Growing up with nearby roots

When you grow up in a garden, it’s hard not to pick up some things.

Darrell and Sterling Waldron, owners of Sheridan Gardens Nursery, received most of their education listening to their father and grandfather discuss what climate lemon trees prefer and where roses should be planted while working on the family nursery.

“You learn by osmosis,” said Sterling Waldron, who runs the Burbank arm of the nursery. “Once I started it was a matter of listening to Darrell and my father.”

The two brothers have been running the Sheridan Gardens in Burbank and Sun Valley for more than 20 years, carrying on a business their grandfather started. An illness in the family, however, has disturbed the balance of the two stores and the 60-year-old Sun Valley location, run by Darrell Waldron, will be shut down at the end of June.

“Darrell is the one that knows the most,” said Sterling Waldron of his brother, who has been diagnosed with cancer. “His health is going to determine a lot.”

The first Sheridan Gardens nursery was opened by Forrest Waldron, the brothers’ grandfather, in 1938 on a plot of land in Glendale. Darrell Waldron took to the profession even as a young child.

“He was the real green-thumber,” said Sterling Waldron. “He loves plants.”

Even while in school, Darrell would spend his free time working at the family nursery.

When Forrest Waldron’s son took over, the store was moved to Sun Valley, and eventually another store was opened in Studio City. In 1980, after a fire closed down the Studio City store, Sheridan Gardens opened its doors in Burbank.

“We’ve made it a little more of a destination for people,” Sterling Waldron said. “We’ve added birthday cards and gifts and so forth ? each year we have a big Christmas celebration.”

The stores are still truly a family affair ? Sterling Waldron’s wife bakes cookies annually for their Christmas celebration while his children have all done time working in the garden.

“We’ve all done our tours of duty,” joked Tom Waldron, Sterling Waldron’s son. “I didn’t really learn about stuff until I really started spending time here.”

Kathy Waldron, Sterling’s wife, said she can see the knowledge building up in her son.

“Sometimes we’ll be driving along and he’ll point out a tree he recognizes,” said Sterling Waldron’s wife, Kathy.

“It takes a lifetime to learn all these things.”

Even some of the employees have spent their lives at the nursery.

Both Arlene Lewis and Chris Van Deusen have spent about 30 years at the store.

“This was my first job out of high school,” Lewis said. “It’s just a really good atmosphere with really good people.”

When the Sun Valley store closes, the smaller Burbank location will try to make room for some of the trees and larger plants currently housed in Sun Valley.

Kathy Waldron hopes the years of knowledge and expertise will bring the Sun Valley regulars to the Burbank location.

“It’s the lifetime of knowledge that makes this store different,” she said.