Needham's Hillcrest Gardens To Close After Nearly 40 Years

NEEDHAM, MA — A Needham Center staple will close its doors for good at the end of the month. Hillcrest Gardens, located at 888 Great Plain Ave., announced it will close and its owners will retire on Sept. 28 — the nursery has been in business for nearly 40 years.

Nursery owner Joe Quinnan left a message for customers on the business Facebook page and website, announcing the closure. Quinnan said he plans to retire, and he and his partner Rob plan to pursue "new adventures later this year."

"After all these years, working with plants and people is still hugely fulfilling. As time moves on, the spirit is still willing, but the body becomes less compliant. It’s a good time to retire," the message reads.

Quinnan opened the nursery in 1983 in Needham Center after receiving his degree in horticulture from California Polytechnic State University. Over the nearly 40 years the business was open, it remained a small, family-run nursery.

The nursery not only offered flowers, shrubbery and trees but on-site services such as design and landscaping.

"I am truly blessed to have spent my life doing the work I love in the town I love. This is an amazing community filled with the very best people," the message reads.