Park City—A Park City couple is the new owner of Park City Nursery. Sophy and Grady Kohler purchased the nursery from Steve and Ann Barrett. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The nursery was started by Steve Barrett in 1983.
“We do not sell anything that is sold at a big-box store,” said Sophy Kohler. “We are trying to increase the allure for people that want to check out the history of Park City. We want people to know this was the location of the original Snyder Homestead.”
The Kohlers, who are full-time residents of Park City’s Old Ranch Road community, will continue the nursery’s 35-year legacy of selling trees, shrubs and flowers that thrive at high-altitude settings. Park City has an elevation of 7,000 feet, which presents unique challenges for gardeners.
The nursery carries a variety of trees, herbs, vegetables, flower container displays, ground covers, shrubs, wildflower seeds, specialty gardening tools and other supplies. A separate bulk yard location offers rocks, boulders, gravel, mulches, topsoil, and compost.
Trees are handpicked and purchased from private farms in Idaho, Wyoming, and Oregon. According to the International Society of Arboriculture, each front yard tree adds 1 percent to a homeowner’s sale price, while large specimen trees can add as much as 10 percent to property values.
The Kohlers plan to expand the nursery’s retail presence with gifts and boutique garden line supplies. The nursery sits on six acres of property and includes the original Samuel Snyder home and general store, built in the 1880s. The Kohlers plan to restore the home and store and open them to customers. Snyder, a native New Yorker and Mormon pioneer was one of Park City’s original homesteaders. The Snyderville Basin was named after him.
A big part of the nursery’s attraction are 15 employees who are specialists in landscaping, plants and design. “Some of our employees have been here for more than 15 years,” Sophy Kohler said. “They know so much. People can walk in with a leaf or twig and say, ‘Hey, what is this?’ Or, they might ask, ‘There is this black mark on my tree, what’s causing this?’ Our team can answer their questions.”
Sophy is a former executive of a Fortune 500 company and was born and raised in New York. Grady, a Utah native, is owner and principal broker of Windermere Utah Real Estate, a leading residential and commercial real estate company with offices in Park City and five other locations in Utah. Both are skiers, mountain bikers, and members of the Park City Sailing Club.