About Us

Nestled in the foothills on the 'Sunrise Side' of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, Saunders Brothers began as a partnership between five brothers in 1915. Today, third generation brothers, Tom, Bennett, Jim and Robert, with their dad, Paul, operate the wholesale nursery. The wholesale nursery operation now comprises nearly 350 houses. More than 500 varieties are shipped to garden centers throughout the mid Atlantic region. The 150 acre apple and peach orchard provides delicious fresh fruit for wholesale and local retail markets.

  Our Location

Our nursery and orchard are located in beautiful Nelson County, VA. The climate is moderately warm in the summers, with temperatures averaging about 77 degrees in July. Winters are moderately cool, with temperatures in January averaging about 38 degrees. Average annual precipitation is about 42 inches. The county is almost in the geographic center of Virginia and by car, is about two hours from Richmond, three hours from Washington, D.C. and four hours from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Boxwood have been part of the family tradition at Saunders Brothers for over 60 years. What started as one boy's 4-H project evolved into the foundation of our wholesale nursery. Today we supply hundreds of garden centers and landscapers with a large selection of both container and field -grown cultivars. As coordinators of the National Boxwood Trails, we look at how boxwood are performing at trial sites around the eastern United States in order to predict which new cultivars will be considered "the best of the bests." See our 2009 'BOXWOOD GUIDE (3.5 MB)' so that you can quickly find the most appropriate boxwood for your particular design needs and site conditions.

  Our Nursery Products

We have created a product line that provides a total package for all types of landscapes as well as seasons. By offering spring and fall pansies, colorful annuals and perennials, woody shrubs and container trees, we offer products that reflect the needs of the nursery industry.

  Our Customer Service

Our salespersons listen to the needs of their customers and 'walk' the nursery houses every week to provide buyers with a list of their 'hottest' plants. Quality and service are the two top criteria customers want when purchasing plant material. We try to provide the highest quality with the best service in the industry.

Our Orchard

In response to market demands, Saunders Brothers started growing super tree-ripened peaches; including sub-acid white flesh peaches, many of which get great size, color, and flavor when tree-ripened. These peaches complement the yellow-fleshed varieties and extend the season from June 15 until late September. While oversupply has forced us  to reduce production of many “commodity” type apples, like Red Delicious, Rome, and Golden Delicious, we continue to see strong demand for specialty varieties like Gala from New Zealand, Fuji from Japan, and Pink Lady from Australia. 

Our Farm Market

Our Farm Market offers a fun place for the whole family to enjoy. Not only can you find a variety of peaches, apples and vegetables from late June until early November, but we also offer ciders, jams, relishes, and salsas. While you're here, visit our on-site museum, one of the largest privately-owned collections of farm antiques in the state of Virginia.

Saunders Brothers is proud to be a member of the following associations: Virginia Agribusiness Council, Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association, American Association of Nurserymen, Southern Nursery Association, Perennial Plant Association, Ohio Florists' Association, and the Virginia State Horticultural Society. Saunders Brothers as individuals or as a company are also members  of the international Plant Propagators Society, International Dwarf Fruit Tree Association, American Conifer Society, Virginia Flower Growers Association, north Carolina Association of Nurserymen , and the American Boxwood Society.