Serving the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
Welcome to Tankard Nurseries online! We are a wholesale nursery serving the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. In this modern era of significant labor and inventory holding costs, it is our intention to make our inventory of landscape plants available to our customers on a real time basis. Tankard Nurseries is positioned in one of the best growing and distribution points on the East Coast. Surrounded by the Atlantic and the Chesapeake, our moderate climate enables us to grow a wide selection of well-acclimated plants. We grow old standards like Boxwood and American Holly while also endeavoring to grow the newest Hydrangea and Crape Myrtle.
Our nursery is composed of four divisions: above ground containers, Pot-in-Pot, B&B shrubs and evergreens, and specimen trees and hollies. We encourage you to browse our website or make an appointment to visit the nursery so that we may show you why our plants and service are one of the best values in the industry today.
Tankard Nurseries sits on 700 acres surrounded by the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean, part of which is a farm that has been in the Tankard family for seven generations. The nursery is a true blend of history and innovation. Founded in 1933 and now in its third generation of ownership, Tankard Nurseries utilizes techniques and plants at the forefront of the industry to offer you a complete palette of quality landscape plants. Yet, our core business strengths, hard work, attention to detail and customer focus transcend generations.
Nursery production includes areas of above ground pots, Pot in Pot systems and field material both large and small. Tankard Nurseries was one of the first nurseries to begin growing in the Pot in Pot system. Many plants are grown in the field and transplanted to larger pots. We are continually expanding our selection of large potted plants in 20, 25 and 50 gallon containers. Still there are many acres of standard field production. There is also a new 4.2 acre retractable roof structure that allows us to manipulate the environment to enhance the work of natural elements.
John Ed and Sam Tankard, two hardworking brothers and graduates of Virginia Polytechnic Institute, began lining out their first nursery stock in 1933. Sam, sporting a Harvard Landscape Architecture degree and working for a landscape nursery in Hickory, North Carolina convinced John Ed, a farmer and county agent to convert truck farm acreage to nursery stock. After World War II, they began to earnestly distribute nursery stock in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
John Ed's son, John E. Jr., began working for Tankard Nurseries in 1957, after graduating from Long Island Agricultural & Technical Institute, where he studied horticulture, and then spending two years in Germany with the Army's armored calvary division. He continues to work at the nursery today along with his son, Ed.
Roll over an image below to view pictures from our rich history or just for fun Browse our 1961 Catalog
Here at Tankard Nurseries, customer satisfaction is our ultimate goal. We accomplish this not only by delivering top quality plants but also by backing up every order with exceptional customer service. We offer many services to make our customers' jobs easier.
We offer custom tags at no extra cost to the customer. We can print tags with your company's logo, SKU numbers and pricing or jobsite information. The plants arrive at your door tagged and ready to sell or plant. We can also provide picture tags for all our azaleas and roses.
We are proud to offer just in time delivery for our customers.Stocking inventory can represent considerable risk and expense; therefore we believe our just in time delivery service can help your profit margin.
We are also happy to deliver to jobsites. We know handling plants fewer times decreases costs and insures quality and transplant success.
All shipments are delivered by our own ten-wheel trucks or eighteen-wheel tractor and trailers or by a sole outside contractor.This allows us to offer terms on freight, so you no longer have the hassle of getting a COD freight check signed at the time of delivery.
Minimum Order
Minimum Order for delivery is $2500. All pick-up orders should exceed $2000.
Payment
Payment is due prior to delivery or at the time of pick-up and must be made by credit card.
Credit
Credit may be established by submitting a credit application with bank and trade references. Please allow time for processing. Those with whom we establish credit will be extended terms of NET 30 DAYS from date of invoice. Accordingly, outstanding balances over 30 days will be charged a 1.5% finance charge per month without exception. This amounts to an annual charge of 18%.
Delivery
Shipments are delivered by our own ten-wheel straight trucks or by hired eighteen-wheel tractor and trailer. Please note thatcustomers are responsible for unloading trucks. Adequate help ensures that the next customer's delivery is on time. Our drivers will be helpful and accomodating, but the primary responsibility for unloading lies with the customer.
We are happy to deliver to jobsites with the proper directions. Our plants love to go directly to their new homes.
Claims
Any claim must be registered in writing to us within 10 days after the stock is received. We guarantee our plants to be true to name and reasonably free of injurious insects and diseases. Because of environmental and planting conditions beyond our control, we can give no warranty to the continued life of any plant.