With increasing sales and a growing public interest in native plants, Scioto Gardens has expanded into a full-service nursery. Site Services for residential plant installation was added in 2021, and in 2022, we added Design Services for creating residential garden and landscape designs. Scioto Gardens reached space capacity on the land leased from the former business owners. So in 2024, we built and re-located to a new 9.5 acre site east of Delaware, Ohio near Alum Creek State Park.
Previously a farm field, we are re-wilding portions of the new nursery location as an example of what our customers can do on their own land. We installed a wetland and rain gardens, seeded a native prairie, and have planted thousands of trees and shrubs to reforest portions of the land. Over time, the native species we are establishing on the land will become seed and cutting sources for plant propagation.
We are excited to help our customers’ landscapes thrive in 2025, with high quality native plants and expert advice and services from Scioto Gardens. We open to the public for the season on April 1 and welcome you all to our new location at 2870 Curve Rd, Delaware, Ohio.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Buying land in Delaware County and developing our new location took a lot of blood, sweat and tears! We built much of the site infrastructure and amenities ourselves, with the help of dedicated employees and our families and friends.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Scioto Gardens specializes in native plants and has one of the only landscape design teams in central Ohio that creates landscape designs and garden plans with primarily native plants. Amy Dutt, our principal designer, is an award winning landscape designer with 18 years experience in ecological landscapes including rain gardens, stream restoration, and nature playscapes.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Scioto Gardens is owned by a partnership of 5 women and one amazing man. Spreading the responsibilities and financing burden across 6 partners has made expansion and growth more achievable. One thing we would have done differently is to create systems and procedures for job processes from day one.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sciotogardens.com
- Instagram: @sciotogardens
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sciotogardens
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/scioto-gardens-ventures
