Patch Spring Tour: Generations of Service at Tehan Brothers Greenhouses

Tehan Brothers Greenhouses is right on the cusp of its busy season.

And once it starts, it won't be long until it's over.

Co-owners Jim and Tim Tehan, who visited with Patch Friday morning as part of our Spring Tour, say the number of customers who come rumbling down their gravel driveway starts to pick up in May. 

Once they get there, customers will stock up on all the Tehans have to offer, which is virtually any type of flower you could want. The greenhouses cover about three acres of the Tehans' 30-acre property, just south of the airport at 1515 E. Rawson Ave. (between Howell and Pennsylvania avenues)

The minute supplies are gone, they're gone. That doesn't take long - Tim Tehan said the business is usually sold out by the end of June, so if customers want to buy products, they best hurry.

"What we grow is what we sell, and when we're sold out, we're done," he said. "Most of our customers know to get here early."

Jim's father started the business in 1933, and it has stayed in the family ever since. (Tim is Jim's nephew.)

Tehan's moved to its current location in 1944, on land that was once used primarily for farming. Tim still farms a portion of the land, but the flower business has long been its major use. Tehan's products include hang baskets, flower beds, containers and a full selection of vegetable plants. 

What sets the business apart from the competition, its owners say, is that everything sold there is grown there. There is no "middle man," unlike other garden centers. 

"(The plants) are being taken care of by people who know what they are doing," Tim said, comparing it to big-box stores hiring part-time help.

The homegrown quality at Tehan Brothers also makes the prices lower, too. The owners say it shaves between 35 and 40 percent off the cost of their products compared to other stores.

"The value is there both ways - the price and the plant you're getting," Tim said.

Like any other business, Tehan Brothers has evolved over the years and has weathered the recent economic storms. Their costs are going up, but Tim and Jim said they have maintained their prices and quality.

Hours at Tehan's are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. In June, Tehan closes at 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday.

The owners encourage anyone who needs help with their home-gardening needs to make the trip.

"They won't regret their experience once they come down here," Tim said. "Nobody will come down here for the first time and say, "Geez, I wish I never came here.' They'll be happy they made the stop."

For more information on Tehan's, call (414) 762-9151.