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Inside City Farmers Nursery’s 52-Year Legacy in City Heights

The second-generation owners share how their family built San Diego’s most eclectic plant sanctuary

By Jackie Bryant September 25, 2025

Inside City Farmers Nursery’s 52-Year Legacy in City Heights — Courtesy of City Farmers Nursery

NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDES Know the Neighborhood Where to eat, where to drink, and what it's like to live there. EXPLORE THE GUIDES

On this week’s Happy Half Hour with hosts Troy Johnson and Jackie Bryant, we’re joined by siblings Sam Tall and Rebecca Tall-Brown, the second-generation owners of City Farmers Nursery in City Heights. They talk about their family’s 52-year journey turning discarded plants and reclaimed materials into a thriving nursery, the importance of biodiversity and community support, and how Nate’s Garden Grill—operated on site by a family friend and lessee—has grown into one of the city’s most beloved live-music-and-food hangouts.

In “Get Some,” we shout out local favorites including Sang Dao for Laotian papaya salad and tom kha soup, Pho Hoa for classic beef pho and plum soda, The Daily Grind for family-friendly breakfasts in Rolando, and The Flying Pig in Oceanside for modern bistro cooking with Southern details.

About Jackie Bryant

Jackie is a long-time freelance journalist covering cannabis, food/restaurants, travel, labor, wine, spirits, arts & culture, design, and other topics. Her work has been selected twice for Best American Travel Writing, and she has won a variety of national and local awards for her writing and reporting.

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