Some history & General Info

— Then —

The Greenhouse was built by the Bahr family in 1894. When they closed three years ago, the business was 123 yeas old, and the second oldest business in the State of Illinois. The oldest in the City of Highland Park. Probably one of the few glass greenhouses left in the state, and definitely a dying breed in the country, the structure and glass panes were brought in by freight train, and hand assembled. While things have certainly been updated a bit since then, the old charm and integrity of the structure still stand.

— Now —

Now, here we are, 125+ years later, and I feel honored to be taking over a something that is truly a piece of history. We bought the property from the last generation of Bahrs’ to run the greenhouse, and while we may not be doing things exactly as they did, I like to believe we are giving it new purpose, and new life. The main difference is that we will not be growing in the traditional model of a greenhouse. While we’ll maintain some of the Tropicals, Fruit Trees and forty year old Jade trees we’ve inherited, the main goal for us will be to grow for cut flower production, more of Flower Farm vs. a traditional Greenhouse.

— What’s the Difference —

What does this mean do you ask? Well, Greenhouses specialize in growing plants in containers for your home and for your garden or flowers pots. They start them early, grow them to the perfect size, and you bring them home and do the rest. On the other hand, a Flower Farm grows in the ground for mass production. In the short term, our goals will be to supply flowers for our Weekly Bouquet Subscribers, Flower Market and Events. Im the future, we hope to supply to other designers and flower shops.