Where Nature Blooms: The Blackcreek Nursery Story
The Story of Blackcreek Nursery & Garden
Welcome to Blackcreek Nursery & Garden — a locally owned and family-operated business nestled in the heart of Southeast Georgia, just 35 miles from the coast. What began as a personal passion for all things DIY and garden-inspired has blossomed into a full-fledged business built around our love of nature, community, and plants.
I’m Debbie Odom, and I’ve been a professional grower since 1991. But truthfully, my gardening journey began much earlier — as soon as I was old enough to dig in the dirt. My grandmother was the original DIYer in our family. She loved God, her family, and making things with her hands. She passed down her talents and passions for cooking, sewing, and gardening to me, and it was that inheritance that planted the seed of what would one day become Blackcreek Nursery.
From Camellias to a Community Nursery
Our nursery’s story began on my family’s homeplace in Bulloch County in the mid-1990s, originally serving as the growing site for Gene’s Nursery in Savannah, known for its
exceptional camellias. For over 30 years, we cultivated camellias and tea plants, shipping thousands across the country through our online business, CamelliaShop.com, and supporting growers and tea farms nationwide.
In 2012, a section of our growing grounds was transformed into our now-beloved Blackcreek Tea Garden — a quiet evolution that reflected our long-standing passion for tea plants and education.
Reinvention During a Time of Uncertainty
Even before the pandemic, the winds of change were stirring. My daughter Lindsey and I explored ways to combine our DIY creativity with our love for growing. Then came 2020 — and with it, uncertainty, closures, and tough decisions. When Gene’s Nursery was forced to close temporarily due to COVID restrictions, we faced a pivotal moment.
Out of the chaos, a vision took root: to transform our growing operation into a local retail nursery that would serve our own Bulloch County community. We decided not to wait — and instead of opening in 2022 as planned, we fast-tracked everything and launched Blackcreek Nursery in March 2021. Yes — we built a business in the middle of a pandemic!
Our motto became: “Keep Going ~ Keep Growing.” And we meant it.
From installing electric, water lines, shade houses, and rock paths to fighting through plant shortages and wild weather, we turned our wholesale nursery into a retail space in just six months. We couldn’t have done it without the steady hands and heart of my husband Ben — our behind-the-scenes builder, fixer, and dream-bringer-to-life for over 40 years.
What We Grow
Today, Blackcreek Nursery specializes in Camellias (including tea plants), perennials, edibles, and select ornamental shrubs and trees. We grow many of our own plants, offering customers the benefit of our firsthand growing knowledge. We also work to preserve heirloom and hard-to-find varieties — classic garden plants that often get lost in today’s sea of high-priced, branded hybrids.
As growers, we’re always on the lookout for those overlooked gems — tried-and-true garden favorites from the past that still deserve a place in today’s landscapes. When we find them, we bring them back to life and into our gardens.
In 2022, after more than three decades of partnership, Gene’s Nursery officially closed. We are deeply grateful for the many memories, friendships, and shared history.
Blackcreek Garden Market
Our retail space includes the Garden Market — our take on the perfect garden “She Shed.” Here, we stock handcrafted bath and body products, candles, herbs and specialty teas, garden-inspired gifts, apparel, and gardening supplies. It’s a cozy space where our creativity meets the needs of fellow plant lovers and nature enthusiasts.
Blackcreek Herbals
Our lifelong interest in herbs — and their ability to support wellness in body, mind, and spirit — has led us to create Blackcreek Herbals, a botanical-themed, nature-inspired collection of offerings. We’ve carefully curated a unique selection of herbs and specialty teas, alongside other natural wellness items that reflect our passion for plants and their healing properties.
We’re also offer hands-on classes to help you explore the many ways herbs can enrich your daily life — from crafting your own teas to creating herbal remedies and garden-based self-care.
The Blackcreek Tea Garden
For over 30 years, we’ve been growing Camellia sinensis, the plant behind all true teas — green, black, oolong, and more. Georgia’s climate is ideal for tea, and we’ve even developed our own cultivars. While we could harvest and produce tea as a commercial crop, our real passion is education.
Our mini tea farm-garden is now complete, and we’re excited to continue offering tea growing and processing classes — sharing what we’ve learned and inspiring others to grow their own.
Come Visit Us
Whether you're looking for plants, teas, soaps, herbs, or inspiration, we invite you to come see what we’ve grown. From our family to yours, thank you for supporting Blackcreek Nursery & Garden Market. We hope to keep growing with you for many years to come.