For plant lovers, browsing a new nursery is as thrilling as going on a first date with a crush.

If only there were a Tinder for garden centers...

While you can’t swipe right on potential nursery matches, you can scroll through our compendium of excellent independently-owned nurseries in Southern California.

When I started my hunt for the best local nurseries, I worried that the small ones were becoming dinosaurs, giving way to the pressure from big box chains, where admittedly prices are often cheaper but the selection is less varied and more cookie-cutter. And the vibe is definitely less personal.

It can also get intense for these mom-and-pop nurseries. Just this winter, Jo Anne and Alex Trigo, the owners of Two Dog Organic Nursery, voted Los Angeles Magazine’s top organic nursery in 2020, announced they were quitting, at least for a year, after running themselves ragged operating a busy nursery and growing center out of their Mid-Wilshire home for nearly 13 years.

Jo Anne said they had been living with grow lights and flats of seed trays in the bedroom and atop kitchen counters and the dining room table for more than a decade, working 12-hour shifts every day, planting seeds, filling customer orders and maintaining inventory. She hadn’t been able to sit on her patio since they converted their backyard to shelves and tables for plants and other merchandise. They hadn’t even taken a real vacation in a dozen years.

Since the nursery has been her lifeblood for so long, Jo Anne said she didn’t know if she could give it up entirely, but on the other hand, she and her husband craved some time off to travel, relax and reenergize. “I’d like to see what it’s like to just sit and enjoy my patio, with a drink and a book,” she said.

In other words, these small businesses are a tough gig, in need of our support. So I offer this list as a beginning, in honor of the hardworking, independent, often family-owned garden centers, but with a proviso that it’s not all-inclusive.

I was surprised, delighted and a bit overwhelmed to discover there are far more independent nurseries in Southern California than I initially realized, so if I’ve missed your favorite please send an email to jeanette.marantos@latimes.com.