Beds & Borders Inc., is a wholesale nursery on the North Fork of Long Island. It was founded in 1987 by the late Kathryn Pufahl. Since then Beds and Borders has grown from a single hoop house operation to a 25-acre state-of-the-art facility.
From inception, we succeeded in building our business by making unusual and underused plants accessible. Through Kathy’s work with container gardening, she helped launch these annuals onto a national platform; where they’ve since gained much popularity.
We continue to provide a diverse and evolving plant list. Our knowledgeable and experienced staff are committed to providing the highest level of quality. From our handcrafted designs to the health of every individual plant, we tirelessly strive to create a truly handcrafted product.
We’ve created the Planting Hope Project in the loving memory of our founder Kathryn Pufahl. We will continue to donate 100% of the proceeds from one plant to an organization we feel embodies the spirit and values upon which Kathy founded our organization.
In 2022 we donated 100% of the proceeds from the sale of Rudbeckia hirta Cherry Brandy to The Peconic Land Trust, Shinnecock Land Acquisition, and Stewardship Fund.
We will continue to support this project for the 2023 season as we work to expand our philanthropic efforts for 2024.
Rudbeckia hirta Cherry Brandy is native to what is now referred to as the Eastern United States. This plant, like the Shinnecock Indian Nation, is indigenous to this land we live on. They are still here, the people and plants of this nation. They are both fighting for their rightful space in our present landscape. We stand in solidarity with the Shinnecock Indian Nation and its sovereignty. With that sovereignty, we support their right to erect monuments, acquire and preserve sacred land. All of which they are currently fighting for the right to do.
Read below for more information about The Shinnecock Land Acquisition and Stewardship Fund (this description has been copied from their website).
The Peconic Land Trust has established a special fund for the acquisition, restoration, and ongoing stewardship of Shinnecock’s sacred land in the Town of Southampton.
In July 2021, the Trust acquired the summit of Sugar Loaf Hill in Shinnecock Hills. Simultaneously, the Town of Southampton purchased the development rights on the property forever protecting it from residential development. The Trust will remove the existing residence and restore the property to its natural state in conjunction with the Shinnecock Graves Protection Warrior Society (SGPWS). The Trust’s intent is to transfer the land to the Shinnecock people as soon as practicable with the approval of the Town.
The Shinnecock Land Acquisition and Stewardship Fund support the Trust’s efforts to acquire, restore and steward sacred Shinnecock land in conjunction with the SGPWS.
Background: Sugar Loaf Hill Summit
After years of work with the Shinnecock Graves Protection Warrior Society (SGPWS), and months of negotiations with the Town and the owners of Sugar Loaf’s summit, the Trust acquired this most sacred land on July 22, 2021, in a simultaneous transaction wherein the Town purchased the development rights on the property, thereby protecting it from any residential development in the future. Roger Waters, an advocate for the Shinnecock people, provided the bulk of the private funds necessary for the Trust to purchase the property and restore it to its natural state.
“I want to thank the Shinnecock people, especially the Graves Protection Warrior Society for their guidance and patience throughout. This would not have happened without the leadership of Tela Troge, Becky Genia, and Shane Weeks. It is our intent to manage this land with the SGPWS until such time that we can return it to the Shinnecock people, the ultimate stewards, as a place for their ancestors to rest in peace as well as a place for the public to learn about the history and culture of the Shinnecock Nation,” added John.
The Trust will work closely with the SGPWS to restore the land, remove the existing structures, and install a public trail in what will be a year-long restoration project. Upon completion of the restoration, the Trust will petition the Town Board for approval to transfer the fee title of the parcel to the Shinnecock people. This will be the first time that Shinnecock land within Shinnecock Hills will be returned to and reclaimed by the Shinnecock people.
There is much more land to protect in Shinnecock Hills in partnership with the SGPWS and the Town. In order to accomplish this, more private funds will need to be raised for future acquisitions, restoration, and ongoing stewardship related to sacred Shinnecock land.
Past donations have been made to:
The Kathryn Pufahl Pediatric IBD Research Fund
Our plants are grown in one of our two facilities; Laurel and Mattituck. Most of our plants come from seed or through in-house propagation. Additionally, we outsource bulbs, unrooted cuttings, and rooted plugs from many different breeders and suppliers.
At Laurel, there are approximately 5 acres of indoor growing space, a combination of glass greenhouses and high tunnel hoop houses. Laurel is set up for propagation with ground heat, a seeder, a germination chamber, and a misting station. Laurel is where we transplant all our young plants into their finished pots, using two state-of-the-art potting machines.
At Wickham, there are approximately three acres of glass greenhouses.
We got our start by tending stock for choice annuals that weren’t available in the industry at large. We have continued that tradition with hundreds of our varieties beginning as a cutting from our stock plants. Stock plants grow during our off-season and are pinched often to ensure they are ready to be harvested for cuttings. Some of our plants such as Coleus ‘Compact Red’, have been propagated since 1987.
During the spring to harden-off material, we turn the temperature down in isolated hoop houses, we use rolling benches to bring plants inside and out, depending on the weather, we use unheated greenhouse space that simulates the outdoor environment, and/or we move material into a wind-protected outdoor growing space. Most plants that are hardened off will have undergone at least one, if not all of these processes prior to shipping. Our customer invoices will include hardened information so customers will be better prepared for plants once they have been received.
We take pride in our intimate growing process. Our grower, Fredy Alvarado, along with the entire team waters, spaces, pinch, and deadheads all plants by hand. We truly care for our plants and ultimately, they end up caring for us more than we could imagine in return.
