Professional Landscapes Expands to Greenhouses at Former Kruse Farms

Professional Landscapes is growing at a new home in the former Kruse Farms greenhouses. The greenhouses are being rebranded as The Nursery and the landscape company is working on getting plant starts going inside. Professional Landscapes has been serving Douglas County for over 40 years and owner Mike Taute is expanding the business by moving into the greenhouses on Melrose Road. The business will use the facilities to transition to growing some of its own grasses and shrubs but also open the space to the public as a seasonal nursery space. “We got into this basically for a bigger footprint for our landscape business,” Taute said. “We’ve been in a small lot in town for a while. When [John Blodgett Jr.] called, and said “We’re going to buy the Kruse Farms area, do you want to run a nursery?” we jumped on it. We’re excited about the nursery game as well. We do plan on being open for annual flowers, hanging baskets, starts, and things like that. In the spring, mid summer, and the fall, we’ll be open to the public. It’s basically going to be a seasonal planting type thing. We still encourage people to go out and visit plant warehouse and go to young’s and lowes and home depot, primarily the local ones if at all possible.” The Nursery will allow Professional Landscapes to keep some of their seasonal employees year-round and potentially hire more people as needed. The growth is evidence of Professional Landscapes generational transfer at work. Taute has been doing landscaping since he was a kid, but only started working for Professional Landscapes in the late 2000s. He went all in on making landscaping his career and was given an opportunity to buy the company three years ago. “Professional Landscapes is still Professional Landscapes. We’re not out there trying to take away from any of the nurseries in town,” Taute said. “We’re just trying to grow as a landscape business and it’s going to take a while to get our feet on the ground and move in. We don’t want people to walk in during our seasonal openings and expect us to have anything and everything they could imagine here. It’s not going to be something where all your hopes and dreams for a nursery come true in the first season. Be patient with us and help us grow.” The company is still moving into the space and doesn’t have a hard date for the first seasonal opening. There are already plants and supplies in The Nursery and a shop is under construction. They are working on the landscaping in the front to create an experience and give customers landscaping ideas. “It’s going to be a little bit of process here,” Taute said. “We do a lot of plants and boulders and rocks. This gives us the option to have things on hand. We’re just happy to have this opportunity.”