Boone Gardiner is the Louisville area’s oldest nursery/garden center, and among the founders of the industry in Kentucky. The Gardiner family’s history in the gardening business predates their arrival in Maryland from Britain. F. Boone Gardiner and his brother moved to Fairfield, KY and established Gardiner Brothers Nursery. In 1899,Boone purchased Fondavera, now Gardiner Lane, and turned his small nursery business into Boone Gardiner Garden Center.

After Boone’s death in 1927, his widow Martha Gardiner ran the business and cared for the family until her death in 1933. This left her only son Daniel Boone Gardiner, at age 16, responsible for the family (four sisters) and the business. Daniel later moved the nursery to the present intersection of Shelbyville Road and Hurstbourne Lane and expanded the business greatly.