5 Questions and A Secret: Yaquina Nursery’s Chris and Renee Taylor Valentin

By CHERYL ROMANO/YachatsNews

When the Yaquina Nursery was up for sale in 2021, a friend told Chris Valentin, “Hey, you and Renee should buy this.”

So they did.

The Eugene couple (she goes by Renee Taylor Valentin) had long wished for a future on the Oregon coast, but at no time did the business of selling the specialty nursery’s cacti and succulents enter their plans. Chris, 49, was a water mechanic for a utility firm; Renee, 43, was assistant director for physical education at the University of Oregon. They had also run a café and catering business and a yoga studio.

“We basically rolled the dice,” says Renee, and $600,000 later they were the happy owners of the 31-acre, five-greenhouse property 10 miles up Yachats River Road.

For a while, they tapped the expertise of the former owners, Roy and Geraldine (Gerry) Foss, who had operated the well-known business since 2006. The Fosses continued to live on the property — Roy until his death in January 2022 and Gerry until she died in February. Her obituary is here.

While the nursery is open to the public (both retail and wholesale customers) Thursdays through Mondays, the Valentins hustle most days of the week to keep the plants and the business thriving. They’re aided by one full-time and two part-time staff, plus two canine consultants.

What’s the best part of running the nursery?

Chris: Working together is the best … and working with plants. They’re a lot easier to work with than humans. We also have a great crew here that’s basically become our family.

Renee: We love the people here — the openness, the willingness to stand up for what they believe in. We want Yaquina Nursery to always be part of the randomly awesome things that make up Yachats.

What’s been the biggest challenge?

Chris: Catching up on maintenance. With the Fosses’ age and health situations, they didn’t have the time or energy to do it. We want to be good stewards of the land and the plants.

 What’s the most common question you hear from customers?

Renee: How often do you water cacti and succulents? It depends; nature doesn’t make indoor plants. I tell them, let the soil become completely dry and stay dry for at least a few days before watering. When you do water, water thoroughly.

What do you do for fun?

Chris: I like to surf, wherever it’s good along the central coast.

Renee: I like yoga and tea parties, and being part of the hula-hooping club that meets in Waldport at the Community Center.

Which are your favorite plants?

Renee: It depends on the day. We have about 175,000 plants total, including those that are germinating and growing, plus about 75,000 for sale in the main greenhouse. The cacti and succulents have so many faces: all of a sudden, a cactus that doesn’t look too appealing will put out the most amazing flowers.

Tell us a secret

Renee: We’re planning to open the property on Saturday afternoons for a mini-farmer’s market. Starting out this summer, maybe, we’d like to have music and artisans on hand, and let people come and have their own picnics. We’ll make an announcement on social media when we’re ready. Meanwhile, we’d like to remind folks that when it’s chilly and rainy on the coast, it’s often balmy and beautiful “up here” on Yachats River Road. Come and soak up the sun.

• Yaquina Nursery, 9724 Yachats River Road, Yachats. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday and by appointment. Phone: 541-265-7934; email: yaquinanursery@gmail.com. Or go to the nursery’s website.