By LOIS KINDLE
Council Growers Sod has officially opened its new retail nursery at 3226 24th St. SE, Ruskin. Whether you’re starting a major project or simply hoping to freshen things up in your yard or garden, the nursery is ready to help you get growing.
You’ll find colorful annuals and perennials; landscape plants; fruit trees and herbs; vegetable starts; milkweed and other butterfly attractors; ground covers; shrubs; succulents and other easy-care plants; plus shade trees, palms, crepe myrtles, magnolias and more.
Amber and Travis Council talked about having a plant nursery in the early 1990s, when the Council family was still in the citrus business. In 1997, Travis and his dad, Pat, decided to diversify and start growing sod. By the mid 2000s canker and greening had killed the citrus industry, and Travis went into sod farming full time.
Becky Council is seen here with an easy-to-care-for gro-bag garden, containing a variety of plants. The nursery will host a fun workshop on making them, Saturday, Feb. 28, from 10 to 11 a.m. Space is limited. RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/plant-a-gro-bag-gardening-workshop-tickets-1980878477851?aff=ebdssbdestsearch/.
You’ll also find mulch, garden soil, a potting soil blend and sod by the piece. There’s a wide assortment of pottery and clay chiminea to elevate your outdoor spaces.
Business hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
What makes this nursery different is its intentionality. The Councils have a native-first approach, choosing plants that thrive in Florida’s climate, support local wildlife and improve soil retention. Every plant and tree in the inventory is hand selected for its value to homeowners and small trades. And with offerings ranging from citrus to herbs, the nursery’s wide selection of edibles and fruit trees makes growing a personal food source more accessible.
“We’re carrying a little bit of many things rather than a lot of any one thing,” said Amber Council, who co-owns the sod farm and plant nursery with her husband, Travis. “We’ll be evolving as we see what our customers want. And if an item’s not in stock, we’ll source and find it.”
The family-owned and -operated nursery is managed by Ida VanDamme, with the assistance of Becky Council, Amber and Travis Council’s daughter.
VanDamme earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida in plant science in 2018 and has five years of experience managing an organic vegetable farm in Parrish. She also did a short stint at the University of Florida IFAS Extension Service in Manatee County before Amber Council approached her about the nursery center job.
LOIS KINDLE PHOTOs
Council Sod Farm’s newly opened plant nursery is managed by Ida VanDamme, left, with the assistance of Becky Council, daughter of owners Amber and Travis Council.
Becky Council, a fifth-generation family member to be involved in agriculture, earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communication and is a 2025 graduate of Abraham Baldwin Agriculture College in Tipton, Ga.
Both women are excited to be involved in the start-up venture and help lead the farm’s latest diversification.
The nursery will host a fun Plant-a-Gro-Bag Gardening Workshop, Saturday, Feb. 28, from 10 to 11 a.m. You’re invited to come get your hands dirty and learn how to start a 7-gallon-gro-bag garden of your choice of three herbs, veggies and/or flowers. All materials are included. The in-person workshop is perfect for beginners and those working with small spaces. Class size is limited to 10, so RSVP now at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/plant-a-gro-bag-gardening-workshop-tickets-1980878477851?aff=ebdssbdestsearch/. The cost is $24.92 per person.