ALL THE SPLENDID MEMORIES: Shown are photos of Ambleside Gardens & Nursery and the Scudder family founders. The pond and waterfall have delighted visitors of all ages, including those shown in the truck in the center’s early days: founder Townsend Scudder at the wheel, with helpers, from left, John, David (current owner), Hal, and Holly Scudder. The top photo is of David, Mary, and Townsend  Scudder receiving the Governor’s Trophy for the “Best in Show” garden at the 1984 New Jersey Flower & Garden Show. “The show was held eight years in a row, and we won eight awards,” says David Scudder. “Eight exhibits, eight awards!”

By Jean Stratton 

“I can’t believe it!”

“Are you sure?”

“It just won’t be the same.”

Princeton area gardeners have been stunned to hear the news that Ambleside Gardens & Nursery will be closing at the end of July.

The longtime favorite garden center, known for its high quality and outstanding selection of plants, trees, and shrubs, has many fans, who appreciate its knowledgeable, friendly staff, and congenial setting, as well as the availability of rare and unusual plant species.

It is something everyone expected always to be here, and now that it will not, spring, summer, and fall gardens and landscapes somehow will not be the same. Nor will the winter season, when customers came to rely on Ambleside’s handsome homemade wreaths, Christmas trees, and special gift shop.

Fish and Frogs

David Scudder, owner and son of the founders, the late Townsend and Mary Scudder, is aware of what this decision means to many of his clients.

“On any given weekend, someone will come in and say, ‘I love it here! I hope you never leave!’ Then someone else will come in and say, ‘I can’t believe you are still here!’ And then, another comes to say, ‘My parents brought me here as a kid to feed the fish and see the frogs!’

”I think of all the years, and as I reflect on them, part of me wishes it would never end — but the other part of me looks forward to finally retiring. It is time.”

Named after a town in the English Lake District, Ambleside Gardens & Nursery opened in 1965 in Belle Mead at 834 Route 206 South, then a quiet road connecting Princeton and Somerville, with only three traffic lights in between.

Mary and Townsend Scudder were keen gardeners and ready for a change in their lives. A former public relations executive, Townsend said later, “I swapped a commuter ticket for a shovel, and I don’t miss the ticket!”

Added Mary Scudder, “The time was right. We both had gardening backgrounds. I had worked on a truck farm during World War II, and we had always been growing things. We lived on a farm in Neshanic, and raised all our own food. We still do!”

When Ambleside opened, it was a smaller version of what it is today — a nursery and landscape center. It also established its international crafts shop that first year. The shop would soon become famous for its extensive Christmas exhibit in November and December — with its array of Christmas themed trees and special selection of nativities from around the world. It was also open year-round, offering a wide selection of other handcrafted items.

Lovely Setting

David Scudder recalls that the warmth of a Franklin stove was the only source of heat in the shop that first year. “It was a very cold room!”

The garden center’s reputation grew over the years, and clients appreciated the wide range of plants, trees, and shrubs, including many rare and unusual varieties not found elsewhere in the area. The knowledgeable and friendly service was another attraction, as well as the lovely setting, including a waterfall and pond, filled with frogs and fish — much admired by children and their parents alike.

When Mary and Townsend retired in 2013, David Scudder, who had started helping out in the center when he was a young boy, took the reins of ownership. Formerly in charge of landscaping (at one point, there were three landscape teams), he also had a long history and strong interest and expertise in horticulture.

“When I came on full-time in 1984, I helped people with the design and organization of their landscape,” he explains. “What grows well where, what plants like sun or shade, and when and where they should be planted. It is important to put a plant where it wants to be. And, if a plant will grow to be 20 feet tall, don’t plant it under a bay window!

“We have tried to have a niche, and people know we have rare and unusual plants,” he continues. “These include many dwarf evergreens, dwarf pines, and dwarf spruces, among other uncommon trees and shrubs.”

Regarding the ever-present deer challenge, he notes, “If fencing is not an option, there are other ways to discourage the deer: using deterrent product, or incorporating plants unattractive to them. There are many plants deer don’t like, including perennial geraniums, ferns, ornamental grasses, as well as such shrubs as boxwood, gold cypress, and spirea.

