Our Story

Mitchell’s Nursery & Greenhouse is a local, family-owned, independent garden center with knowledgeable on-site staff to answer all your plant questions. Located in King, NC, just north of Winston-Salem in the Piedmont Triad, they sell to landscapers, contractors, florists, garden centers, and the public.

Group tours of their facilities are available by appointment. To schedule an appointment, call us at 336-983-4107 or email us.

Hours of Operation

Mon – Fri, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM and Sat, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Where It All Began

The roots of Mitchell’s Nursery & Greenhouse started long before the business itself.

Jim Mitchell’s passion for plants began as a child when his father helped him turn his sandbox into a propagation bed for rooting azaleas. Through those early experiences, he developed a lifelong interest in growing plants and understanding how they thrive.

Judy’s love of plants grew from time spent with her grandmother, who shared her appreciation for gardening and the beauty of the natural world.

While attending North Carolina State University and pursuing degrees in horticulture, Jim and Judy met and married. While still in college, they started a small backyard nursery in Raleigh, North Carolina. What began as a shared passion soon grew into a dream of building a nursery business focused on quality plants, knowledgeable service, and strong customer relationships.

Growing a Family Business

In 1979, that dream became Mitchell’s Nursery & Greenhouse.

Over the years, the nursery expanded from its original growing areas into the operation it is today. As customer demand grew, so did our greenhouses, production facilities, and plant selection. Through every stage of growth, our goal remained the same: to provide quality plants and helpful advice while treating customers like family.

Today, Mitchell’s continues to evolve while remaining true to the values that helped build the business from the beginning.

The People Behind the Plants

Growing great plants takes great people.

While Mitchell’s remains family-owned and operated by the first and second generations of the Mitchell family, our success has always depended on the dedicated team members who care for our plants and serve our customers every day.

Many members of our staff have spent years building relationships with customers and sharing their horticultural knowledge. Lorie has been part of the Mitchell’s family for more than 12 years, Linda for more than 10 years, and Jennifer and Lisanna for more than 7 years each. Their experience, dedication, and commitment to customer service help make Mitchell’s the place customers trust year after year.

Together, our family and staff work toward the same goal: providing healthy plants, expert guidance, and a welcoming experience for every visitor.

Looking Ahead

Growing up in the nursery, Jay Mitchell never expected he would one day help lead the family business. After leaving home to pursue engineering, he worked for his aunt at a greenhouse while attending school in Raleigh. During that time, he realized how much he missed working with plants and being part of the horticulture industry.

That experience brought him back to Mitchell’s more than 25 years ago and reinforced the passion for plants that has been passed from generation to generation. Today, Jay continues the family tradition of serving customers, supporting the nursery’s growth, and helping guide its future.

From Jim rooting azaleas in a childhood sandbox, to a backyard nursery started by two horticulture students, to Jay returning to the family business more than 25 years ago, Mitchell’s has always been built on a shared passion for plants and the people who grow them. And now the third generation can often be found helping around the nursery, continuing a family tradition that began more than 45 years ago. 

While much has changed since 1979, our commitment remains the same. We continue to invest in our growing facilities, expand our plant selection, and serve our customers with the knowledge, care, and personal attention that have defined Mitchell’s Nursery & Greenhouse for more than four decades.

We look forward to helping gardeners, homeowners, landscapers, and plant enthusiasts grow for many years to come.

Affiliations

Mitchell’s is a member of the North Carolina Agritourism Networking Association, North Carolina Commercial Flower Growers Association, North Carolina Nursery and Landscape Association (NCNLA), King Chamber of Commerce, Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce, Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, North Carolina Green Industry Council, and the Goodness Grows in North Carolina program. Mitchell’s is also on the Birding Trail Map for NC.

We have expanded our parking to include an area near the road to better accommodate individuals with mobility challenges.

