Bosky Dell Natives

This was an incredible experience over-​all and I can’t wait to be back. The nursery has an incredible selection of native trees, shrubs, and other plants of many sizes at excellent prices. However, a lot of the trees were scraggly (grown in shade at very high density) and not straight when supposed to (ie. typical Douglas firs and ponderosa pines). Additionally, a lot of potted trees were slumping over due to the mud or had fallen over entirely and were still growing but at improper angles. It looked as if the nursery staff don’t attend to the trees much. I am willing to deal with all of this to get cheap native plants, though. I was able to find great trees by searching thoroughly. And the nursery itself was quite the spectacle itself, aesthetically diverse and earthly-​feeling. I would recommend this place for native plants, although it can be overwhelming to the beginner gardener.

Need Oregon native plants and willing to drive 20 minutes from Portland? Ready to be challenged and impressed? Bosky Dell Natives, in a very beautiful and peaceful rural setting, is just the place.
I went with my gardening expert spouse who is has a Backyard Habitat Certified garden, which requires Oregon native, and more specifically, Portland native plants. She’s an expert, which helped as she knew exactly what she was looking at. There are some labels, there are some prices, but this is not a Portland Nursery type of experience where every plant has a tag on it. The plants are in sections and greenhouses, so with a little orientation from the helpful staff, it is fairly easy to get around. That said, I can see where this could be a bit overwhelming for a non-​expert like me. I would say this is a typical approach based on other rural nurseries that I’ve been to.

Excellent selection of native plants. Very helpful staff who were knowledgeable. Navigating the nursery without a degree in botany is challenging, but the staff helped me find shade loving natives. Good price. Would highly recommend.

They have lots of plants, but nothing is labelled, either as to what the plants are or what they cost. And more disturbingly, nobody was there. They were «open», but nobody was to be found. Odd. Not sure how they make money if you can’t actually buy anything from there.

Boskey Dell Natives is a unique business reflecting the vision of the owner who has spent years collecting and building this out-​of-​the-​way treasure. This does not look like any ordinary nursery. The greenhouses and buildings are created using reclaimed and repurposed old materials. The paths are lined with plants for sale along with weathered artifacts and outdoor art. The plants are all native to Oregon or the Pacific Northwest, and some are in very limited supply. Come to explore and learn. This is not just a business but rather the love child of one person.

Very special specific attitude toward plants, the focus is native and they deliver the goods. Test gardens are a great way to see what the plants your buying might look like in a few years time, it’s a great way to keep from making that dreaded mistake, huge plant small space. It was such a cute seedling, now it’s 40 feet tall and 20 feet wide.