Our Story

Green Fields Nursery was founded in 1923 as a small-scale grower of unique plants in the Mount Washington neighborhood. August Dubbert, the founder, generously shared his plant cuttings and expertise with neighbors and friends. In the early 1940’s, land became available at the corner of Falls Road and Northern Parkway. Mr. Dubbert purchased this prime piece of land from the city and established Dubbert’s Green Fields Nursery as a retail florist and plant nursery. The business grew and developed a reputation for unique plant stock. In fact, August Dubbert popularized Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’, a cultivar originally deemed not hardy in the area.

The nursery was later passed on to his knowledgeable son, Louis Dubbert. Under Lou’s guidance, Green Fields continued to thrive and launched a successful residential and commercial landscape business. Lou’s particular expertise was growing and hybridizing daylilies for sale at the nursery. In 1986, Green Fields was purchased by Jim McElroy and his father-in-law, Jerry Dobbyn, which sparked a period of immense growth and change. Jim became the sole proprietor in 1995, and together with his family, shaped Green Fields into the successful business it is today.

Our general manager, Peter Bieneman, joined Green Fields in 1988 while still a student at Loyola University. His profound knowledge and enthusiasm for plants were quickly recognized, and in 2001, he earned a Master of Landscape Architecture from Morgan State University. Pete handles all the purchasing for our trees, shrubs, soils, and fertilizers, while overseeing all the day to day operations of the nursery. Nursery Manager, Designer, and Horticulture Specialist John Russell joined the team in 2002. In addition to caring for our trees and shrubs, John does the purchasing for our indoor plants.

In 2005, major renovations added two large showrooms, enabling year-round retail operations. Today, Green Fields Nursery remains a full-service retail garden center and landscaping company, committed to providing exceptional service and a diverse selection of unique plants to its customers.