People, Places & Plants Reviews Katsura Gardens

People, Places & Plants Reviews Katsura Gardens

If you can judge a garden center by its fans and clientele, John Gallant’s Katsura Gardens, doesn’t take a back seat to anyone in the Northeast.

“It’s a candyland of wonderful trees and shrubs,” said an effusive Deborah Swanson, the well-known educator at the Plymouth County Cooperative Extension. “John’s incredible — one of the best detectives at finding plants and bringing them to our market area!” said noted garden designer Gary Koller of Roslindale.

Professional gardener Margy Mott of West Acton, Mass., always heads to Katsura Gardens first thing in the spring. “This is really one of the great places,” she said. “I just love introducing people to this nursery.”

Among the unusual specimens are varied varieties of willows, stewartia, magnolia and snowbell. Fringe tree, Chionanthus virginicus, Franklinia, Franklinia alatamaha, and of course katsura, Cercidiphyllum japonicum, also abound. Savvy shoppers can also find golden dawn redwood, Metasquoia glyptostroboides ‘Ogon’ or ‘Gold Rush,’ and nearly 30 varieties of Japanese white pine, Pinus parviflora. As of press time, Katsura Gardens featured 19 different varieties of ginkgo, including the rare ’Majestic Butterfly,’ with yellow variegated fan-shaped leaves, as well as many other choice shrubs and perennials.

And while he spends the off-season scouring the globe for plants, Gallant clearly enjoys spending the season at home in Plymouth. “One of most beautiful places to be in the world is standing in the midst of my conifer beds,” he said.

That kind of enthusiasm makes his fellow horticulturists smile. “It all has to do with his enthusiasm,” said Wayne Mezitt, chairman of the board at Weston Nurseries. “John is a real horticulturist. When he likes something, he has a really good sense of why it’s the right plant for his customers.” - L.E.

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