Grae Gardens Nursery · Crest · East County San Diego

Plants grown for your garden, not the sales floor.

A backyard micronursery in the hills above El Cajon, growing specialty fruit trees, natives, and house plants the way I wish mine had been grown when I planted my first garden and home orchard. Big nurseries grow for scale — the biggest, best-looking plant in the shortest time, even if it struggles once it gets home. I grow for what happens after you plant it.

  • The best varietiesRare, productive, delicious, beautiful — ideally all four.
  • Selected for SoCal climate & soilsRootstocks and varieties proven to perform here.
  • Roots that take off after plantingAir-pruning pots grow dense, fibrous roots — instead of circling, rootbound ones.
  • No soggy, rotting rootsGrown in airy, mineral-based soil, not peat-heavy mixes.
First plants ready this winter (Feb 2027)
Occasional updates, no spam — just plant stuff.

What’s growing

All chosen to thrive outdoors in Southern California, with minimal babying (okay, a little babying).

Subtropical fruit

Mango, lychee, longan, starfruit, avocado, guava, loquat, plus rarer finds like yangmei — on rootstocks chosen for our soils, not just whatever was handy.

Temperate fruit & berries

Stone fruit, pears, apples, mulberries, blueberries and cane berries — in varieties that actually fruit in our mild winters.

California natives

Tough, beautiful, pollinator-friendly plants grown in deep pots so their long roots get a head start.

House plants

Statement pieces for indoors or out — many happily live outside year-round here, on a patio, balcony or in the ground.

Herbs & veggies

Perennial herbs and seasonal edibles for gardens that are as useful as they are pretty.

Hunting for something?

Email me at grae@graegardens.com. If it grows here, I may already be growing it — or want to.

More than a plant in a pot

Set up to thrive for you, long after pickup.

Getting the plant is the easy part. The real goal is a plant that’s still growing strong — and fruiting — years from now.

  1. 1

    Right plant, right spot

    Tell me about your yard, balcony or hillside, and I’ll help you choose something that will love it there.

  2. 2

    Planted right from day one

    Every plant comes with clear guidance on planting depth, drainage, watering and feeding for our climate.

  3. 3

    Help in any season

    I’m here and happy to help in any season — spring planting, summer heat waves, or a winter pruning question.

Grae Gardens completely transformed my patio from a single reference photo. My HOA had a lot of strict rules around outdoor spaces, and Grae was able to design beautifully around those requirements. Upkeep has been super easy (I’m not an expert gardener), and I especially love the herb garden that’s functional as well as decorative. Friends can’t stop complimenting my new space!
Nicole S. · patio balcony garden design & planting client
Grae in a gardening hat shoveling soil into a wheelbarrow with two young helpers
Grae and a toddler beside young bare-root fruit trees in grow bags
My first orchard attempt: grow bags, dormant trees, and my smallest helper.

Hi, I’m Grae.

My first orchard was a handful of bare-root trees in grow bags (that’s it in the photo). It’s since grown into an in-ground orchard, raised beds, a greenhouse, and more than a few half-serious family conversations about how many trees is too many. My answer: grow thousands, and find them good homes.

Along the way I’ve lost trees to gophers, to floods, to root rot, and to fungal and bacterial disease. Every loss sent me deeper into how plants actually grow and what they need — from the roots up. Grae Gardens is everything I’ve learned, put into practice: plants raised to give you the head start mine never had.

Heads up: it’s a backyard, not a storefront, so there are no walk-ins. Plants will be available online with pickup by appointment or local delivery.