WEST HOLLYWOOD—Before Pico or Sepulveda Boulevards were paved, the original Anawalt Lumber of West Los Angeles opened in 1923 at 11060 West Pico boulevard surrounded by lima bean fields. The West Hollywood location at 641 North Robertson Boulevard opened in 1948, a quarter of a century later, but still long before most of us were here. A third store at 1001 North Highland Avenue in Hollywood was relocated from Inglewood in 1981. After so much history here, Anawalt Lumber is still one of the last of the family owned and operated lumber companies remaining in Los Angeles.

This is why the nurseries of Anawalt Lumber are still such a pleasure to visit. In a modern society that is so resigned to wasteful consumption of inferior factory grown plant material from big box garden centers, it is refreshing to find nurseries that are actually horticulturally correct. Not only do the nurseries of Anawalt Lumber provide superior plant material from reputable growers, but they are also able to be more selective with the plant material that they provide, in order to procure what is most appropriate to the local climates and environments. The staff is available to recommend plants that would be appropriate to particular situations. The nurseries of Anawalt Lumber even provide plant doctor consultation services.

Regardless of the claims of big box store nurseries, they simply fail to compare. With only a few exceptions, their factory grown produce is not much different from what they sell in Bakersfield or San Francisco. Big box staff is not much help because they are about as familiar with the plant material that they sell as they are with the paint or carpet or whatever they were selling a few days prior.

Bedding plants, landscape plants, vegetable plants, herbs, orchids and houseplants, as well as all sorts of planting amendments, fertilizers, tools, fountains, planters and insect and pest repellents can all be found at the nurseries of Anawalt Lumber. Special orders of uncommon plants that are available but not regularly stocked are not a problem. Neither are orders of quantities that exceed what is in stock. Delivery is available.

The potting services at the nurseries of Anawalt Lumber really are quite remarkable. Clients can select annuals, perennials, foliage plants or any desired plant material, and then get it installed in whatever pots or planters they select for the plants. Some clients choose to bring their own pots in for planting. Others like to select from color bowls and planters that are already outfitted with mixed compatible plants. Mixed succulents have been very popular, both for potting services and for pre-assembled mixed plantings, probably because of the impressive selection to choose from.

When I visit the nursery of Anawalt Lumber in West Hollywood, I really like being able find odds and ends of less common plants that other nurseries can not be bothered with. The particular oddities may not be available all the time, but there is always a pleasant surprise when I go there without a plan. Some of my weird palms were found at Anawalt Lumber back in the 1990s. More recently, the extensive selection of unusual succulent plants and cacti has gotten my attention. I really dig the abundance of small succulent plants that tend to stay compact enough for mixed plantings; although there are plenty of large specimens of big succulents and cacti as well.

The nursery of Anawalt Lumber in West Hollywood is open from 6:30 am to 8:00 pm on weekdays, from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm on Saturday and from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm on Sunday. The nurseries at the other two locations have different hours of business that slightly exceed these. The nursery on Pico Boulevard sometimes offers seminars on some of the products in stock and gardening topics such as growing tomatoes.

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