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Jonker's Garden

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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.



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Details and Specs

Hours of Operation:
 OpenClosed
Mon9:00 AM6:00 PM
Tue9:00 AM6:00 PM
Wed9:00 AM6:00 PM
Thr9:00 AM6:00 PM
Fri9:00 AM6:00 PM
Sat9:00 AM5:00 PM
SunClosed 
Notes: Sunday Closed (We're open Sundays in May & early June) July 4, 2012 9 am - 3 pm

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