Puritas Nursery

Garden Center and Greenhouses

Sincere, Personal Attention and Advice you can Trust from Experts who Grow their Own!

"A truly good person does absolutely nothing, yet leaves nothing undone".
Puritas Nursery owner, Dale Heyink, reminded me of this saying when I first met him. Going back to the nursery, I was convinced of it -

Dale's jovial interactions with customers is sincere. He enjoys what he does and it shows. "We have a lot of fun", says Dale.

When walking inside the garden center, memories of the Puritas Springs Park are in Dale's heart. Many recall Puritas Springs as much as they do the memories of the other famous Cleveland amusement park, Euclid Beach Park. Having mineral water springs throughout, Puritas Springs Park was located at Grayton and Puritas Roads, close to the greenhouses.

Outside of this rich history is the fact that Cleveland Ohio was the Greenhouse Capital of the world in the 1940's and 1950's. Now with only two of these greenhouses left, Puritas Nursery and Garden Center is one
of them.

Puritas Nursery maintains a very knowledgeable staff and great service as well. This, along with high quality products at fair prices brings many people back time and again.

The majority of plants are grown and hand watered at the greenhouses. These are specialty flowers and veggies that out-compete competitors. The smaller percentage of plants are from local growers only, ensuring they will stand up to local conditions.

The nursery has new and hard to find's such as hybrid and grafted plants that can't be found everywhere. With growing so many of their plants, the staff at Puritas Nursery can out-compete others, especially big box stores, in another way.

"With newly grafted and hybrid plants always being introduced
onto the market, many may not perform well" states Dale.

"People can spend a lot of money not knowing a plant may not grow as expected, if at all. Not only will Puritas Nursery refuse
to bring in under-performing plants, but will also warn customers about this 'unspoken' category of plants. Many of these types
of plants end up at the big box stores years later."

Along with this, the Puritas Nursery is known for having superior quality grass seed, mulches and the best topsoil around, all available in bulk if preferred.

"Your Plants Grow!" states Dale. Once when standing in line to purchase movie tickets Dale heard from far away in another line loud accolades from a customer happy with how exceptional his plants were growing.

Dale welcomes Your Stories to.

Flowers that attract butterflies:

A wide variety can be found at Puritas Nursery. Selections change but the nursery carries several varieties of each during the growing season. If you also want to buy lavender plants, start here.

Monarda:
Also known as Bee Balm and Monarda Bee Balm.

These perennial plants grow from 10" to 3'.
Not only are these a great butterfly plant, but
also make great hummingbird plants attracting
all types of hummingbirds, bees and other pollinators.

Varieties that are popular include Monarda didyma or 'Pardon My Purple' and 'Pardon My Pink'.

You'll also find Petite Wonder Bee Balm to red bee balm such as Jacob Cline, which grows a dark red.
Lupines:
An herbaceous perennial, most are North American natives.

You'll find favored Garden Lupine (lupinus polyphyllus) to
Sundial Lupine (lupinus perennis). The nursery always carries favorite colors of the lupine plant such as: purple lupine, blue lupine, yellow lupine and more.
Rudbeckia:
There are both annual plants and perennials in this genus.

Perennials are commonly called Black-eyed Susan,
Brown-eyed Susan and Coneflower.

Popular in this category are the 'Yellow Daisies' include:

Little Goldstar (Rudbeckia fulgida)

This cone flower grows 14+ inches and taller, blooms July - September and likes full sun.

Rudbeckia goldsturm
Grows 30+ inches, blooms July - October and likes full sun.

Rudbeckia prairie sun
Grows 20+ inches, blooms June - September, likes full sun and is very adaptable to a wide
variety of plant hardiness zones.

Annuals for winter climates include hybrid's (also deer resistant) - Rudbeckia hirta:
- Rudbeckia Denver Daisy,
- Rudbeckia Toto and
- Rudbeckia Cherry Brandy

Sedum:
Also known as Stonecrop Sedum and Yarrow.

Low maintenance Succulent plants, drought tolerant perennials with small star-like flowers clusters. Depending on variety, blooms late summer well into fall. Popular in rock gardens and with butterflies. There are both low and tall growing varieties.

Stonecrop:
Most Bloom August-September, like full sun and grow 10+ inches.

Sedum telephium - Xenox - Fresh foliage grows bluish-green and turns to burgundy with maturity. Flower clusters are a rosy-pink.
Sedum Autumn Joy Stonecrop - Reddish to pink flower clusters with green stems and leaves.
Sedum Autumn Delight - Bright pink flower clusters with lime green leaves.

