Nick Wilkinson: A Little Farther Down The Garden Path

The image of a plant enthusiast is easy to conjure: A kindly bearded gent, ankle-deep in mulch, puttering in the garden from dawn til dusk, trusty trowel in hand. Here to break the mold, however, is Grow Nursery owner and plant fiend Nick Wilkinson. We featured Grow itself in December of '11, but this time we'll delve a little deeper into the man behind the rare and unusual succulents.

GBG: Were did you grow up? Why did you decided to move to the Central Coast?
NICK: I grew up down on the border, 100 miles east of San Diego. It was really hot: The town's motto was "Where the Sun Spends the Winter." I moved here from San Diego 6+ years ago with my wife to buy a nursery and have been able to make that pay the bills.

GBG: How would you describe yourself?
NICK: Forever full of energy, yet constantly out of money.

GBG: What is your favorite plant or flower?
NICK: SO SO SO hard. You know I love them all! I guess the plant I have the most of in my collection is Operculicarya decaryi. I could have 100 of them and be happy, but that is true of so many...

GBG: How did you get in plant business?
NICK: After years of finding myself spending every last bit of money I had on succulents and vintage pottery, I got the idea to buy a nursery.

GBG: Which succulents would survive the apocalypse?
NICK: Sempervivums- With a name that in Latin means "Semper ("always") and vivus ("living"), there isn't much else to say.

GBG: How did being an artist influence your career as a plantsman?
NICK: You know, this is what I think makes me different from most plantsmen. Instead of coming at this from a plant-first outlook, I come at this profession from a perspective rooted (no pun intended) in form, shape and design. I'm constantly bending plants over, torturing them and looking for the right planter to make them into a sculpture.

GBG: When you were growing up what did you want to become?
NICK: Anything but a farmer which is what my father, grandfather, and lots of other family did for a living. Turns out that instead of farming alfalfa, I'm farming succulents.

GBG: Do you like to travel and where have you been?
NICK: YES! I've been all over Europe and more recently been traveling a bit in Mexico, especially Baja the past few years. I'd travel more but my family is young and it's just not in the cards for me to be gone for long stretches. Luckily, I get asked to give lectures several times per year on various topics so to travel and document the trip can pay off... at least that's what I tell my wife and accountant.

GBG: If you were an animal then what would you be?
NICK: (see below)

GBG: Would you rather have super strength or super intelligence?
NICK: Luckily, I was blessed with both.