About us
A rosy beginning.
When Harold A. Barnes and his wife, Jeanne, planted their first crop of 11,000 rose bushes in 1950, little did they realize that their humble venture would grow to become Barnes, one of Ohio’s largest diversified green industry organizations.
At the peak of the rose business in 1962, Harold, Jeanne (and eventually their son Bob) had 150,000 bushes in their fields. However, with the competitive landscape changing, the Barnes family made the decision in 1966 to stop growing roses and instead began planting shade and ornamental trees.
The nursery business took off in 1968. When Bob returned from college a year later, he rejoined the “Barnes Brigade.” And the rest is history.
Growing our family.
Growing our business.
In 1966, Bob married Sharon, making her a member of the Barnes family and the Barnes family business. Her mark on the enterprise has been indelible. Not only did Sharon continue to grow and expand the business, In 1991, she initiated the Camp Road Compost Facility, one of the most successful in Ohio.
This licensed operation recycles more than 20,000 tons of yard trimmings, food, agricultural and industrial residuals into quality soil products—diverting material from valuable landfill space and returning organic resources to the soil.
Barnes: The Next Generation.
Today the third generation—Jarret and Julie Barnes Foster—are integral in the Barnes operation, with Jarret overseeing daily management in the nursery and Julie managing the Huron and Catawba Island garden centers.
Affiliated with, and active participants in numerous national and state professional organizations, Barnes Nursery continues to provide valuable service and expertise to its neighbors and continues make important contributions to the community by providing support and “sweat equity” to area non-profits.
The dream Harold and Jeanne planted clearly continues to blossom and grow.