Away from the hustle and bustle of busy downtown, several blocks from Broadway and tucked inconspicuously in a quiet, mostly residential neighborhood lies a business that has remained a part of Saratoga Springs for more than 115 years.
"It started in 1892 with my great-grandparents. It's been in the family
all this time; I'm the fourth generation," Dude Dehn, owner of Dehn's
Flowers and Greenhouses Inc. said.
Dehn's Flowers and Greenhouses has made its home at 180 Beekman St. in Saratoga for over a century, providing unique annuals, perennials, and garden decorations to some of the area's most well-known establishments.
"We plant the race track," Dehn said, "and we do a lot of the summer homes. We also store some of our customers' foliage and plants."
When Dehn's great-grandparents began the business, it included the store on Beekman St. and the six greenhouses nearby. But considering all the time that's passed, it's hardly a surprise that the operation has had an opportunity to grow.
"We've always been in the cut flowers business, and the garden center has expanded over the years. Originally it was just the store and six greenhouses. Now we have the store, plus another store [on 15 Trieble Ave.] next to Hannaford [in Milton Plaza]. And over the years we've bought up adjacent houses here and torn them down and made room for our garden center and other greenhouses," Dehn said.
For Dehn, taking over the family business after his father and caring for the greenhouses and the store was almost like second nature. If nothing else, Dehn agreed that it was certainly a labor of love.
"I was in the service for two years and I thought to myself, do I want to ship overseas, or do I want to come back home? And I said, hey, I've got a personal, family business to come back to. And I guess it's just in my blood," Dehn said.
Dehn's Flowers grows all of their own flowers and plants in their greenhouses, a skill which Dehn's father passed on to him. Because the plants are grown locally, it makes them less susceptible to the area's local environmental hazards and quirks, and means a generally hardier plant for customers. But growing these flowers is a difficult and time-consuming process, especially, said Dehn, in the harsh cold of winter.
"In the winter time it's a 24/7 job. I have an alarm right next to my bed if the power goes off, if the boiler loses steam or if a greenhouse gets cold. As soon as it triggers that alarm, boom! I'm there," Dehn said.
Although he undoubtedly loves his job, Dehn admitted that occasionally the time and dedication it requires can sometimes become tiring. And so, like his father before him, Dehn has begun to train a new member of his family, his son-in-law, to run the greenhouses and the store, teaching him how to tend to the various annual and perennial flowers they grow and sell.
"Every year there's new varieties coming out," Dehn said about the flowers he grows. "I mean, these hybridizers just keep constantly going. They've got new plants coming out every year - new varieties, new colors - you name it. So we buy the cuttings and [sell them here]," Dehn said.
While the industry is constantly changing, new flowers and plants being invented and grown every year, Dehn said he hopes one thing never changes: his involvement with the family business.
"I hope to be like my dad," Dehn said, "and be here until the last day."
Located at both 180 Beekman St. and 15 Trieble Ave. in Saratoga Springs, Dehn's Flowers and Greenhouses Inc. can supply you with all your flower and lawn ornament needs. For upcoming Mother's Day, a special on 8-inch hanging baskets is available, with two baskets selling for $18. For more information, you may contact them by phone at (518) 584-1880, or visit them on the web at www.dehnsflowers.com.
Dehn's Flowers and Greenhouses has made its home at 180 Beekman St. in Saratoga for over a century, providing unique annuals, perennials, and garden decorations to some of the area's most well-known establishments.
"We plant the race track," Dehn said, "and we do a lot of the summer homes. We also store some of our customers' foliage and plants."
When Dehn's great-grandparents began the business, it included the store on Beekman St. and the six greenhouses nearby. But considering all the time that's passed, it's hardly a surprise that the operation has had an opportunity to grow.
"We've always been in the cut flowers business, and the garden center has expanded over the years. Originally it was just the store and six greenhouses. Now we have the store, plus another store [on 15 Trieble Ave.] next to Hannaford [in Milton Plaza]. And over the years we've bought up adjacent houses here and torn them down and made room for our garden center and other greenhouses," Dehn said.
For Dehn, taking over the family business after his father and caring for the greenhouses and the store was almost like second nature. If nothing else, Dehn agreed that it was certainly a labor of love.
"I was in the service for two years and I thought to myself, do I want to ship overseas, or do I want to come back home? And I said, hey, I've got a personal, family business to come back to. And I guess it's just in my blood," Dehn said.
Dehn's Flowers grows all of their own flowers and plants in their greenhouses, a skill which Dehn's father passed on to him. Because the plants are grown locally, it makes them less susceptible to the area's local environmental hazards and quirks, and means a generally hardier plant for customers. But growing these flowers is a difficult and time-consuming process, especially, said Dehn, in the harsh cold of winter.
"In the winter time it's a 24/7 job. I have an alarm right next to my bed if the power goes off, if the boiler loses steam or if a greenhouse gets cold. As soon as it triggers that alarm, boom! I'm there," Dehn said.
Although he undoubtedly loves his job, Dehn admitted that occasionally the time and dedication it requires can sometimes become tiring. And so, like his father before him, Dehn has begun to train a new member of his family, his son-in-law, to run the greenhouses and the store, teaching him how to tend to the various annual and perennial flowers they grow and sell.
"Every year there's new varieties coming out," Dehn said about the flowers he grows. "I mean, these hybridizers just keep constantly going. They've got new plants coming out every year - new varieties, new colors - you name it. So we buy the cuttings and [sell them here]," Dehn said.
While the industry is constantly changing, new flowers and plants being invented and grown every year, Dehn said he hopes one thing never changes: his involvement with the family business.
"I hope to be like my dad," Dehn said, "and be here until the last day."
Located at both 180 Beekman St. and 15 Trieble Ave. in Saratoga Springs, Dehn's Flowers and Greenhouses Inc. can supply you with all your flower and lawn ornament needs. For upcoming Mother's Day, a special on 8-inch hanging baskets is available, with two baskets selling for $18. For more information, you may contact them by phone at (518) 584-1880, or visit them on the web at www.dehnsflowers.com.
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