Beloved garden center in the midst of Loudoun development

Tom DeBaggio was not originally a gardener. A journalist at the Arlington News in 1975, DeBaggio grew increasingly concerned, as the newspaper struggled to meet payroll. He decided to grow some plants in the backyard to make sure his family had food to eat. When he discovered that he grew more than the family could consume, he started selling the extra plants (25¢ per tomato plant) and DeBaggio’s was born.

Eventually he expanded his operation until a single greenhouse filled the Arlington back yard. So in 1997 the family bought land WAY out in “unsettled” Loudoun County. Over the next 20 years, housing boomed, until today, the family farm is a kind of oasis, surrounded by housing developments on all sides.

DeBaggio passed away in 2011 but had continued his writing as long as he could, chronicling his life and the Alzheimer’s disease with which he struggled. Today Tom’s son, Francesco, continues the operation, maintaining the high quality herbs, vegetables, annuals, and perennials—all planted as seeds right on the premises. Many are varieties that Tom had developed himself, like the popular Rosemary Hill Hardy. Additionally there are larger plants and trees to round out their offerings.

A comprehensive catalog, providing a treasure of information and gardening tips on the myriad varieties of herbs and other plants available at DeBaggio’s is produced each year to reach their regulars. DeBaggio’s is open 7 days a week, three months only, through July 1. As Francesco says, “We jam 12 months of work into three months.”

His customers/fans plan their visits accordingly. As herb enthusiast Julie Snee remarks, “DeBaggio’s is the best! Every winter I check their website compulsively to find out when they open so I can buy all my herb plants for the year. They always have a great selection and some of the plants I bought from them years ago are still flourishing today.”