From humble beginnings, housed in the backyard of the local watering hole, San Juan Mountain Nurseries has provided quality trees and plants to the Southwest since 1973.

Plants are in the blood of owner, Doug Sutton, son of a County Extension Agent in Nebraska. Always adhering to the tenets of action and application, rather than theory, Doug left his Masters? program in Landscape Architecture to take a ?real? job in Pagosa Springs he had bid.

To make ends meet, Doug ran his fledgling nursery from the backyard of the Old Adobe Inn & Bar. Between pulling draughts, he would run out back to sell trees, shrubs and perennials. At the time, the Southwest was vibrant in spirit and attitude, but not necessarily economically. The thought of landscaping homes and property was not firmly rooted in the minds of Pagosans -- so Doug often turned to bartering his plants for other goods and services. He often makes reference to a grouping of three trees outside of the Durango Hospital Maternity Ward. He likes to say that he traded the trees for his second son, Colin.

In 1981, Doug and San Juan Mountain Nurseries made the big move West to Durango. There, he and his then partners relocated the nursery on a .6 acre plot of land just outside of the town. Few businesses were on this stretch of road, save for the drive-in movie theater. From the top of the home, now renovated as the nursery, he could sit with his sons, Bjorn and Colin, and watch the Saturday Night Shows.

San Juan Mountain Nurseries became one of the only full service nurseries and plant providers in the area. A trip through Durango with Doug is like a trip through the midwest with Johnny Appleseed. He can tell you the date of planting and the story behind nearly every tree he has planted. (Though, we can?t be certain the stories haven?t ?grown? just as much as the trees over the years.)

Still located on the .6 acre, the view has changed a bit. This once quiet, dusty area is now a vibrant, active commercial quarter. And, San Juan Mountain Nursery has grown beyond our postage stamp lot. In 2001, Doug and his wife, Vana, purchased a 21 acre trout farm six miles south of the nursery. ?The Farm? as we affectionately call it, houses all of our large trees and acts as an early season propagation locale.

In 2002, Vana became a partner in the Nursery. Her background is rich and varied. The Moab, Utah native has taught skiing, operated heavy machinery while constructing Wolf Creek Pass and was a guiding force for the Visual Presentation department of a high fashion, international corporation. Along with years of artistic and practical experience, Vana brought a new energy and a new look to San Juan. She is responsible for expanding our gift and gardening accessory lines, as well as making the shopping experience easier and more enjoyable.

For all that has changed in these thirty plus years,to the present downsizing and serving the landscape trade, the enthusiasm, the passion for plants, and the eccentricities of San Juan Mountain Nurseries have remained a constant. Some call us funky. Some call us unique. We embrace it all. Our mission is to provide the Southwest with viable, appropriate plant material to enhance & beautify our lives.