In the spring of 1930, Glen E. Handy planted his first nursery crop, a handful of rose
cuttings that would be worth a whopping 13 cents when harvested. Since those humble
beginnings, Handy Nursery Company has continued with the love of growing plants and
providing quality products.
Upon returning from serving his country in the South Pacific with the U.S. Army Air
Corps, now Master Sergeant Handy returned to continue his pursuits in the rose growing
business. Following a devastating freeze in 1955 that killed almost the entire crop, the
decision was made to look for other product lines that could be grown with less weather-
related risk.
In the early days of the nursery industry, an outlying area near the Columbia River
northeast of Portland was prime growing ground and the nexus of several major nurseries
still in the industry today. One such location on N.E. Sandy Boulevard, just inside the
city limits of Portland, became the home for Handy Nursery’s new endeavors to become
a provider of bare root shade, fruit, and flowering trees.
In 1957, a relationship was established with tree enthusiast and industry leader Edward
H. Scanlon of Olmstead Falls, Ohio. Mr. Scanlon was one of the founders of the
International Plant Propagators Society and known for his involvement with publications
and organizations regarding urban tree programs.
While not a grower himself, Mr. Scanlon recognized the advantages of the rich
Willamette valley soil and the ideal Oregon climate. Scanlon and Handy entered a
reciprocal business arrangement that would last for over 30 years. With numerous plant
patents and the establishment of the trademarked “Scanlon Tailored Tree” line, Handy
Nursery was fortunate to be involved with the release of a multitude of new shade and
flowering trees that rapidly gained popularity in the street tree market throughout the U.S.
One of the most valuable legacies of this association is a desire to provide the customer
with new and interesting introductions. This tradition became a central fabric in the
product lines that developed in later years and continues today.
Expansions to multiple farms, both purchased and leased, construction of a new office, a
shipping and cold storage facility as well as further enlargement of the product lines all
followed in these years. Daughter Glenda and son Mark Handy became involved in the
business in the 60s and Gary in 1979. In 1980, Glenda left the company to pursue a
career in accounting. Upon the passing of the patriarch of the business in 1993 at the age
of 77, Mark and Gary dissolved the partnership in 1995. Mark, for a time until his
retirement, kept active in the trade with a smaller scale growing operation servicing
several mail order entities.
Gary continues the Handy Nursery name under sole proprietorship on a 14-acre farm in a
farm community replete with nurseries in the Boring area. Even though the nursery is a
smaller scale operation than in earlier years, the love of plants and the continued
development of new introductions to the trade have never ceased.
Today, the product line has moved away from much of the bare root tree production with
a few exceptions. Specialty plants of varying genres are mostly provided in containers
along with some limited ball and burlap offerings. The focus in recent years involves
contract growing of various sizes and types, along with efforts to provide growers, garden
centers and mail order companies with smaller one-gallon plants.
Introductions Gary Handy / Handy Nursery
Acer saccharum ‘Shawn’s Pillar’
Acer saccharum ‘Wendy’s Winner’ (discontinued)
Acer palmatum ‘Elena’s Coral Dawn’
Acer palmatum ‘Glen Eugene Handy’
Acer palmatum ‘Tangerine Sunup’
Aesculus hippocastanum ‘Lunar Patches’
Chionanthus retusus ‘Glenda’
Cornus alternifolia ‘Janine’
Cornus kousa ‘China Curl’
Cornus kousa ‘Elena’s Primrose Cloak’ (discontinued)
Cornus kousa chinensis ‘Aiden’s Mint Frost’
Cornus kousa chinensis ‘Autumn Rose’ - Glenda Schmoyer (sister)
Cornus kousa chinensis ‘Baby Splash’ (discontinued)
Cornus kousa chinensis ‘Citadel’ (discontinued)
Cornus kousa chinensis ‘China Curl’
Cornus kousa chinensis ‘Daniel Scott Paul’ (discontinued)
Cornus kousa chinensis ‘Happenstance’ – (discontinued)
Cornus kousa chinensis ‘Kaleidoscope’
Cornus kousa chinensis ‘Picturesque’
Cornus kousa chinensis ‘Radiant Rose’
Cornus kousa chinensis ‘Silver Splash aka Blushing Bride’ (discontinued)
Cornus kousa chinensis ‘Snow Tower’
Cornus kousa chinensis ‘Splendiferous’
Cornus kousa chinensis ‘Sun Splash’
Cornus kousa chinensis ‘Thunder Leaf’ (discontinued)
Cornus kousa chinensis ‘Trinity Star’
Disanthus cercidifolius ‘Edna Mae’
Disanthus cercidifolius ‘Un-named Variegated’ – under trial
Fagus sylvatica ‘Tyler’
Fagus sylvatica ‘Atlas’ – (still evaluating)
Fothergilla intermedia ‘Blue Shadow’
Ginkgo biloba ‘Mighty Munchkin’
Ginkgo biloba ‘Munchkin’
Ginkgo biloba ‘Munchkinot’
Ginkgo biloba ‘Pastel Protégé’
Ginkgo biloba ‘Sunstream’
Halesia carolina ‘Tyler’s Variegated’
Pinus longaeva ‘Bristle Ball’
Parrotia persica ‘Persian Spire’ (not to be confused w patented JLPN form of same name)
Stewartia rostrata ‘Liam’s Symmetriform’
Stewartia rostrata ‘Gold Spring’
Styrax japonica ‘Emerald Meadow’
Styrax japonica ‘Ryan’s Weeping’
Tilia cordata ‘Debra’s Delight’
Introductions named or first released to the trade by Gary Handy - originating from
other sources.
