Like every other Local 5-represented grocery store, United Market in San Rafael carries a full line of fresh produce, from fruits and vegetables to herbs and cut flowers. But with respect to food that grows in the ground, that’s where the similarity ends.

At United Market’s full-service nursery and garden center, customers can buy seeds, seedlings, citrus trees and all the supplies necessary to grow their own produce and while they’re at it, stock up on trees, shrubs and flowers to make their yards beautiful while awaiting their harvest.

Local 5 member Karen Romanko has managed the nursery since 2014. With some previous experience in the business and what she describes as a “passion” for gardening, she has a great deal of autonomy to design and run a facility that has been in operation for more than forty years.

“I have fond memories of gardening with my father as a young girl and have loved it ever since,” says Karen. “Many of our customers are long-time regulars and I enjoy advising and assisting them. I do a lot of reading and research to build and enhance my knowledge of the trade and I enjoy passing it on.”

The only unionized nursery in the Bay Area carries a wide variety of products including an assortment of succulents, native plants and flower varieties that are difficult to find at box stores or other garden centers. Vegetable six-packs and a year-round selection of lettuces are among the most popular products along with an impressive range of annuals and perennials, according to Karen.

United Nursery is located at 515 3^rd Street in San Rafael.