Vendors

Company History

Walters Gardens, Inc. was founded in 1946 by Dennis Walters, acquiring an already existing nursery from his mother-in-law, Dena Knoll. The business began by offering almost entirely field grown perennial product. Today, Walters Gardens has around 14 acres of greenhouse space in addition to their expansive field production. Greenhouse product consists of nearly 53% of their total sales units (bare root consisting of the other 47%). Walters Gardens joined the Proven Winners family as a licensee in 2011 and is their perennial supplier. The company has also developed an expansive hybridizing program and an extensive trialing process, ensuring that they offer only the best new varieties to the market.

Key Product Lines and Sizes Produced

Walters Gardens, Inc. offers a wide variety of products from field-grown bare root to greenhouse-grown plugs. Each year they offer over 1000 varieties of hardy and tender perennials. Specialty genus include Heuchera, Hemerocallis (Daylilies), Hibiscus, and Hosta, among others.

Bare root products are typically offered in #1 Grade and #2 Grade sizes, both generously graded.  

Greenhouse grown product includes 20ct, 30ct, 72ct, and 128ct plugs, depending on the variety. Custom orders are accepted with a minimum order of 1,000 per variety.

Walters Gardens, Inc. ships nationwide and to Canada.

Product Availability Dates

Most items are available year round, but shipments may be held during inclement weather. Refer to the availability for variety specific shipping dates.

Distinctive Qualities

Walters Gardens has always prided itself on quality and offering the best product that money can buy. Being a reliable supplier is important, so over the years they’ve continually worked on shortening turnaround times and delivering the product on time. Not only is Walters Gardens a young plant producer, but it is also establishing itself as a premier perennial hybridizing company. Look to their catalog in the future for new and exciting varieties!

Company History

Welby Gardens was established in 1948 and is recognized as a leading grower of fine quality bedding plants and perennials throughout Colorado and the Southwest.

Key Product Lines and Sizes Produced

Welby Gardens offers a full line of annuals and poinsettias from the industry's top breeders and a robust selection of perennials and herbs. Sizes commonly offered are 100/TR, split 50s, and 125/tr’s.

Product Availability Dates

Annuals are offered year-round; perennials have limited availability from weeks 1-15.

Distinctive Qualities

Colorado's high, light, and arid climate gives Welby a strong competitive advantage in liner production, which allows them to produce a vast variety of plant material. 

Company History

Kalamazoo, Michigan, was settled by Dutch farmers whose primary crop was celery. When California began to economically ship produce throughout the country, Kalamazoo farmers switched to growing flowers. In 1967, the Kalamazoo Valley Plant Growers Cooperative was established. KVPG now consists of more than 50 individually owned greenhouse businesses that form the nation's largest supplier of bedding plants.Wenke Greenhouses was established in 1942 by Chris and Ann Wenke. Their son Lorence Wenke purchased the business in 1975 and was later joined by his brother Dennis. They have since expanded to three locations, including the original 3-acre facility in Kalamazoo, an 18-acre facility also in Kalamazoo, and a 24-acre facility in Douglas, Georgia. Lorence Wenke is also 1/3 owner of Michigan Grower Products, which sells greenhouse growing media and prefilled containers.

Key Product Lines and Sizes Produced

A very important part of our business is our Young Plants divison that, through brokers, sells plugs and liners to other growers. We are a rooting station for Danziger, Goldfisch, Suntory, Simply Beautiful, and Selecta. Our goal is to be the "preferred supplier" in the Midwest and Southeast.

Our Finished Wholesale divison sells plants directly to independent garden centers, landscapers and the KVPG. Our primary spring products are bedding plant flats, hanging baskets, geraniums, perennials and specialty potted annuals, while our primary fall and winter products are pansies, mums and poinsettias.

Company History

Over 40 years of growing experience goes into every Wessels’ Farms Plant product. 

Key Product Lines and Sizes Produced

Wessels’ has a wide variety of annual, perennials, vegetables, poinsettias, and herbs as well as mums and asters. Wessels’ offers multiple tray counts to meet your needs such as 512, 288, and 144tr.  They also offer a 200tr for vegetable transplants that allows direct field transplant and a 50tr for their mums/asters.

Product Availability Dates

Wessels’ has availability year-round. Orders must be placed before Dec. 31st to qualify for volume discounts.

Distinctive Qualities

“Wes Plugs” are produced using a carbon neutral renewable heat source and recycled consumer plastic accounts for up to 67% of the material used in each plug tray.