Two icons join forces as Peaceful Valley buys Annie’s Annuals

One NorCal gardening institution has saved another; Annie’s Annuals will live on, thanks to Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply.

Without warning to its longtime and devoted customers, Annie’s Annuals & Perennials suddenly shuttered its Richmond nursery on Oct. 3 due to financial issues and the declining health of its owner. Annie’s Annuals was permanently closed, effective immediately, said a sign posted on the nursery’s gates.

“Annie Fans” nationwide were in a panic; where would they get Annie’s unique perennials and eye-popping flowers? Annie’s Annuals also supplies plants directly to almost 30 independent nurseries in California including The Plant Foundry in Sacramento.

Three weeks after that initial shock, good news traveled just as fast Thursday – thanks to the network of gardeners on social media.

Peaceful Valley – the nation’s largest independent retailer of organic farm and gardening seed, plants and supplies – has purchased Annie’s Annuals and will continue its popular catalog and website, the company announced. Most of Annie’s eclectic seed selections will be still be available at the same website (https://www.anniesannuals.com/).

In addition, a group of longtime Annie’s Annuals employees have taken over the Richmond nursery. It will reopen Nov. 2 as Curious Flora Nursery, retaining the same expansive demonstration gardens and friendly cats.

“The legacy of Annie’s Annuals and Perennials will continue on!” announced Bill Hageman on Annie’s Annuals website. “Annie’s Annuals, a beloved horticultural institution, has been long celebrated by enthusiastic gardeners for its rare and heirloom plant offerings. Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply is excited to share that they have acquired the brand of Annie’s Annuals and Perennials, the website and the catalog business to ensure the safekeeping of this horticultural giant and its time-honored legacy!

“Happily, a band of longtime and dedicated Annie’s Annuals and Perennials’ team members pooled together their talents and passion to form Curious Flora Nursery, a place where plants, people, and community will continue to thrive in the footprint of the existing nursery at 740 Market Avenue in Richmond, California,” he added. “This treasured space, loved by all who visited, filled with curious plants, beautiful gardens, and exuberant plantspeople will remain a nursery dedicated to offering wild and rare plants, horticultural expertise, and boundless joy.”

Founded in 1976 and headquartered in Grass Valley, Peaceful Valley is a longtime leader in Northern California’s organic gardening scene. In addition to its vast seed inventory, it’s the nation’s biggest seller of organic bare-root fruit trees. Acquiring Annie’s Annuals was a naturally good fit, say its new owners.

“Annie’s Annuals has always held a special place in the hearts of gardeners as the vibrant, eclectic home of rare and heirloom plants,” said Jill Hageman, Peaceful Valley’s co-owner. “For years, it has cultivated a sense of discovery for gardening enthusiasts, offering plants that celebrate California’s rich horticultural heritage. Our vision is to honor that connection by ensuring customers continue to access the unique native, annual, and perennial plants that have made Annie’s an iconic name. We are committed to quality plants, biodiversity, and sustainability.”

Annie’s Annuals also has very deep roots. In the 1980s, Annie Hayes started the nursery out of her backyard. Her business really took off after the opening of the Richmond nursery in 2001. An expert propagator, Hayes turned her green thumb to preserving and popularizing unusual flowers that could thrive in Northern California’s Mediterranean climate.

In 2021 during the pandemic, Hayes decided to retire and sold Annie’s Annuals to business consultant and investor Sarah Hundley. In early October after the surprise closure, Hundley posted on the nursery’s website this message: “I feel it’s important to share that my health has played a significant role in reaching this point. Over the past few months, I have faced serious and unexpected health challenges. Throughout this difficult time, I’ve worked tirelessly to explore every possible way to keep the nursery going. Sadly, despite my best efforts, the challenges – both personal and business-related – escalated much faster than I ever anticipated, and I could no longer maintain business operations.”

Hundley, who had been searching for a buyer, consummated a deal with Peaceful Valley this week.

Annie’s Annuals website will be kept separate from Peaceful Valley’s www.groworganic.com, said the new owners. Annie’s Annuals’ destination nursery in Richmond will have its own website reflecting its new ownership, https://www.curiousflora.com/.

Colleen Wheeler, Curious Flora’s Chief Growing Officer, said, “Sensational gardens and great nurseries are so much more than the plants that fill them. They evoke stories of people and place told over seasons of growing together. The best gardens and nurseries reflect the joy of discovery, the reward of shared effort, and the wonder of changing times. Annie planted a seed of exuberance in each of us. We’re going to keep that growing. … The team at Curious Flora Nursery will continue to grow the native and far-flung curiosities that have defined Bay Area gardens for decades.”