History

Despite their previously successful careers in other fields and relative inexperience in the trade, John Bryant and Julia Cotter purchased the nursery in 1986 from Hall Millican. At the time, the nursery was only a fraction of the size it is now with a few acres of planted fields and a few more of above ground material. The company had 2 tractors, 1 forklift, an electric cart and a 1-ton truck which we still use today.

As the years passed, the company acquired more and more equipment and developed more of its 96 acres at the main Chichester farm. What were once lilac fields became land for above ground trees. Forest became fields of Gymnocladus, Stewartia and Hydrangea. Every year there was some kind of major undertaking. One year more woods would be cleared, the next a mammoth irrigation pond would be dug. The water for irrigation, which had previously come from wells, now was reclaimed water pumped from two man-made ponds.

In 1994, a huge new barn was built to use as a new office and storage facility and a few years later, in 2001, the original structure, which was not in the best of shape, was knocked down and a new one constructed with storage, a mechanics shop, a lunch room, locker room and offices. The nursery had entered the 21st century.

In 1998, the nursery purchased a nice 30 acre cornfield in Loudon, NH, about 3 miles down the road. This quickly became an ideal spot for planting and excess plant material to be stored until it can fit at the Chichester location. This eliminated the need to have plant material in the ground in Chichester any longer and left more room for inventory. Loudon has become a necessary part of business and provides thousands of beautiful trees per year to the nursery. Another growing field in Bow, NH, at John and Julia's home, is not to be outdone by Loudon. Its 15 acres has a vast variety of dwarf conifers and unique specimens, as well as large quantities of underused but beautiful ornamentals.

In 2006, Millican purchased the property, a hayfield and wooded lot, directly across Pleasant Street from the Chichester location. After careful planning, across the street became the home for essentially all of the container material here at the nursery. This made much more room for trees to get the adequate sun and irrigation they needed. This property has allowed the nursery to grow even more, be more efficient with moving plants to be shipped and to keep the plants looking fresh and healthy.

In 2008, the nursery took another big step. The house that used to stand near the entrance to the nursery was dismantled and construction began on a large new office building. The attempt was to build an office that would be usable for the next 20 years. So far it has exceeded all expectations. Customers and employees all love the ease of use and professionalism that the new building has brought.

Throughout the years the plant material has changed, much of it for the better. There are new better performing and interesting varieties that are released every year and sold. The nursery, in its first years, sold mostly just the bread and butter plant material. But since, it has provided very large caliper trees and many one-of-a-kind specimens that no one else may have for that special site that needs the perfect tree. The nursery basically carries all of the plant material a landscaper could possibly need with an exceptional level of customer service. The goal is to sell the highest quality plant material in the northeast and to have enough on hand to satisfy our large customer base. Millican Nurseries has grown by leaps and bounds over the years, yet it has not lost its personal touch. It still has a quality and friendly workforce; the plant material is nicer and more abundant than ever; the atmosphere and setting are wonderful and always improving. Thank you so much for visiting our site today.