Orban’s Nursery
As the fourth generation to own Orban’s Nursery, Tyler
Orban has owned the business since 2019. But he began
working on the property at age 7, planting the nursery’s
signature poinsettias.
Like many people who have relocated to our area, Orban’s
has its origins in the Midwest, namely Ohio. Tyler’s greatgreat
uncle Martin started out in 1914 with a florist shop and
grew flowering plants. When Tyler’s grandfather returned
from World War II, he studied horticulture at Ohio State
University and bought the business from Uncle Martin. A
few years later, he decided he wanted to cultivate plants,
primarily geraniums, impatiens and poinsettias, in a
warmer climate to bring them to the market earlier in Ohio
than his competition. He chose Bradenton based on the
microclimate that our area has. Orban says it has almost
the same freeze possibilities as the next couple of counties
farther south but it’s cooler in the summer because of the
surrounding water bodies.
The business passed to Tyler’s father in the 1970s and it
expanded from two acres to 20 with the addition of Home
Depot as a large customer, along with Publix. Most of the
business then was poinsettias, annuals and roses, and it was
all wholesale.
“As kids, we ran wild through the whole nursery with our
friends and family,” Orban reminisces. “I always loved
the nursery but I didn’t know that I wanted to stay in the
business. I just knew I didn’t want to sit at a desk every day.”
The turning point for Tyler was when he took a year off of
college to work for a landscaper. “It just opened my eyes to
how much I enjoyed being at the nursery,” he says.
Tyler went back to college and obtained his degree in finance,
working alongside his father until his passing two years ago.
In 2020, Orban’s came full circle, serving the public directly.
The retail barn is open Monday through Saturday from 9
a.m. to 3 p.m. Tyler is also capitalizing on his landscaping
experience, selling palms, trees, landscape plants,
bromeliads, succulents, vegetables and mulch to local
landscapers.
While the retail area is available yearround,
the public’s only chance to access
the entire nursery comes during the
annual Poinsettia Festival, which will
happen on November 27, 2021. “That day
we sell some sizes and colors of the
poinsettias that we sell out of that day
each year so they aren’t available at the
regular retail,” Orban says. “We will have at
least 150,000 poinsettias left at that time
for great holiday pictures and purchasing.”
Festival-goers can also partake in food
options, local vendors, live music and
more.
Three farms. Three stories. All with a
commitment to and love for the “smalltown
feel” of Manatee County. This season
and throughout the year, make time to
support one, two or all of them.
www.orbans.com
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