The History of Scarff's          

The first seeds of Scarff's Nursery were planted before the turn of the last century, and the business has endured in the family throughout the 1900's over five generations. In 1881, J.J. Scarff planted a quarter acre of blackberries and sold the fruit. His son, W.N., began to work his own corner of the fruit farm a few years later and sold the plants themselves, thus beginning the legacy of nurserymen in the Scarff family. W.N. built the business to a national reputation and passed it on to his sons, grandsons and great-grandsons. Today, in its 125th year, Scarff's still retains its national reputation and continues to thrive, ready for the next generation to take their hoes into the field and get started as their ancestors did.

W.N. flourished by providing his employees with a segment of the business to manage on their own-ordering supplies, hiring workers and producing-while W.N. concentrated on selling what they produced. Around the time of World War One , W.N.'s sons, Max and Howard, joined the business, then called W.N. Scarff & Sons, which grew to include livestock, an orchard, and a seed farm, along with the fruit farm and nursery. After W.N.'s death in 1928, the business continued to expand to its prime of 2000 acres after World War Two.

Many of the buildings and landmarks of those years remain. The seed company operated out of what is now the Tecumseh YMCA. Fruit was sold from the building that still stands on the southeast corner of the intersection of U.S. 40 and S.R. 235. The orchard grew on the original Scarff homestead that was settled by J.J.'s father, south of U.S. 40 on the west side of S.R. 235. The nursery operation continues in its original location, and still includes that first quarter acre that was planted in blackberries.

The nursery business emerged from other interests when Max and Howard made the decision to specialize in the 1950's. They sold the orchard and divided the remainder of the operation: Max presided over the seed operation while Howard continued with the nursery. Max and later his son-in-law, Charles Martin, continued the Scarff Seed Company with innovation and recognition on a national level until it closed its doors in the early 70's.

Scarff's Nursery, under the direction of Howard and his sons, Jim and Bill, who had each joined the business after terms in the U.S. military, benefited from their undivided attention. Responding to community demand, Howard opened a garden center in 1955 to allow local gardeners and homeowners to take advantage of the trees, shrubs and landscape products that had previously only been available to wholesale customers. Jim directed the retail operation while Bill concentrated on the wholesale business. Both segments of the business grew in acreage and customers for two decades.

In 1975, after nearly 60 years in the business, Howard Scarff retired. During his lifetime, the nursery operation more than tripled in size from 200 to 700 acres. He introduced a number of new plants, including the Wintergreen boxwood, an industry favorite for years. After retirement, Howard remained very active with his hobbies, photography and fishing, until his death in 1995 at the age of 98.

Jim Scarff also retired in 1975, and at that time Bill's wife, Jane, joined the business as vice president. Jane concentrated on the retail portion of the business, and a landscape division was added in 1978. In 1980, Bill's older son, Bill Jr., finished his horticultural degree at Ohio State and joined the business, and five years after that, Bill Jr.'s younger brother, Peter, followed him. After developing the landscape department into a company of strong reputation in the Miami Valley, Bill Jr. moved on to pursue a career as an attorney. Peter has continued with the business and, since Jane has retired and Bill Sr. enjoys more leisure time, Peter oversees the day-to-day operations of the business. He represents the Scarff's fifth generation in the family enterprise. The Garden Center was closed in December of 2003 in order to concentrate efforts on the growing Landscape and Nursery departments.

In addition to growing a successful company, the Scarffs have also recognized their obligation to the community in which they live. W.N. Scarff was selected by Woodrow Wilson to serve on the Food Commission, and from his diligence, the Clark County Farm Bureau arose. He served as president of the bureau and the Clark County Horticultural Society for years. W.N., Max, and Howard were all named Master Farmers in Ohio, a highly selective distinction. W.N., Max, Howard and Jim, along with Bill, Jane, and Peter, also served their industry and community in a variety of local, state and national positions. W.N., Howard (twice), Jim, Bill and Peter served as President of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association. Bill is Past President of the American Nursery and Landscape Association.

The roots of Scarff's Nursery still remain on nursery grounds. In addition to the original quarter acre blackberry patch, J.J. Scarff's original home and W.N.'s first home are still standing along the main road that travels through the nursery fields. The prominent family home along S.R. 235 in front of the nursery was built by W.N. in 1902.   

Designed by a local architect, it is only one room deep to maximize natural light inside the house. The home is called White Oaks, after the trees that were used in its construction and that surround the home. Howard's original home stands immediately north, and Max's original home is further north, across from the Tecumseh YMCA. All these homes are still owned by the family.

Scarff's Nursery currently operates on approximately 700 acres. The wholesale operation ships to customers from Denver to the east coast and from Wisconsin through Kentucky. The nursery is known for its uncompromising quality in the plant material that is grown and sold. As Scarff's Nursery enters its third century of operation, the focus remains on service, quality and advancing the horticultural industry.