New Owner Brings Ideas, Plans to Sunnycrest

Don Tjossem, KP News

In November, Debbie Cassidy took charge of Sunnycrest Nursery. Photo: Don Tjossem, KP News

Debbie Cassidy fulfilled a lifelong dream when she recently purchased Sunnycrest Nursery from Dale and Claudia Loy. Sunnycrest has been in business for 35 years and has served as the unofficial information center and ticket outlet for organizations on the Key for much of that time.

When asked if there would be noticeable changes, Cassidy indicated, “The first change will be new paint, inside and out. I do have some changes in mind, but they will take place slowly and I will certainly be listening to customer input and requests.”

Cassidy hopes to add a fully operating greenhouse. She also plans to expand the selection of native plants and add new garden décor items.

When asked if there would be any personnel changes at Sunnycrest Nursery, Cassidy replied, “All employees will be retained, other than for the normal seasonal variations that have always occurred in the past.” In fact, Dale and Claudia Loy will be there for a few months to assist with the transitional phase and to share their experiences with her.

Cassidy’s interest and expertise in Northwest gardening is perhaps best seen in her YouTube series, “Garden Style NW.” These high-quality videos already have more than 2,000 subscribers watching. Geared to beginning gardeners, the weekly videos with floral and gardening topics recently featured a tour of the Sunnycrest facilities, posted on Nov. 5.

After living in Poulsbo for 25 years, Cassidy moved to the Key Peninsula three years ago. Her daughter and two grandsons make their home in California.

The daughter of a career U.S. Air Force officer, she was born in Great Falls, Montana, and attended 13 different schools before it was time for college. When her father asked her what she wanted to major in, she said, “Anything to do with plants.” She found that the horticulture program at Western Washington University filled the bill, and she completed her bachelor of arts degree with a specialty in landscape design.

Following graduation, she worked in many retail settings, including Home Depot, Ashly Furniture and Pier 1 Imports. She has consulted under the name Garden Style NW and registered the name as an LLC in September of this year.

Said Claudia Loy, as she and Dale prepare for their next, post-Sunnycrest phase, “We wanted to hand the reins over to an owner who will continue to support and nurture and enjoy the community. Debbie is the perfect person to do just that.”

Sunnycrest Nursery is located at 9004B Key Peninsula Highway North in Key Center. The phone number is 253-884-3947. Website: sunnycrestnursery.com