Yarrow:
Most bloom June-July, like full Sun and are Deer Resistant and average 3 feet in height. Their leaves are different than stone crop, these are more feather-like:

Achillea millefolium - Varieties include:

Sunny Seduction - Yellow flat flower clusters with Green stems and leaves.

Saucy Seduction - Flat bright pink, lavender, to purple flower clusters with green stems and leaves.

Strawberry Seduction - Flat bright red with yellow eyes flower clusters with green stems and leaves.

Dale also notes that many folks visit seeking different types of lavender. Not a popular nectar source for butterflies, the different scents do attract them, however. From the mint family, lavender has no known insect pests. Popular genus types that have been at the greenhouse include:

Lavender angustifolia (English Lavender) -
Sweet smelling varieties.

Lavandula dentata / Stoechas (French lavender) -
Popular as drying lavender.

Lavandula stoechas / Stoechas (Spanish Lavender) -
Popular as drying lavender.

Lavandula latifolia (Spike lavender) -
A pure lavender essential oil with a camphorous odor.

Lavender gardening is very popular. New lavender varieties come out almost yearly and Dale rotates these depending on the year.

Butterfly Bushes at Puritas Nursery include:

Black Night Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii Black Night)-
Rich, dark purple blooms.
Miss Molly Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii Miss Molly)- Depending on location, Bright pink to red colored flowers.
White Profusion Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii White Profusion) - White flower with yellow eye.

For those not wanting to place a buddleias in the butterfly garden, other options recommended are:

Weigela:
Deciduous perennial bush that attracts hummingbirds as well as butterflies. Easy maintenance and most grow preferring full sun or part sun.

My Monet Weigela (Weigela florida my monet)

Pink spring flowers and green and white variegated foliage all season long. Variegated foliage is one color on the inside and a second around the edge. In this case it is the green leaves with white edges. Growing 12 - 18 Inches, this Weigela works well in semi-shady to full sun.
Wine & Roses Weigela (Weigela florida wine roses) -
Rosy pink flowers set agains beautiful rich dark burgundy foliage. Blooms in spring creating many flowers and will re-bloom again in summer and fall.
Summer Wine Weigela -
Dwarf version of Wine & Roses growing 12 - 18 inches.

Expert Gardening Advice:

1) Make a plan of what you want to do. Be flexible.

2) Amend your soil.

3) Start with healthy plants.

If a plant is droopy or distressed it will require extra work and still may not make it.
When purchasing plants, pull them out of pot. You'll want to see plenty of healthy white roots.

4) Plants, trees and shrubs require one inch of water weekly outside of any rain that falls.

If not watered enough, some trees and shrubs won't show signs of distress until the following year.
Vegetation begins to struggle when temperatures get 90 degrees and above.

Dale believes in community.

Every year he and hundreds of others build a Christmas trains display bringing holiday cheer for kids big and small.

Model railroad hobbyists, railroad enthusiasts, the Northern Ohio Garden Railway Society along with other volunteers place each piece by hand creating the North Pole to a Christmas Village.

Real vegetation is used on the Christmas train display. Miniature evergreens, conifers, herbs, junipers and poinsettias are everywhere in the heated greenhouse allowing the model train to travel through the hills and valleys.

With Christmas around the corner call it a Santa Claus Train. But it's more than that. The display is so large you'll see:

A Wizard of Oz garden theme
The Lion King garden theme
The Circus
Amusement Parks with Merry-go-Rounds and more..

It's a winter playground for kids. 'Kids Only' short-cut tunnels allow them to get up close to everything fast while parents are busy taking pictures.

Admission is Free and directions are Easy.

Come see this truly unique holiday model train display and bring your cameras. Santa Claus even stops in from time to time!

The display opens Black Friday, or the day after Thanksgiving.

November through December 24th, closing early on Christmas Eve.
Hours are:
Monday - Friday 9:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M.
Saturday and Sunday: 9:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.

While at the greenhouse pick out your perfect living Christmas tree. Outside of the great selection of fresh cut trees
are beautiful poinsettias, fresh wreaths, swags, roping,
Christmas cactus, cyclamens, mistletoe and seasoned firewood.

Directions to Puritas Nursery are easy
regardless of where you live in Cleveland.

Traveling west on I-480, just after the route 237/Cleveland Hopkins Airport exit is the Grayton Road exit. Turn left, or north, on Grayton Road. Not far up you'll make a right turn at Puritas Road and the nursery comes into view quickly.
Traveling east on I-480 get off at the route 17/Brookpark Road exit. Turn left and left again at Grayton Road heading north to Puritas Road.

Located in Cleveland's West Park / Kamm's Corners neighborhood at: