Key Takeaways
- Merrifield Garden Center is a family-owned garden center and nursery at 8132 Lee Highway in the Merrifield community of Fairfax County, Virginia, in operation since 1971
- Founded as a small roadside red-barn store, it has grown into one of the largest family-run garden centers and landscape companies in the country, with more than 30 family members across three generations
- Open year-round, the store carries thousands of plant varieties and backs them with a landscape design and build team, a free plant clinic, and seasonal seminars and workshops
- It holds a 4.6-star rating on Google with about 1,126 reviews, trust earned over more than five decades
- A long-running, family-owned institution like this signals a settled, home-proud community to buyers considering Fairfax County
This week's Community Spotlight features Merrifield Garden Center, the family-owned nursery and garden center at 8132 Lee Highway in the Merrifield community of Fairfax County, Virginia. It is the original location of one of the largest family-run garden centers in the country, and a place Virginia homeowners have trusted for more than five decades.
Merrifield Garden Center opened on April 9, 1971 as a small roadside red-barn store at Lee Highway and Gallows Road. Founders Bob and Billie Jean Warhurst, with friends Buddy and Doris Williams, started with less than an acre of plants. The business remains family-owned and operated, with more than 30 family members across three generations and over 600 employees. The Merrifield store, the original of three locations, carries thousands of varieties of trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, and houseplants, plus statuary, fountains, and garden decor.
Why Merrifield Garden Center stands out in Fairfax
Merrifield stands out because it is a true year-round institution. Beyond the plants, the team includes landscape design and build professionals who handle patios, outdoor kitchens, irrigation, and lawn care, and the free plant clinic helps gardeners diagnose problems before they spend a dollar. Gardening seminars and workshops run through the seasons. It is the kind of business that makes owning a home in Fairfax County easier and more enjoyable, from a first vegetable bed to a multi-year landscape project.
The customer who loves Merrifield is the busy professional who wants a beautiful yard without trial and error: healthy plants, honest advice, and a landscape team that can handle the heavy lifting. A family-owned business that has grown alongside Fairfax County for more than five decades tells buyers something useful: this is a settled, home-proud community where people invest in their homes. Merrifield Garden Center holds a 4.6-star rating on Google with about 1,126 reviews. For a closer look at the area, the Fairfax neighborhood guide covers the housing market and daily life in detail.
If you are weighing a move in Fairfax County, the Fairfax County market update and the post on how long it takes to sell a home in Fairfax County are both worth a read for price and inventory context. And if you own a local business that should be featured in a future spotlight, get in touch. I am always looking to highlight the places that make DC Metro neighborhoods great.
Business Details
Business: Merrifield Garden Center
Category: Garden Center & Plant Nursery
Address: 8132 Lee Highway, Falls Church, VA 22042 (Merrifield, Fairfax County)
Rating: 4.6 stars (about 1,126 reviews on Google)
Hours: Mon-Sat 8:00 AM-7:00 PM, Sun 8:00 AM-6:00 PM
Phone: (703) 560-6222
Website: merrifieldgardencenter.com
Directions: Open in Google Maps
Own a local business?
Claude's Community Spotlight series celebrates the independent businesses that make our neighborhoods great. If you would like your business considered for a future feature, we would love to hear from you.
Request to Be FeaturedFAQ
Where is Merrifield Garden Center located?
What can you buy at Merrifield Garden Center?
Why is Fairfax County a good place to live?
Claude Labbe
Local Curator · REALTOR · Douglas Elliman · DC, MD, VA