At Ambleside Gardens, Being Unique is an Everyday Occurance

From the roadway,  Ambleside Gardens & Nursery looks like just about any other destination one might expect for trees, shrubs and other landscaping vegetation. 

But enter the nursery's main walkway one is led into a maze of rare and exotic trees, shrubbery and plants that are quite uncommon for a local retailer.

"There is variety here that is untouchable," said owner David F. Scudder, who is the second generation in his family to own and operate Ambleside. "We have a lot of unusual plant materials and one of the biggest collection of trees in the state."

Although Ambleside may sell many types of trees and shrubs throughout the year, such as Dogwoods, Cherries and Birches, Ambleside is known throughout the state and region as the destination for Japanese maple trees.

"I have 105 varieties of the Japanese Maple," Scudder said. Some of the many varieties that Ambleside sells are Lion's Head Japanese Maples, Coral Bark Japanese Maples, New spring growth of Moonrise Fullmoon Maples, and the more traditional red Japanese Maple.

Every year Scudder travels to Oregon to select trees, shrubs and Japanese Maples. "Most of these trees and plants are sold in the springtime but it's perfectly acceptable to plant in the fall," Scudder said." 

Scudder sees his role as an educator to his customers, who often solicit his help in finding the right tree, shrub or gift.

"Service and knowledge is humungous and we know an awful lot," Scudder said.

One of ways in which he serves his customers is to offer advice on plant and tree selection and placement.

"If the homeowner wants to do the work themselves, I tell them to bring to me photographs of the house and drawings of the house scaled on paper," Scudder said."Then I will sit down and give them an appointment here free of charge and fill all the pieces. If they want me to do the job, I have to got to the yard and look at it."

That personal touch however, can occasionally become suspended when his customer use the Internet for their horticulture research.

"Everyone is talking today about Cyber Monday. Look at my parking lot!," Scudder said referring to his virtually empty lot at 3 p.m on Cyber Monday. "You can't call up and order a tree. Customers ask, 'hey can you get three more (trees) like this tomorrow. I cannot  call up and order a tree and have it shipped across the country just like that."

There are items in Ambleside that could perhaps be packaged an shipped, if Scudder chose, such unique tree ornaments and nativity scenes from around the world.

"I'm lukewarm about expanding into new areas," Scudder said. "I'm not set up for shipping."

For now, Scudder will continue to offer some of the most beautiful, handcrafted, ornate ornaments from around the globe, which make his shop as unique for ornaments as trees and shrubs.

The ornaments compliment his Ambleside's full line of Christmas trees, grave covers and wreathes  that are all made and adorned with ribbon and other decorative elements, right there in his store.