Our Story
With plant business “roots” dating back to German immigrant grandfather Charles Niepagen, the first Niepagen greenhouse was started in 1910. Later, as business grew, Charles involved two of his sons, Carl and Walter in the operation. They later took ownership of the business from their father, expanding from the original Beich Road location to property located along Cabintown Road on the outskirts of Bloomington in about 1915. Walter operated the Beich Road greenhouse, while Carl ran the newer facility at Cabintown Road. Walter and his wife Frieda had five children– Melvin, Norman, Wendell, Jeanette and Joyce, who were all active in the businesses, while growing up. Some years later, when Carl died, Wendell bought the family business that is now well known by so many. For years, Wendell’s siblings worked side by side with him and helped grow the business. To date, there now have been five generations of Niepagens involved and working in the business.
In 2005, we moved the retail garden center to the other side of the property, along Fox Creek Road, and have been doing business there since.
Officially, Wendell Niepagen Greenhouses & Garden Center has been operating as a family-owned business since 1963. During those 50+ years of serving central Illinois, we, the Niepagen family, have worked long hours and moved a lot of potting soil… we have used millions of gallons of water and ton after ton of fertilizer to make sure that the plants are the best that they possibly can be… we have grown and expanded to serve the ever-changing gardening needs of the area… and, we have planted and nurtured a totally unimaginable number of seeds, plants, shrubs and trees to maturity. And through all those years, just like the large amount of care taken with our products and business, we have also placed a great deal of emphasis on developing and growing strong relationships with all our customers!
Our Mission
“Our goal at Wendell Niepagen Greenhouses & Garden Center is to provide the highest level of quality plants and garden products, outstanding service by friendly and helpful staff and the expertise of four generations of growers. We strive to educate our customers, young and old, to become successful gardeners for generations to come.”