Locally Grown and Family-Run: The Story of Fairview Nursery

By - Hannah Chatterton, The Forgottonia Times

Courtney McKown (left) and Meredith Romine (right)

At the edge of the quiet town of Fairview, a bright yellow Volkswagen bug marks the gateway to one of Fulton County's most vibrant local businesses. Behind the walls of three bustling greenhouses, amid the scent of soil and spring, Fairview Nursery is a place where plants, community, friendship, and a whole lot of love grow wild.

Founded in 2014 by Courtney McKown, Fairview Nursery is a thriving, family-run garden center that specializes in annuals, perennials, vegetable plants, ornamental grasses, hanging baskets, mulch, compost, and uniquely custom-planted containers — many of them crafted from vintage or antique pieces sourced from local collaborators like Courtney's sister, Samantha Magee, from The Farm "Westside Picker's Paradise" in London Mills. But beyond the colorful flora and handmade planters is a story rooted in decades of friendship, hometown pride, and a passion for local growing.

McKown and her business partner, Meredith Romine, have been friends since the fourth grade. Both women attended Spoon River Valley High School together where they played basketball and both became 1,000 point girls basketball record holders on their senior night. Afterwards, both women attended Carl Sandburg College where they continued to play basketball together. And they even had kids at the same time — twice!

That enduring friendship has become the backbone of Fairview Nursery. While McKown runs the business end — building relationships, ordering supplies, managing finances, and ensuring things keep running smoothly — Romine is the organizational heartbeat. She leads the design of the custom planters and makes sure every detail, from color palettes to sun exposure, is just right.

Their dynamic works. "Meredith keeps me in check," McKown laughs.

The story of the nursery itself begins a generation earlier. Courtney's mother, Kathy Beekman, has a degree in horticulture and purchased the property when it unexpectedly came up for sale. McKown worked one summer at the nursery while still in college and the next summer bought the nursery from her mom in October 2013 without any formal experience in plants. What followed was a masterclass in learning by doing — from trial and error to hands-on visual learning. 

Every vegetable grown at Fairview Nursery starts from seed and is grown onsite. Each plant has been touched, transplanted, and cared for by hand multiple times. The seeds are ordered from outside sources, but everything after that is local. And even the small things matter. Unsold plants from the previous year? Their tags are carefully saved and reused. Waste is minimized, and the ethos of sustainability is practiced.

That level of personal care is more than a business model — it's a family affair. Their kids frequently visit the greenhouses, helping carry purchases to customers' cars or simply soaking up the beauty and fun of the place along with their sweet dogs. When help is needed, families of all sorts pitch in, making it a true all-hands-on-deck operation.

Fairview Nursery is open April through May, becoming a hub of activity, whether it's families shopping for spring blooms, kids touring the greenhouses on field trips, or couples snapping prom pictures in the lovingly arranged spaces.

The nursery's Sip and Plant night — now in its third year — has become highly anticipated. This year's event will be held Friday, May 2, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Participants bring their own planters (the more creative, the better) of about 14in. x 16in. and the Fairview team provides the soil, fertilizer, flowers, and expert advice. Open for all ages, the cost is $50 for each participant, and they are welcome to shop the store too. Attendees often leave with more than just their custom planter, though— thanks to small prize giveaways donated by other local businesses. Check their Facebook page for more details as the event draws nearer.

That same weekend, Fairview Nursery will be a stop you won't want to miss on the Spoon River Spring Drive! The Nursery draws in a large crowd eager to be outside in the nice weather and pick out beautiful flowers or vegetables to add in their garden. They also host a unique variety of local crafters, vendors, and food stands. Included in the mix is "It's a Family Thing Barbeque," a locally owned food truck right from Fairview, as well as O's Rolled Ice Cream out of Farmington. A special guest is Courtney's mom, who will serve delicious lemonade shake-ups and all kinds of refreshing teas to keep you hydrated and energized during The Drive.

Fairview Nursery does not exist just to support itself but to lift up all the small businesses around it. "We are very locally driven," said McKown. 

Fairview Nursery frequently refers visitors to local restaurants or shops in the area over any chain. Community is "people helping people," McKown says, "It's not a competition; it's building a community for our future and for our kids' future." When residents have a vision, they can go out and do it because the resources will be here for them. McKown is also proud of Fairview Nursery being the only nursery in all of Fulton County and encourages people to keep their money in their county, where you know where your money is going, not a large chain that ships in all their produce.

In that spirit, the nursery frequently partners with local causes. McKown regularly donates to fundraisers, benefits, and charities — whether it's a tree, mulch, or a check. This spring, they'll host a fundraiser for Graham Hospital on April 30, bringing in specialty planters and hanging baskets, with at least 10 percent of proceeds returning to the hospital.

Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, McKown and Romine welcome customers of all levels. "Don't be scared to try something new," Romine encourages. If something's not growing right, they encourage planters to go to the store to talk to them. By seeing your issue, they will better be able to help you with a solution, sometimes even demonstrating for you the proper technique.

With increasing demand and ever-growing support, Fairview Nursery hopes to expand its seasonal offerings in the future — especially in the fall and winter months for appropriate seasonal foliage. But like so many small, locally owned businesses, that dream depends on continued community support.

For now, the yellow bug remains parked out front, a beacon of spring for miles around. And behind it, in the greenhouses where seeds take root, and kids laugh among the rows of tomatoes and towers of potting soil, Fairview Nursery continues to grow — one hand-planted seed at a time.