Outdoor Living
Cary-Area Plant Nursery Spreads its Roots B y J i m Ta y l o r, m u l t i m e d i a e d i t o r
With this move, Whispering Hills takes over The Barn Nursery’s retail building just off the corner of Illinois Route 31 and Rakow Road, where there will be more room to add merchandise, but also the ability to expand on the myriad of services this company already offers, including design services. In addition to its retail services, Whispering Hills provides hardscaping service, which comes with design and installation of features like pathways, walls, patios and fountains. This business expansion comes alongside another exciting development as the nursery’s new tree farm enters its second year. More than 2,000 trees are growing strong on the farm. This tree farm offers a wide variety of species that run the gambit from familiar to unique, including maple, crabapple, oak, cypress, birch, ginkgo and lilac.
(Whispering Hills photo)
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fter 30 years of steady growth, Whispering Hills Garden & Landscape Center in Cary is giving its customers even more ways to beautify their outdoor spaces. This spring, Whispering Hills owners Al and Michelle Anderson purchased The Barn Nursery, their next-door neighbor and former competitor. The acquisition adds nearly 8 acres to Whispering Hills’ current 15-acre site. Prior to the sale, the two garden centers co-existed as friendly neighbors, despite competing for customers. Then, the Barn Nursery’s owner, Tom Kusmerz Sr., decided to fully retire and his son, Tom Kusmerz Jr., returned to his original passion of landscape architecture. The Andersons took an interest in developments. The property was up for sale for a few years before the Andersons made an offer.
Plans are in place to offer seasonal inventory during the holiday season, and Christmas tree sales are in the works for when the snow begins to fall. This is just the beginning; there’s plenty more to come in the year ahead. “There’s a lot of setup and painting that needs to happen before we move in,” says Michelle. “We figured it would be easier to give ourselves the winter to get all of that accomplished. Then, in spring, we’ll be ready to go.” ❚ Whispering Hills Garden & Landscape Center is located at 8401 S. Ill. Rt. 31 in Cary, (847) 658-5610.
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Smart Living Elite
June-July 2022
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