3/18/2009
GrowerTalks 1979
Chris Beytes
Here’s a listing of every business mentioned by GrowerTalks in 1979. Names in the first section we know (or are 99% sure) are still open for business.
Businesses in the second section are those we couldn’t find any details about online. Are they still in business? If not, what happened to them? Why did they close? If you know anything about them, fill us in! And if any are still operating, let us know and we’ll update your status! We certainly don’t want you to be like Mark Twain, with news of your untimely death!
And for those of you who operate or work for one of the still-going businesses, tell us how the last 30 years have treated you and what you hope for the next 30.
Email us at
beytes@growertalks.com
Abele Range, Saginaw, MI (Dave Van Ooteghem)
Aldershott Greenhouse, Burlington, Ont, Canada
B&C Greenhouse, Kalamazoo
Bachman’s, Farmington, MN
Baker, Utica, NY (now owned by Weiss)
Baldwin Wholesale Florist, Loxley, AL
Bayside Garden Center, Milwaukee, WI
Bernhacchi’s, LaPorte, IN
Bettinger Farm and Greenhouses, Swanton, Ohio
Bezdek’s, Marion, Iowa (Steve Anderson)
Bill Papke, North Tonawanda, NY (William Papke Co.)
Catapano Brothers, Hickville, LI
Clesen Brothers, South Elgin, IL
Corso’s, Sandusky, OH
Dahlstrom and Watt Bulb Farm, Smith River, CA
Dallas Johnson
Dave Anderson, Piqua, Oh (Andy’s Garden)
Dean’s Greenhouse, Westlake, OH
DeJong Greenhouses, Pella, IA
Didier, Rockford, IL
Earl Kurtz, CT
Elmira Floral Products, Elmira, NY (rose grower)
Fernlea, Toronto
Fort Scott Greenhouses, Ft. Scott, KS
Great Lake Growers, Oberlin, OH (became Green Circle)
Green Circle Growers
Greiling, Denmark, WI (Now Floral Plant Growers/Natural Beauty)
Haentze Floral, Fon du Lac, WI
Heimos, St. Louis
Hermes Floral Company, St. Paul, MN
Hicks Nursery, Westbury, NY
High Valley Nursery, Roosevelt, Utah (Ed Rowley, columnist)
Homce Greenhouse, Export, PA
J.L. Dillon, Bloomsburg, PA (now Dillon floral)
Jim Leider, Chicago
John Hofland, Mississauga, Ontario (Now Hofland, a floral supply co.)
Kaukauna Floral, Appleton, WI
Kitayama Brothers
Klepac Greenhouses, Blanco, TX
Kube-Pak
Kurt Weiss Florist
Layser’s Flowers, Myerstown, PA
Lee Adams, Westlake, OH (Lee H Adams and Sons Florist)
Lynde’s Greenhouse, Minneapolis
Mahoney’s Rocky Ledge, Winchester, MA
Malmborg’s, Minneapolis
Marvaso Greenhouses, Detroit
Masson, Kansas City (currently for sale)
McAdams Greenhouse, Columbus Grove, OH
McDonald Garden Center, Hampton, VA
McIntosh Greenhouse and Garden Center, Goshen, IN
Memorial Florist, Appleton, WI (Ayken’s Greenhouse)
Mohlenhoff’s Greenhouse, Huntington, NY
Morgan Nursery and Plant Farm, Toomsuba, MS
MV Nurseries, Richmond, CA (MV = Michael Vukelich. Now part of Color Spot)
Neishi Brothers Nursery, Oakland, CA
Norm White, Chesapeake, VA
Norman Jensen Greenhouses, Avon, OH
Oelschig, Savannah, GA
Olson’s Greenhouse, Raynham, MA
Otto Keil Florist, Huntington, NY
Otto Schroeder, Green Bay, WI (now Schroeder’s Flowers)
Peterson’s Greenhouse, Springdale, PA
Pinchbeck (rose farm), Guilford, CT
Plant World (Frank Reeves), Toronto (Cecil Delworth ran it)
R.B. Reed & Sons, Oshawa, Canada (now Reeds, new owners)
Regan’s Riverhill Gardens, Columbia, MO
Riverside Greenhouse, Mount Bethel, PA
Sand Point Greenhouses, Ft. Wayne, IN
Speedling, FL
Takahashi Nursery, Carpinteria, CA
Teeuwen, Chesapeake, VA
Tomasovic, St. Louis
Ulery, Springfield, OH (Now owned by Bell Nursery, but still managed by the Ulerys)
Van Wingerdens in LaSalle (actually Granville), IL (Mid-American Growers)
Vern Weithop, St. Louis
Yoshima Shibata (owner of Mt Eden Floral)
Andy Anderson, London, Ont
Bedding Plants USA (Claude Stadler, Burlington, NC)
Bob Pahlisch, Milwaukee
Central Arkansas Nurseries, Little Rock, AR
Concord Roses, Toronto
Deys, St. Paul, MN
Dixie Greenhouses, Greenville, SC
Don Bradley, Elmira, NY
E.C. Wagner, Beaver Falls, PA
Furrow and Company, Guthrie, OK
Gerald Lunderbert, St. Peter, MN
Green Farm Roses, Westport, CT
Hiro Nursery, Hiro Fukushima (Huntington Beach?)
Holiday Gardens, Philly
J-G Greenhouses, Milwaukee (related to Leider)
Jensen Greenhouse, Council Bluffs, Iowa (now Dallas Johnson)
John Lockner, Kirkwood, MO
Ken Gordon, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Laubingers, Skip Laubinger, Cleveland, OH
Milwaukee Greenhouse, Milwaukee, WI
Noji’s, Seattle
P.J Yeatman, Kennett Square (roses)
Pahlisch Greenhouse, Milwaukee
Ted Johnson (major MA rose grower)
Ted Weber, Detroit
The Greenery MDM, Omaha, NE
Tony Brand, Huntington, NY (Tom Brand)
Venco Nursery, Oxnard, CA
White Brothers Rose, Medina, NY
Dave Gibson, Tacoma, WA (Sold it and built Gibson Gardens, a development. But are they still wholesaling?)
Frink’s Greenhouse, Cedar Falls, IA
Geneva Flower Farm, IL
Oakdell, Apopka (Oakdell, then Weyerhauser, then Greiling, then Fernlea, now Kerry’s)
Sandyland, Carpinteria, CA