Photos courtesy of Andy’s Creekside Nursery.
Andy’s Creekside Nursery on Morgan Drive in Vestavia Hills has grown from a small fruit market opened by Andy Burris in 1997 into a full-service nursery, farm market, gem mine and rock shop.
Travel on Morgan Drive in Vestavia Hills often enough and Andy’s Creekside Nursery starts to feel like a landmark — something that has always been there, something that will always be there. In a sense, that’s true. Andy Burris opened on this same stretch of road in 1997, starting with a small fruit market and a belief that the people of Vestavia Hills would show up for something genuine. Nearly 30 years later, they still do.
What was once a modest fruit stand has grown into one of the Birmingham area’s most complete garden destinations. Andy’s today operates as a full-service nursery, landscape design and installation company, farm market, gem mine and rock shop — all on the same property, all under the same family name. A second location has opened in Hoover. The Vestavia Hills operation alone has earned Nextdoor Neighborhood Favorite honors in both 2023 and 2024, and it carries a 4.8-star rating across more than 100 reviews.
For Burris, Vestavia Hills is not just an address. It’s the reason the business exists in the form it does.
“Vestavia Hills has always been more than just where we’re located. It’s really been the heart of everything we’ve built,” Burris said. “We started off as a small fruit market and have now grown into what we are today because of the people here who have continued to show up for us year after year.”
Customers don’t just stop in at Andy’s; they tend to linger. The property is designed to reward a slow walk: seasonal color changes the inventory throughout the year, and the plant selection is curated specifically for Central Alabama’s climate rather than pulled from a generic regional catalog. For homeowners who have made the mistake of buying something at a big-box store that looked right but wasn’t suited for a Birmingham summer, that distinction matters.
Word-of-mouth loyalty — the kind that leads neighbors on Nextdoor to immediately recommend Andy’s whenever someone asks where to find a plant — doesn’t happen by accident. Burris attributes it to something straightforward: staff who have been around for years and treat every question like it matters.
“We’re a family business, and we really do see our customers as an extension of that,” Burris said. “It’s not rushed, it’s not transactional — it’s personal. When you treat people well and take the time to help them succeed, they remember that and they share it with others.”
The landscape design and installation side of the business extends that trust into something longer term. Andy’s team walks properties with homeowners, listens before drawing a plan and builds landscapes designed to thrive in the Birmingham climate over time — not just look good at installation. It’s a higher bar, and the business has built its reputation on clearing it.
Some of the relationships formed at Andy’s over the years go well beyond transactions. Burris recalls a longtime customer and family friend who spent years building his garden with their help, tending roses he took particular pride in and using that same care in maintaining the garden at his church.
“He shopped with us from the very beginning all the way up until his recent passing,” Burris said. “People like that stay with you. It’s more than just what they bought. It’s the relationship, the conversations and being a small part of something they cared so deeply about.”
The next chapter for Andy’s is already taking shape on the same Morgan Drive property. A farmers market is being added to bring fresh produce and local goods alongside the plants and landscaping services. The gem mine and rock shop round out a vision Burris has been building toward: a genuine destination where families spend a morning, not just ten minutes.
“We’ve had the privilege of growing alongside this community,” Burris said, “and that kind of support is something we don’t take lightly.”
For Vestavia Voice readers who have driven past the sign on Morgan Drive without stopping, Burris has a simple invitation: walk the property. See what’s in season. Ask a question. Thirty years of community investment is a hard thing to find on a shelf at a big-box store.
Andy’s Creekside Nursery is located at 3351 Morgan Drive, Vestavia Hills. Call 205-824-0233 or visit andysgardencenter.com.
