A Semi-Accurate Chronology / History of Jonker's Garden
Click on a Picture for a Larger Version
John Jonker in front of original fruit stand.
Siblings Johnny, Jim, Jan, & Karen in front of the produce semi, 1953
The stand with a few additions, mid-1950s
Huge elm tree in front of stand with many additional canopies, late 50's
1945: After
serving in "The Good War" John Jonker returned to Holland,
Michigan and started business as a 'huckster', selling fruits and
vegetables from the back of a small truck, ringing a hand bell to
announce his approach to the ladies of the neighborhood. His
wife Marie, home with 2 kids and one on the way, also sold produce
from the front of their home at 816 Lincoln Avenue.
1948: After
Marie began to sell more than John, he borrowed $50.00 from his younger
brother Andy and built a fruit stand at 897 Lincoln Avenue, way out
in the country at that time. The concrete floor and roof built
of 2 2X4's and tar paper still frame the center of the year-round
garden shop today.
Early
1950's: Numerous lean-tos, awnings, coolers, additions, and
a pigpen are added to the original fruit stand. (The pigs
are fed over-ripe fruits & vegetables.) Jonker's Produce
Market sold bushels of fruit bought at the Benton Harbor and Grand
Rapids wholesale markets to the housewives of Holland who did a
lot of canning and freezing in those days. Vegetable and flower
plants were also sold. The plants were cut out of wooden
flats with a trowel, and wrapped in newspaper for each customer.
1956: John
built his first greenhouse, trading large framed windows from a demolished
factory for landscape plants with Stuart Padnos of Louis Padnos Iron & Metal
Company.
Late
1950's: The business name changed to Jonker's Produce and Garden
Center as John began trucking in nursery stock from Alabama and
Tennessee. Trees, shrubs, rhododendrons, and perennials were
planted in the field behind the fruit stand and behind their home. The
perennials were dug and sold individually for 75 cents each for
a large blooming plant.
1961: Because
of the increase of larger supermarkets with big produce departments,
and the decrease in home fruit preserving, Jonker's got out of
the produce business. Meanwhile, the Garden Center business was
growing steadily, composting leaves collected from the City of
Holland, mixing and bagging our own potting soil, and growing more and
more plants.
Nuttin But Puttin
1962: John
built Nuttin' But Puttin' miniature golf course with sons Johnny
and Jim and others. Son John mixed most of the concrete in
a small electric mixer, transporting it to each hole with a wheelbarrow. 12-year
old Jim learned how to trowel it smooth.
1966: The
golf business went so well that John sold off all the nursery stock
in the field to make room for a 9-hole pitch and putt golf course
called Gofer Golf.
Late
1960's and early 1970's: More greenhouses were added to the
front group of greenhouses.
1972: Jim
finished four years at Calvin College studying English Secondary
Education and found that the market for teachers was glutted. Youngest
son David spent some time working at Chris Craft and decided that
factory work was just not for him. The houseplant craze was
just beginning, so they both joined Mom & Dad in the business.
1972: Mingo
the monkey was born somewhere in Texas.
1970's: Jonker's
Garden rode the crest of the Back-to-the-Earth/Houseplant/Macramé wave.
Beginning with one small table with a hand-written sign reading "Houseplants",
Jonker's expanded to 5 greenhouses full, even extending to the out-of-doors
in summertime. Up to five trips a year were made to Florida,
Texas, and California for foliage plants, cactii, and pottery. The
macramé department sold rolls of cord and buckets of beads. The
synergy of John's creativity and Marie's practicality was the source
of great success.
1974: Jonker's
Garden Center became Jonker's Inc. (dba Jonker's Garden) and Jim
and Dave began to buy the business and property from their parents.
1978: Jonker's
Garden belatedly got into the Interior Plantscape business in response
to customer's requests. Soon Jim was installing and maintaining
tropical plants in dozens of area office buildings, restaurants,
etc.
1979: Jonker's
Garden got its first telephone (!) at the insistence of Jim's wife
Joy who was pregnant and wanted to be able to contact him when the
big moment arrives.
Storefront with gravel parking lot in spring of 1989
Dave and Mitch Dykstra building new facade with canopy
Dave Jonker 1994
Storefront 1998
1981: Gofer
Golf was discontinued. The land was needed to make room for
a barn to replace the pretty red and white chicken coop, which had
fallen over. The first of the "back" greenhouses
was erected.
1980's: Dave
built a new greenhouse or coldframe nearly every year as business
expanded and Jonker's switched from buying and selling to growing
and selling. Nursery stock, water gardens, and more perennials
were added to the mix.
1989: Jonker's
Garden mailed their first newsletter.
1991: A
major expansion and reorganization tripled the size of the outdoor
retail display area and a larger seasonal rear checkout was added. The
perennial and statuary departments were also expanded.
1992: Lincoln
Avenue was widened to 3 lanes, curbs were installed, and Jonker's
Garden could finally pave their parking lot. The front of the
store is given another facelift.
Dec.21, 1994: Dave Jonker died from complications of a stroke. He
was 40 years old.
1995: Jonker's
Garden underwent major internal reorganization, as Dave's responsibilities
were re-apportioned to Jim, Zandra, Dena, Holly, and others.
1996: The
Interior Plantscape department was sold to give Jim more time on-site.
1997: Nuttin'
but Puttin' was razed to make room for more parking to ease the parking
crunch.
1998: Jonker's
celebrated their 50 anniversary.
1999: Jonker's
acquired the woods to the south and demolished the little yellow
house. A new checkout area was made, and the outdoor retail
area was again expanded and reorganized, this time into the shade
of the woods.
2004: John
Jonker passed away.
2005: jonkersgarden.com
becomes a reality.
Copyright 2009; All rights reserved by Jonker's Garden,
the
premier garden center in Holland, MI. We supply gardeners in
West Michigan for residents of Holland, Zeeland, Hudsonville, Grand Rapids,
Byron Center, Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Muskegon, Saugatuck / Douglas, South
Haven, Hamilton, Allegan, and Kalamazoo with a wide
selection of annuals, tropicals, perennials, nursery stock, garden art,
pottery, fountains, and much more.
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