Boeger’s in Darien Has Concrete Solutions For Yard Decor

If you’ve driven by the corner of 87^th St. and Lemont Rd. lately you may have noticed the crocodile lurking on the roof of , its impressive teeth bared and ready to take a chomp out of unsuspecting drivers.

Never fear, it’s only a concrete statue, or pardon the pun, a crocodile rock.

The fun, attention-grabbing antic was the brainchild of owner Hank Boeger who explained with a chuckle his method for lifting the 10-foot concrete monster.

“We used a forklift and had to be a little creative in the process,” said Boeger, adding that the effort was definitely worthwhile. “I like people to laugh and have a good time.”

Boeger began his enterprise 20 years ago after frequent trips to Wisconsin during which he would stop in little “mom and pop operations” and notice unusual garden decorations, the likes of which he hadn’t noticed in the Darien area.

His enterprise originally relied heavily on landscape materials such as sod and dirt but now sticks to offering thousands of statues from the common to the unusual.

Wife Dolly and their two children help run the business, which is open Tuesday through Sunday from April 15 through the end of June, and with limited hours during July and August. Boeger’s is open on weekends only from September through December 24.

It's almost dizzying walking through the spacious grounds, which is packed with an enormous selection of statuary.

If you need a bench, there are more than 30 different styles to pick from. Fountain, angel, dog and even Buddha statues range from the small and simple to the ornate and extravagant, with prices at the extreme end topping $25,000 for a fountain.

“We obviously try to carry as much stock as we can,” Boeger said. “You never know which items will be the hot ones, and so you have to be prepared.”

Boeger recalled the former popularity of the yard or porch geese that could be dressed in outfits for each holiday.

“Those were impossible to keep in stock,” he said.

Dolly remarked that her husband has a knack for picking popular items, and although she’s the sounding board, Hank makes the final decision. When asked what criteria he uses for gauging big sellers, Boeger gets a mysterious twinkle in his eye that smacks of a little mischief.

“I can’t answer that one,” he said. “I’m not giving out any secrets.”

When it comes to good customer service, Boeger is stone-cold serious about his patrons.

“We’ve had customers come from as far as Skokie, Indiana and Fox Lake,” he said. “We want to make it worth coming here.”

Boeger also explained that in the off season, he schedules buying trips through the northern U.S. and Canada because of the quality of raw materials used in the concrete. His goal is to make sure that with proper care, customers enjoy their concrete statues for decades.

“We want to give people a good product at the right price that will last,” Boeger added.