Japanese Maples

“In addition, vinca and lantana have become popular annuals because the deer don’t like them. Such deterrent products as Deer-Off and Milorganite are helpful, and it is a good idea to alternate them for the best results.”

Over time, Scudder became fascinated with Japanese maples, and traveled to find the most unusual and special varieties. “Japanese maples became very special to me, and I went to Oregon in 2001 to see the nurseries and different varieties of these trees. I began to bring them to Ambleside, and we had more than 150 different varieties. People came from as far away as Washington, D.C.; Harrisburg, Pa.; Albany, N.Y.; and Hartford, Conn.; among other places to get them. They knew our selection is unique.”

It’s not just the Japanese maples that brings people to Ambleside. It has consistently offered the most extensive selections of plant material in New Jersey, with many rare and hard-to-find varieties.

“It is very exciting when the new plants arrive,” says Scudder. “It’s still a passion for me. And it is tremendously rewarding when people say how grateful they are that we have such a selection. And it is so rewarding, too,  to be able to share our information with the customers.”

Visitors to Ambleside have always relied on the help and advice of the staff, which includes certified nursery and landscape professionals with years of experience. Many have been with the garden center for many years.

Despite the challenges during COVID, Ambleside continued to experience a high level of business. ”We were very busy during the virus,” reports Scudder. “A lot of people were interested in having their yards look nice, and wanted to plant gardens. They were staying home more, and this was important to them.

Herbs and Vegetables

“They would often start planting the garden with their children,” he adds. “It’s a very nice family activity, and they often wanted herbs and vegetables, so they could eat what they grew.”

Interest in gardening has been steady over the years, he points out, and the customers are at all levels of interest and hands-on-engagement. Some are more willing than others to put in the prep work and maintenance. In this high tech age, he says it can actually be relaxing just to get your hands in the dirt!

Maintenance is often a concern of new gardeners, and some prefer less rather than more. As Mary Scudder laughingly observed, however, “Low maintenance means on your knees!”  And she recalled lines from Rudyard Kiplibg’s poem “The Glory of The Garden”: “Our England is a garden, /And such gardens are not made by singing ‘Oh how beautiful, / And sitting in the shade.”

Other gardeners love all of it: the hands-on process of preparing the soil, the planting, the tending, and of course, the ultimate result. Observing the textures, the colors, watching the way the plants grow, and how they all affect the landscape is a pleasure.

Townsend Scudder once reflected, “What is more exciting than putting in a seed and seeing the miracle that happens? From seeds grow gardens of miracles!”

“Learn to Prune”

David Scudder has made many friends among the customers over the years, and he is happy to have seen their interest grow. While nothing really surprises him, he shares his father’s observation of the reluctance of many people to prune their trees and shrubs.

“Plants are like people,” pointed out Townsend. “They need a little ‘TLC.’ One of the biggest problems people have is they are afraid to prune. We advise them: ‘Learn to prune!’ It’s very creative.”

Now that the sojourn of Ambleside Gardens & Nursery is drawing to a close, it is a bittersweet moment for David Scudder.

“I am very proud to have been part of this, and I am happy that I could help sustain it over the years. It has meant a lot to me. I have really enjoyed being able to find a selection of very unusual plants and being able to say that Ambleside was the most unusual garden center in New Jersey.

“We have been truly overwhelmed by the numbers of people coming in to say thank you, and how much Ambleside has meant to them. Of course, we want to thank them for all their years of support and friendship.

“But it’s time to move on to other things. I want to see more of my children and grandchildren, and my wife Robin and I want to travel more. There are a lot of things I am interested in. I play the guitar and collect stamps, and I want to take up woodworking. It will be a new adventure.”

And what a grand legacy the Scudder family has left for all those who love gardens!

Ambleside’s current inventory is on sale with up to 50 percent savings. Hours are Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday noon to 5 p.m. (908) 359-8388. Website: ambleside.com.