Type of business: Wholesale nursery
Location: Wholesale inquiries: 3230 E. Service Road, Ceres; Individual sales: Turlock Certified Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds
Contact Information: 209-543-5011
Specialty: Low-maintenance plants
History of business:
Gardening can be a difficult task to master, with many details to remember. From watering a plant correctly to making sure it’s rooted in a suitable soil, May Day Nursery knows that sometimes tricky plants are overrated and just a simple succulent will do. At the Turlock Certified Farmers Market every Saturday, nursery owner Donna Murillo sets up shop to sell affordable, beginner-friendly succulents, ferns and other shrubbery to those in the community who may have just begun their green-thumbed journey into gardening.
Succulents of all different shapes and sizes sit on the shelves at May Day’s booth in the farmers market, and according to Murillo, they sell out quickly because of their ease when it comes to caretaking.
“They’re easier to take care of,” she said. “You don’t have to water them that much, and if you forget to care for them, they’ll still survive.”
In addition to easy-to-care-for succulents, the nursery is also known to offer “Teach, Me, Harry” plants – small, potted plants which feature a googly-eyed face and a shrub that is perfect for beginners both you and old. May Day Nursery also offers a variety of other house plants, as well as kitty grass and catnips for shoppers’ feline friends.
While May Day Nursery began selling at TCFM for the first time this year, Murillo and her family have operated their small wholesale nursery in Ceres for over 40 years. Since the Ceres nursery is not open to the public, Murillo decided to sell her succulents and ferns at the market, where she could talk to customers face to face and offer a more personal shopping experience.
Though the nursery has sold at other markets before, she said, none compare to the market in Turlock.
“I really like this market. It’s a lot friendlier than some of the others, and we have a lot of regular customers here,” said Murillo. “I like it because I get to meet people, which doesn’t happen a lot when you’re not open to the public.”
At their Ceres location, May Day supplies local florists and garden centers with premium foliage and flowering plants, but the farmers market is the perfect place to sell the nursery’s unique succulents, which are often used in interior settings.
“It’s actually shaded here at the market, which is perfect because in the sun, the plants tend to burn,” said Murillo.
Individual plants from May Day Nursery can be purchased at the Turlock Farmers Market, which runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds every Saturday through Oct. 14.