** Named by Gary Handy
Acer circinatum ‘Casandra - Barrett Landscape & Design Inc.- Cassandra Barrett
Acer circinatum ‘Elias’ Pacific Waterfall’ ** - Collector’s Nursery
Acer circinatum 'Falling Stars’ - Jaycee Newman Inc. - Jaycee Newman
Acer circinatum ‘J.A.G.’ - Alvin Gunderman
Acer circinatum ‘Pacific Fire’ ** - T.H. Belcher & Sons - Wayne Belcher
Acer circinatum ‘Pacific Sprite’ ** - T.H. Belcher & Sons - Wayne Belcher
Acer palmatum ‘Easy Being Green’ - Jaycee Newman Inc. - Rob Sloan
Acer griseum ‘Rayann’s Dwarf’ - Rick Carlson (still under trial)
Acer platanoides ‘Lilliputian’ ** - Collector’s Nursery
Acer platanoides ‘Plum DenCity’ ** (formerly ‘Purple Globe’) Femrite Nursery
Acer pseudoplatanus ‘Patchwork’ - Terra Nova Nurseries – Dan Heims
Alnus rubra ‘Contorta’ - Hansen Family Farms - Bob Hansen (discontinued)
Alnus rubra ‘Micah’s Dwarf’ - Hansen Family Farms – Bob Hansen
Alnus rubra’ Northern Lights’ - Richard North
Cornus alternifolia ‘Lemon Edge’ ** - Richard North
Cornus florida Lathie - Powell Valley Nursery - Dan Belcher
Cornus kousa chinensis ‘Norths Variegated’ - Richard North (discontinued)
Cornus kousa chinensis ‘Summer Snow’ - Peter Costach (still evaluating)
Cornus kousa chinensis ‘Chief’s Late Bloomer’ - Wayne Hussey (still evaluating)
Cornus elliptica ‘Summer Splash’ ** - Fred Hooks
Cornus nuttallii ‘Mr. Clean’ ** - Creative Landscapes Inc. - Nick Erickson
Cornus nuttallii ‘Pink Blush’ ** - Originator Lost – Parkrose OR.
Cornus kousa chin. x florida ‘Gallant Gold’** - Katsura Gardens - John Gallant
Fagus sylvatica Lathie’s Dwarf - Powell Valley Nursery - Dan Belcher
Laburnum watereri ‘Sun Spire’ ** - T.H. Belcher & Sons - Wayne Belcher
Oxydendron arboretum ‘Scarlet Feathers’ ** - Local Origin - Lindstrom
Pyrus salicifolia x calleryana ‘Chanti Frost’ ** - Richard North
Stewartia koreana ‘Lindstrom’s Weeping’ - Local Origin - Lindstrom
Stewartia pseudocamellia ‘Catawampus’ - Cascade Meadows Nursery - Rick Carlson
Stewartia pseudocamellia ‘Snow Screen’ ** - Jaycee Newman Inc. - Jaycee Newman
Stewartia pseudocamellia ‘Speckle’ - Flat Creek Garden Center - Kathy Taggart
Ulmus parviflora ‘DavesStraightUp’ PP 31,914 - Dannaher Landscape - Dave Dannaher
Introductions Glen Handy / Handy Nursery in conjunction with Edward H. Scanlon
and a few others.
After years of collaboration with Edward H. Scanlon, amongst several others, many of
the origins of the plants listed below have been obscured over the years. The list below
represents the most prominent introductions first introduced to the trade into the U.S by
Handy Nursery. The name after the cultivar name is a reference as to the introducer and
not necessarily the originator in all cases.
Amelanchier canadensis ‘Globosa’- Peter Costach
Amelanchier canadensis ‘Pyramidalis’- Peter Costach
Carpinus betula ‘Vienna Weeping’ - Scanlon
Cladrastis sinensis ‘China Rose’ - Scanlon - named by Gary Handy
Cornus florida ‘Green Glow’- Glen Handy
Cornus florida ‘Pink Flame’- Melvin Wills
Acer platanoides ‘Almira’- Scanlon
Acer platanoides ‘Cavalier’- Scanlon
Acer platanoides ‘Cleveland’- Scanlon
Acer platanoides ‘Olmstead Columnar’ - Scanlon
Acer freemanii ‘Armstrong’- Scanlon
Acer rubrum ‘Gerling’ - Scanlon
Acer rubrum ‘Doric’ - Scanlon
Acer rubrum ‘Shade King’ - Scanlon
Acer rubrum ‘Scanlon’ - Scanlon – (incorrectly listed as ‘Bowhall’)
Acer rubrum ‘Tilford’ - Scanlon
Fraxinus ornus ‘Emerald Fragrance’- Scanlon – named by Gary Handy
Fraxinus angustifolia ssp. oxycarpa - ‘Flame’- Scanlon
Fraxinus angustifolia ‘Doctor Pirone’ - Scanlon
Fraxinus excelsior ‘Globosum’- Scanlon
Fraxinus angustifolia ssp. oxycarpa ‘Golden Desert’ - Scanlon
Koelreuteria paniculata ‘September’- Scanlon
Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Variegata’ - Scanlon
Malus baccata ‘Columnaris’ - unknown
Prunus padus ‘Alberti’- Clayton Berg
Prunus padus ‘Berg’ - Clayton Berg
Prunus sargentii ‘Rancho Columnar’- Scanlon
Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’- incorrectly listed as ‘Cleveland’ - Scanlon
Pyrus calleryana ‘Princess’ - Scanlon
Pyrus calleryana ‘Rancho’ - Scanlon
Pyrus calleryana ‘Trinity’- Glen Handy
Sorbus x thuringiaca ‘Fastigiata’
Tilia americana ‘Capital’
Tilia cordata ‘Salem’
Tilia cordata ‘Rancho’ - Scanlon