Growing Generations of Gardeners

In 1948, Bill and Grace Van Putte opened Van Putte Seed Company on their 17 acre farm in Greece. Offering seeds and garden supplies to area homeowners, as well as seed catalogs to farmers and local hardware stores, they were the first garden center in Greece. “My grandparents were a hard working family, farming the location as a young couple and raising their kids. They started with a stand and a seed company, and worked together to build their business into a full-service garden center,” said Kyle Van Putte. Kyle and his sister Holly are the third generation, current owners of Van Putte Gardens, 136 North Avenue in Greece.

In the 1960s, Van Putte Gardens turned their focus from farming to residential and commercial gardening and landscaping. They added greenhouses to grow annuals, perennials and vegetable plants for home gardeners. In 1976 Bill and Grace’s son Carl became the owner and President of Van Putte Seed Co., Inc. In response to the growing population in Greece, Carl and his wife Susan, again expanded the garden center and landscape services. In 2013, Carl and Susan’s children Kyle, current President and CEO, and Holley, current Vice President and CFO, began running the family business.

This year, Van Putte is celebrating 75 years in business and have planned a special day in celebration of this unique milestone. On Saturday, June 10, 2023, Van Putte Gardens will host a full day of ceremonies and presentations with special guests. The day will also include unique sales events, and special pricing on products for their customers. “We are super excited about the 75th Anniversary celebration. For a couple of years now we have been talking about it, and planning for it,” Kyle said.

Kyle attributes the success of Van Putte Gardens to quality products and service. He said, “Both Holly and I agree that the business is much larger now, and that the success is due to the foundation that was laid down by our grandparents. Quality products, good value and making sure you take care of customers.”

Van Putte is a full service commercial and residential Garden and Landscape center. They offer everything a homeowner will need to enhance their garden and home. Van Putte’s specialty is that they grow their own vegetable plants and have a large, unique selection of nursery stock to choose from. “We have gardeners coming from 45 minutes away to purchase our unusual plant varieties. We are able to bring in uncommon varieties that we use in our landscape projects, and buy in bulk to sell to our home garden customers,” Kyle said.

Van Putte products include a wide variety of annuals and tropicals, perennials and grasses, vegetables, herbs, fruits, trees and shrubs, birding supplies, houseplants, bagged and bulk products, fertilizers, gift and garden supplies and more. They are also expert in residential and commercial landscape, employing a creative design team to guide customers with creating the perfect garden environment.

Van Putte Gardens believes in giving back to the community that has been so loyal to their business over the last 75 years. Their Kids Grow Club was established in 1994 by Susan Van Putte. The goal of the club is to teach children how to love and respect nature. Gardens teach creativity, curiosity and self discipline. “We believe the Kids Club is a way to increase awareness of gardening to the next generation,” Kyle said. For complete information and to sign up for the Kids’s Grow Club visit www.vanputte.com.

Another community project is the W.E.V.P. Horticulture Scholarship program established in honor of Bill E. Van Putte, founder of Van Putte Gardens. “This is a scholarship, established in honor of my grandfather, awarded to a high school senior who is planning a future career in horticulture or related fields. It is our way of keeping the next generation of people involved in gardening. We have met some very nice young people through this program,” Kyle said.

Van Putte’s website also has a Blog where a wide variety of gardening topics are discussed. For example repotting, planting a revival Victory Garden, pruning, container planting and discussions on care of specific varieties such as hydrangeas, amaryllis, pansies, hellebores and many more.

For more information on everything Van Putte Gardens visit www.vanputte.com