A change of scenery

Elia Powers

They are a recognizable bunch -- the Orange County businesspeople who

stroll through this serene seven-acre lot on their lunch breaks.

“You can tell who they are in an instant,” said Gavin Herbert Jr.,

president of Roger’s Gardens. “They are there for the ambience; they

never look down at the prices. Our parking can be full but the cash

registers aren’t.”

And then there are the guests who come dressed in full regalia --

the firemen looking to pose for annual company calendars or the

newlyweds seeking a pristine backdrop for their invitation

photographs.

Herbert doesn’t mind the folks who come without opening their

wallets. To him, it’s a sign that Roger’s Gardens has become a local

institution.

“Where else in the city can you go to kick gravel?,” Herbert said

from his spacious, second-story office that overlooks the sprawling

property. “We’re low-tech to the max, and that’s why people like to

come for a visit.”

This summer, Roger’s Gardens celebrates 30 years at its current

location in Corona del Mar. The milestone has longtime employees

contemplating the changing landscape of the company -- and the

county.

The original Roger’s Gardens was in Costa Mesa, owned by Roger

McKinnon. Newport Beach resident Gavin Herbert Sr. was one of his

most frequent customers, Herbert Jr. said.

When McKinnon looked to sell the company, he didn’t have to look

far for a buyer.

“In all of my dad’s houses, the gardens were always beautifully

kept,” Herbert Jr. said. “Gardening was his passion.”

Herbert Sr., founder of Allergan pharmaceutical, took over the

home and garden company and moved it to Corona del Mar in 1975.

Lew Whitney, one of the initial Roger’s Gardens employees who

began as a plant salesman, said securing the new land wasn’t easy.

Neighbors didn’t want more construction, and Newport Beach city

leaders weren’t thrilled to give up the vacant land for commercial

use.

Whitney, who was general manager in charge of construction and

landscaping the new facility, promised city officials that the new

Roger’s Gardens would be unobtrusive.

“The city required us to be low-key, so we fenced off the property

and kept the natural look of the area,” said Whitney, who now runs

the landscape division. “We had more space than we knew what to do

with.”

The company started with 20 full-time employees and now has 150

full-time staff members, plus a handful of landscape crews that make

visits to people’s homes to consult on garden projects.

Whitney said Roger’s Gardens has grown along with Newport Beach,

which has seen a shift in the way homes are built.

“Houses are larger and more expensive,” he said. “Gardens are

becoming smaller. That presents new challenges for us.”

Herbert Jr. said the company has benefited from the influx of new

homes. He credits the explosion of Newport Coast construction and the

emergence of Fashion Island for much of their business.

Roger’s Gardens buys products from more than 50 growers in

California. Ron Vanderhoff, horticulturalist and nursery manager,

said the company focuses on introducing new plants to the region.

Among the most popular items is the evergreen shrub pittosporum

tenuifolium “Silver Sheen.”

Hanging basket gardens are a signature item at Roger’s Gardens,

and the new hot product is the blueberry plant, Vanderhoff said.

He said part of the company’s job is to keep up with new trends,

such as the influx of California native plants being used in gardens.

Roger’s Gardens has stuck to its roots -- hosting group events,

bringing in trees for Christmas celebrations, giving tours and

keeping its gates open to visitors.

“One of our greatest joys is seeing people who come here from out

of town,” Herbert said. “We’re glad to be a destination.”

* ELIA POWERS is the enterprise and general assignment reporter.

He may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or by e-mail at

elia.powers@latimes.com.