 In 1895 my grandfather, Thomas E. Cashman bought 5 acres and started growing nursery stock near Owatonna, MN. He had been selling trees and shrubs for another nursery since the early 1890's. In those days, the "tree sellers" would travel door-to-door and farm-to-farm in a horse and buggy, as the automobile was yet to be invented.
By the early 1920's his nursery operation included over 1,800 acres and over 200 salesmen and were covering 8 states from Michigan to Montana and Colorado. Cashman Nursery at Owatonna grew to be the largest nursery north of St. Louis, Missouri, growing over a million apple trees a year, not to mention millions of other trees and shrubs.
My father Thomas E. Cashman, Jr. (Eugene) started his own nursery business in 1941 at Fergus Falls, MN and Minot, ND. Gene had 90 salesmen convassing Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Montana. In the Late 40's and 50's, he flew "house to house" in Piper Cub airplanes selling windbreaks and shelter belts to farmers and ranchers. Evergreens and trees were shipped by the millions each year, to provide wind protection and habitat for animals. To this day, I am still told stories of how my father would land in cut wheat fields or on gravel roads by numerous customers from years ago.
In the early 1960's, the 3rd generation of Cashman's entered into the nursery business. My older brother Tim Cashman operates Cashman Nursery in Minot, ND and my younger brother Jerry Cashman owns and operates Cashman Nursery in Bozeman, MT. I started in the nursery business in 1964 and built our present garden center location in Bismarck in 1975. We service residential home sites, commercial businesses and rural windbreak and habitat plantings.
 T. Casey Cashman heads the fourth generation of Cashman's continuing this nursery work. We are now in its 111th year! Casey is the operational manager of Cashman's landscape design department and oversees our landscape foremen and installation crews and our sprinkling and irrigation branch of the nursery.
In Bismarck we offer a full line of hardy northern-grown nursery stock. We propagate and grow most of our annuals and perennials in our own greenhouses. We also grow arborvitae, junipers, spruce and pine, and most of our ornamental shrubs and hardy roses in containers in 1, 2, and 5-gallon pots. In 1994 we started growing ornamental and shade trees on our Pot-in-a-Pot growing range. Here we have over 3,000 highest quality trees growing from 1" to 6" caliper in 10 gallon through 50-gallon containers. Since this stock is held at least 2 years there is no "bad time" for transplanting, as there is no root loss when you remove the container. As they are grown Pot-in-a-Pot in the ground, we never have to dig them. We just lift the top pot with the tree growing in the pot, so they can be transplanted any time from April through November.
All of our nursery stock is inspected and cared for daily by our highly trained professionals, and watered and fertilized automatically so we can furnish the highest quality hardy trees and shrubs. By eliminating the middleman or grower we can supply to you, our customers, the best plants at the lowest price.
In the fall we have thousands of top quality bulbs for planting and beautiful spruce tops for your planters to get that touch of winter green!
 Landscape design Department Our landscape designers can save you money by helping you get the right plants in the right place. Plant for good the first time! Call us and our experienced knowledgeable staff can meet you at your home or business for an on site meeting to know your needs. Sometimes there is a fee for the design depending on the scope of the project, but this is always waived with your order.
 Planting Crews We employ seasonally over 100 men and women who plant and install our orders from early spring through November. We supply and furnish top grade loamy topsoil and can fine grade and seed or sod your yard too. Our irrigation department designs and installs RainBird and Hunter irrigation systems. We blow out irrigation systems for our customers in the fall to prevent winter damage to the systems. We carry a full line of RainBird and Hunter parts if you want to repair or install your own irrigation system. Our knowledgeable staff can guide you through the job.
From Thanksgiving until Christmas visit us for the finest Christmas trees anywhere. We carry premium Alpine Fir, Balsam Fir, Douglas Fir, Fraser Fir, Scotch and White Pine. Our flocking department can flock your tree in any color, although we will have a large quantity of premium-flocked trees ready for your selection. Our wreaths and roping is hand-made and of the highest quality. Choose from Balsam Fir, White Pine and Cedar. We can deliver and set up your tree and wreaths also! Cashman's has a huge selection of Christmas plants also in late November and December. Choose from beautiful hybrid poinsettias, and cyclamen in many colors and many other varieties. We also have fresh holly and mistletoe.
We would be happy to give tours of our nursery operation to groups in elementary school or older. Call us ahead of time for a date that is available.
If you have had a baby in the last 12 months and haven't received a free tree for your newborn, bring your baby to us to receive his or her free tree!
Remember - the two best times to plant a tree was 20 years ago and today! Please think of us when its time to plant. It would be our honor to be of service to you!
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