Certifications
2025 Proven Winner Certified
Proven Winner Certified Garden Center
Proven Winner Certified Wholesaler
Jim and Judy both have a B.S. in Horticulture Technology from N.C. State
Jim has N.C. Commercial Pesticide Applicators License for landscape and turf
Simply Beautiful retailer
Wave-rave retailer
Burpee Home Gardens Grower for vegetable plants
Jay and Judy have Energy Saving Landscape certificates from the NCNLA

Awards and Offices Held:

2026:

• Mitchell’s Nursery was awarded the best Garden Center/Nursery and Best Farm/Lawn & Garden Services in the Mount Airy News Reader’s Choice Awards.
• Mitchell’s Nursery was awarded a Lawn & Garden Retailer Magazine Innovator of the Year award for 2026.

2025:

• Mitchell’s Nursery was awarded the best Garden Center/Nursery and Best Farm/Lawn & Garden Services in the Mount Airy News Reader’s Choice Awards.

2024: 

• Mitchell’s Nursery was awarded the best Garden Center/Nursery and Best Farm/Lawn & Garden Services in the Mount Airy News Reader’s Choice Awards.
• Mitchell’s Nursery was awarded the best Garden Center/Nursery in the Winston-Salem Journal Reader’s Choice awards.
• Mitchell’s Nursery was awarded the best Garden Center/Nursery by Stokes News Reader’s Choice awards.

2023:

• Judy received the Libby Wilder Award for outstanding contribution to the nursery industry by a woman.
• Mitchell’s Nursery was awarded the best Garden Center/Nursery and Best Farm/Lawn & Garden Services in the Mounty Airy News Readers Choice awards.

2022:

• Mitchell’s was awarded Best Garden Center Of The Year by Mount Airy News.

2021:

• Mitchell’s received the Agribusiness of the Year award from Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce.
• Voted as the Best Garden Center by Winston-Salem Journal.
• Jim was awarded the Honorary Lifetime Member Award by the NCNLA

2019:

• Mitchell’s was honored with the Family Business Award by Triad Business Journal.

2018:

• Mitchell’s won the Torch Award for Ethics from the Better Business Bureau of Northwest NC.
• Received the R.J Reynolds Business Innovation Leader of the Year Award from the King Chamber of Commerce.

2010:

• Jim received the Joe Love Grower of the Year in June from the NCCFGA.

2006:

• Jim and Judy jointly received the Business Leader of the Year award from the King Chamber of Commerce.

Previous Board Memberships and Positions:

• Jim: Former Vice President of NC ANA.
• Jim and Judy: Former board members of NCCFGA.
• Jim: Former board member of the Southeast Greenhouse Association.

Honors in Scouting:

• Jim was honored as a Silver Beaver recipient from the BSA (Boy Scouts of America).

Community Service
Jim has been a Boy Scout Leader since 1989.
In 2004 Jim and Judy jointly received the Laity Service Award from their church, Trinity United Methodist in King, NC
Jim is a past president and current board member of the North Carolina Epilepsy Association.
Judy is a board member of Stokes YMCA in King, NC
Jim and Judy are both former board members of the King Chamber of Commerce

Proven Winners®
Certified Garden Center Training.

The necessary training has been completed to become a 2025 Proven Winners® Certified Garden Center. This program provides garden center owners and employees with up-to-date information so they can assist consumers in choosing and growing Proven Winners plants.
As a 2025 Certified Garden Center, employees have successfully completed a training program and test, which evaluated their gardening knowledge and ability to assist customers with questions about plant performance, characteristics, and care. Each spring a new training program is distributed that highlights new Proven Winners introductions and reviews existing products to ensure that employees have the most current and comprehensive information.

According to Marshall Dirks, Director of Marketing for Proven Winners, “A knowledgeable sales staff increases the chances consumers have for success with their plant purchases. Proven Winners is committed to making sure that employees have the resources necessary to stay informed.”

About Proven Winners:

Proven Winners is an international marketing cooperative comprised of some of the world’s best propagators. As a group, they are dedicated to developing new hybrid color varieties that will perform well for both the grower and the consumer. Proven Winners plants are found in more than 5,000 retailers nationwide. For more information about Proven Winners visit www.provenwinners.com