Cochato Nursery is located at 373 N. Franklin St., Holbrook, MA 02343; tel. 781-767-9770; website: http://www.cochatonursery.com
Cochato is one of my favorite nurseries that I visit multiple times each year to purchase plants for my shade gardens and to tour its amazing grounds. Cochato Nursery is a great source for hostas, miniature conifers, native perennials, unusual shrubs and trees and beautiful pottery and garden art. Adjacent to the nursery is an amazing display garden that is a great source of gardening ideas and inspiration to me.
Cochato Nursery is a family-owned business run by Sue DuBrava and Chuck Doughty in the back yard of their home. Before opening the nursery, both Sue and Chuck worked as landscape designers, which shows in every aspect of this meticulously organized space.
In this post I would like to share some pictures from my latest visit to Cochato Nursery in early July, 2021 which, I hope, would give you a glimpse of the beauty of this place.
This is the entrance to the Japanese style shade gardens. Foliage plants such as conifers and hostas dominate the space and make it attractive year-round.
Water is an important element in the display gardens rendering movement and serenity to the space. Many of the plants in and around this pond can be purchased at the nursery.
Multiple stone sculptures and urns are tastefully placed in the landscape for additional interest.
Another beautiful angle of the space with the urn from the previous picture.
Bird houses and feeders attract wildlife and bring additional interest to the gardens.
Some more bird houses that add a pop of color.
One reason why you would want to tour shade gardens like this one, is to see hostas in their mature state. It is sometimes hard to imagine what a hosta in a nursery pot would look like when fully grown.
Another beautiful display of hostas, this time in combination with ferns and Turk’s Cap lilies that are about to bloom.
In addition to hostas, the gardens diplay a variety of conifers that provide an architectural element and year-round interest.
For those of us lacking lots of garden space, growing miniature conifers and hostas is an excellent option, as illustrated here by this beautiful dish garden.
Another amazing conifer in a container that is masterfully pruned to provide drama and interest. This is my favorite container planting at Cochato!
Cochato Nursery offers a unique selection of small and miniature conifers that one can use to create their very own dish garden.
Stone troughs and garden art are also available for sale and masterfully displayed at the nursery.
Hostas are a must in the shade garden and there is no better place to shop for hostas than at specialty nurseries like Cochato. One can spend hours browsing through the extensive selection of hostas of all colors, shapes and sized. All varieties are arranged in an alphabetical order in tidy rows for an ease of access.
Many people do not realize what an amazing and versatile plant hostas are. One can be especially creative with miniatures, putting together fairy gardens or landscapes like this one.
Tucked away on the side of this building is a small garden filled with special hostas and other plants that are not available for sale.
An added bonus to visiting Cochato Nursery on a Saturday is that you may have the opportunity to meet and chat with Rick Goodenough, a hosta hybridizer who has introduced some excellent plants to the market. Rick is always smiling and happy to help you with plant advice.
I hope that this post has given you an idea of why Cochato is one of my favorite nurseries. If you happen to visit Cochato, make sure to leave enough time to tour the display gardens and the grounds for ideas and inspiration.
Love the Shade 