IN THE 1980S, Steve Castorani founded North Creek Nurseries with Dale Hendricks. Sharing an interest in native plants, natural landscaping and ecological restoration, the two focused their southeastern Pennsylvania company on the propagation of North American perennials, supplying these in plug form for landscape architects, finish growers and retail centers. Today North Creek remains a major wholesaler of choice native perennials, with Steve still at the helm.
SCOTT BEUERLEIN: Tell me a little about your history and how it led to the formation of North Creek Nurseries.
STEVE CASTORANI: I’m first-generation Italian American, and my family always kept a garden. As a young adult, I started taking care of our property. I enrolled at the University of Delaware to prepare for a teaching career, but I was discouraged with the program. So, I investigated the Agriculture Department, and discovered a great program that really resonated with me. I took a liking to it and to the people. I switched to studying plant science and landscape design.
I had to work my way through school, so I started a little landscaping business. This was around 1977. I would buy plants for landscaping projects and end up with extras, which I would grow in my family’s back yard. I liked plant propagation, so I would do that at the end of the day. I wound up buying an old greenhouse, and suddenly I owned a nursery. From this back-yard nursery my wife, Peggy, and I started Gateway Garden Center in 1985.
By 1986 I had purchased property in Landenberg, Pennsylvania. It was an old mushroom farm. I had met Dale Hendricks through one of my former University of Delaware professors, Dr. Dick Lighty. By this time, he was the first director of Mt. Cuba Center (a Delaware botanic garden devoted to native plants). Dale suggested we start a nursery together. Dale had extensive growing experience and wanted to start out on his own. Back then no one was talking about ecology, native plants or plants that increase biodiversity. It was not part of anyone’s vocabulary. So, for North Creek Nurseries, Dale and I focused on plants that provided ecosystem services, even though that was not a word either. We called it “plants for naturalistic landscaping.”
