From pioneer roots to thriving nursery: The J&J Garden Center story

If you drive west of I-15 in Layton towards the sunny farming fields, you'll stumble upon a homegrown, family business that's been putting down roots for decades. J&J Nursery and Garden Center is a one-stop-shop for everything from trees and flowers to ponds and home decor.

As it goes with many Utah legacies, it all started with family and farming. The Stevensons came to the area in the pioneer era and were avid farmers.

They grew a wide variety of produce crops, like wheat, for generations in Layton. As the times started to change and the area began to grow, they realized the need to evolve the family business.

In the 1970s, they started something new. The family put a surplus WWII army barrack, approximately 30 by 30 feet, on the property.

They sold produce out of it for a couple of years before adding basic nursery items to their inventory.

Over time, they added gardening supplies and other plants, becoming the J&J Nursery and Garden Center that exists today.

For the last 54 years, the family has focused on building a place for Utahns to buy high-quality plants grown locally. Spanning more than 100 acres, the nursery now has five acres of greenhouses and more than 100,000 trees growing in the fields.

One of the owners, Dave Stevenson, along with his son, are responsible for the greenhouse operations on-site. Each year, their teams plant more than one million flowers and vegetable starts for folks looking to start their gardening.

Year-round plants and gardening

Even when it's cold outside and the planting season is months away, J&J is still going strong. Year-round, they have a variety of houseplants in their greenhouses for sale.

They also continue to offer trees and shrubs in the fall. In the holiday season, you can pick up one of the 20,000 poinsettias that J&J grows each year.

Family values still guide the business today

Even though the business is thriving and the Stevensons employ more than 100-plus people, their proudest accomplishment is linked to their grandfather.

The two brothers have been able to reassemble most of their grandfather's original homestead with the 100,000 trees growing in the fields.

Though they no longer grow wheat and other produce crops, the brothers turned their family's love of plants into something Utah families and communities greatly benefit from.

The Stevensons are committed to keeping their family's legacy alive through hard work, friendly service, and quality plants.

You can visit J&J Nursery and Garden Center in Layton Monday-Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. For gardening tips, follow them on Facebook and Instagram.