Victory Gardens

It’s no secret that Stark Bro’s has a rich history in the gardening community. As the oldest continually operating nursery in the country, we’ve spent two centuries helping families cultivate their legacies in the garden. Our commitment to your success runs even deeper than just providing you with healthy, thriving plants… we’re also committed to the rising movement in our country to get back to the garden.

We’ve played a pivotal role in that movement since it began in the 1940’s:

Paul C. Stark Sr. was called away from Louisiana, Mo to Washington DC during World War II to serve in creating and overseeing one of America’s most successful wartime efforts: The Victory Garden program. Over 63 million Americans committed to helping ease strain on the commercial systems of food production to support our soldiers and allies, and to also save money for their own families.

“For example in World War II, the victory garden program for home food production and home food preservation proved to be one of the most successful war programs. A national poll showed that 63 million people worked in victory gardens that year and produced a large percent of the much-needed fresh vegetables and fruits for civilians and war workers while allowing adequate commercial supplies to go to the Armed Forces and to our allies.
They helped guide many inexperienced victory gardeners to follow proven successful methods of planting and producing homegrown food.” - Paul C. Stark Sr.’s 1968 address before the Ninetieth Congress.

Today, our country continues to rediscover the benefits of Victory Gardens, embracing backyard food production to save money, enjoy the health benefits of fresh produce, and promote sustainable living and self-sufficiency.

Stark Bro’s has always taken our mission to educate and support the home grower seriously, and we’re still here for you today. We’ve outlined below our top 5 resources for getting started in the garden:

How to Grow Apple Trees - This has everything you need to know to grow an apple tree for the first time.

Garden bed exampleGarden bed example Preventing Problems Before They Begin Organic gardeners have fewer tactical weapons in their arsenal in the war against pests and diseases, as chemical problem-fighters are not in the mix. Non-chemical alternatives are, by nature, less potent and sometimes an extra effort is required to keep your garden in good health. Preventive action bridges the gap.
Palms holding soilPalms holding soil How To Make Compost What if someone told you that the very best fertilizer in the world doesn’t cost a dime, that you don’t have to drive anywhere to get it, and that it virtually manufactures itself?
Article imageArticle image How to Fertilize New Fruit Trees The best time to fertilize new fruit trees is in spring, starting after bud-break and finishing by July. This provides nutrients when trees need them most.
crate of picked applescrate of picked apples Estimated Yield for Fruit Trees For growers with enough space, where tree size isn't an issue, this guide covers the estimated yield of dwarf, semi-dwarf, and standard size fruit trees.

Visit our Growing Guide to cultivate even more knowledge.

We hope you find these articles, and all our How-To-Guides as supportive resources to ensure your success in the garden. 

We’re so thankful for the opportunity to continue the tradition empowering Americans to successfully harvest their own food. Finding a community support system will only make growing more rewarding! Join us on Facebook or Instagram for tips, support, and a community of like-minded gardeners.