SynRG® is the founding organization behind the Handpicked for You® program.
SynRG’s mission is to accomplish more together than we could individually.
SynRG® is owned by five charter growers - Overdevest Nurseries LP, Prides Corner Farms Inc., Saunders Brothers Inc., Sheridan Nurseries Ltd and Willoway Nurseries Inc.
These growers collaborate with plant breeders from around the world and independent garden center retailers in the United States and Canada to test and evaluate new plants, with the goal of awarding only the best tested and most trusted new plants the Handpicked for You® trustmark. This is not a new branding program, but rather a certification program that buyers can depend on. The Handpicked for You® trustmark helps consumers make good choices while providing reassurance that each item identified with the trustmark has been rigorously tested and locally scrutinized, only making the final cut when the plant variety has proven its performance.
To this end, SynRG’s core values are education, collaboration, innovation, transparency, community, and sustainability. These core values drive the collaborative process to find, trial, and certify the best new plants as Handpicked for You® certified.
In addition, SynRG, LLC handles plant marketing, management, and royalty collection for select plants.
Overdevest Nurseries, LP is an independent grower in Bridgeton, New Jersey. This family farm grows over 2000 varieties of shrubs, trees, vines and perennials.
The nursery was founded in 1952 by John and Jean Overdevest. What started out as an immigrant’s dream soon developed into a highly regarded nursery specializing in Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Dogwoods, and Japanese Maples.
Today, Overdevest Nurseries has a much more diversified product line and sells to local garden centers within a 300 mile radius of Bridgeton, NJ.
Prides Corner Farms is a family owned regional grower in Lebanon, CT. They grow over 2200 varieties of trees, shrubs, perennials, groundcovers, grasses, roses, fruits, vegetables and herbs on 350+ acres. Prides Corner Farms also maintains a 5-acre arboretum, featuring 18 theme gardens that shows off the plants in their natural state.
The nursery was founded in 1979 by Peter Sellew with 50 acres, a handful of greenhouses and little else besides the dream of producing shrubs for local garden centers.
Today, Prides Corner Farms serves independent garden centers and landscape customers in the northeast quadrant of the country, from Maine to Virginia and west through Ohio.
Saunders Brothers is a wholesale nursery, orchard and farm market located in Piney River, Virginia. They grow over 1,200 different varieties of annuals, perennials, boxwood, flowering and woody shrubs, and roses along with over 50 varieties of fresh fruit including peaches, apples, nectarines, and pears.
The business was founded in 1915 when 5 brothers formed a partnership. Today four 3rd generation brothers, along with their father Paul continue the family tradition and operate the wholesale nursery, orchard and farm market.
Saunders Brothers sells to independent garden centers, re-wholesalers, and landscapers from the Mid Atlantic to New England.
Sheridan Nurseries is Canada’s largest grower of hardy nursery stock. It was founded in 1913 and is currently located on 900 acres northwest of Toronto Ontario. Each year, they produce over 1.8 million container plants, both nursery stock and perennials, for markets across northeastern North America. Innovative growing practices with the environment in mind are key to their success. Sheridan Nurseries were recipients of the International Association of Horticultural Producers’ International Grower of the Year Award in 2012 and 2013. Sheridan Nurseries’ industry introductions include Green Gem, Green Mountain and Green Velvet Boxwood, Ivory Silk Lilac Tree, Mountbatten Juniper, Glenleven Linden, DeGroot's Spire Cedar and many more.
Sheridan Nurseries also operates 8 garden centres in the Greater Toronto Area.
Willoway Nurseries is an independent grower located in Avon, Ohio. They produce over 2,000 varieties of trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and tropical and have approximately 550 acres of field production and 450 acres of container stock, including 32 acres of greenhouses.
The nursery was founded in 1954 by 18-year-old Les Demaline who developed a 2500 sq. ft. greenhouse where they grew geraniums and annuals, forced potted tulips and hyacinths for Easter and grew a cut-flower crop of snap dragons
Today, Willoway Nurseries also operates three wholesale distribution centers and ships product from Wyoming to Maine and from Minnesota to Arkansas.
