Reinventing Barlow’s

Jennifer Polanz

I first noticed the Facebook posts last spring announcing the closure of Barlow’s Flower Farm in Sea Girt, New Jersey, after 42 years in business. I remember visiting many moons ago on a retail tour and loving the place (I always liked the look of their XS Smith greenhouse). They received an outpouring of sentimental messages from long-time customers then and when they announced the final closing in the late fall.

But this story has a happy ending because the Barlow family has opened up their 22-acre production farm in nearby Wall Township for retail with a seasonal garden market, called Barlow’s Farm & Flowers. The difference, of course, will be its seasonal nature—open April 15 through June 15 and then reopening again in September for fall décor. 

Another difference is the re-focused retail offerings: mainly live goods, along with mulch and soil. This is what they wrote on the website: 

“Our Seasonal Garden Market is an open-air retail space located right here on our farm. Rather than a full-scale garden center, the market focuses on what we grow best—strong, healthy plants suited to our local growing conditions. Visitors will find a wide selection of annuals, perennials, shrubs, evergreens, vegetables, herbs and tropicals, along with high-quality soils and mulches to help your garden thrive. By operating seasonally, we’re able to offer plants at their peak and provide excellent value on fresh, farm-grown selections.”

Through the wholesale side of the business, they cater to landscapers and garden centers, as well as offer plants for fundraising programs. GP