Who does not love the Waldo’s Nursery sign on Lorain Road? Fun fact: It’s the oldest continuously running neon sign in North Olmsted!
Lottie and Walter Waldo started their nursery by selling topsoil and flats in their front yard along Lorain Road in the very same location that Waldo’s Nursery has now stood for 65 years. How many local small businesses can claim such longevity and loyalty to their location?
Today, two of their grandchildren, brother and sister Brian and Erica, are the proprietors of Waldo’s after a lifetime of working alongside their grandparents, at “the school of Lottie.” Lottie made sure they learned everything from the ground up, starting with pulling weeds when they were small.
Neither grandchild has ever had another job. They told Lottie they would go to school to learn the business. Erica got horticulture and business degrees, Brian got business and marketing degrees, to be ready to run Waldo’s when Lottie (recently) retired after 60 years.
From dirt roads, mom and pop businesses up and down Lorain, and farms – to modern day North Olmsted, Waldo’s is environmentally conscious and tuned into today’s customer. They strive to give each customer that personal touch, and carry hand-picked, best quality/more unusual plants, trees and shrubs in answer to the big box stores’ limited varieties and lack of ongoing customer service. They emphasize organic gardening practices and products and sell non-GMO seeds.
Great green idea: Their Pot Program! If you purchase a plant with a leaf painted on the pot, you can return that pot to Waldo’s for a $5 credit toward your next purchase!
Also visit Waldo’s for florist needs, birdseed, Halloween pumpkins, a visit with Santa and your Christmas tree! They offer bulk soil and mulch, and bring corn and watermelon in for summer holiday shoppers.
Active in our community, they sponsor a baseball team, Brian coaches football, and Erica is busy with preschool parent activities.
If you stop by on a weekend, you can observe the fourth generation of Waldo’s workers busy weeding and selling lemonade at the family business!
Waldo’s Nursery, 23460 Lorain Road, North Olmsted, Ohio
440-777-0644
Check out their Facebook Page!
CITY of NORTH OLMSTED
5200 Dover Center Road
North Olmsted, OH 44070
City Hall Hours | Weekdays 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM