Helping your garden grow

By no way has the past 75 years been a walk through the roses for Knupper Nursery & Landscape.

The Palatine business was founded in 1932 by Richard and Lucile Knupper.

Originally it was a tiny, white building on the northeast corner of Old Hicks and Rand roads, where Menards sits today.

It grew over the years and became a popular destination for local gardeners.

But in 1990, a fire completely destroyed the store and greenhouses -- just two days before Christmas.

"Remember how someone came and took a Christmas tree and left $20 in the gazebo?" reminisces Sue Heaton to her husband, John.

Memories like that go on and on for the couple, who eventually took over the business from the Knupper family.

Now, they are celebrating the 75th year of one of the most well-known Northwest suburban garden stores.

"It's been a lot of hard work and a lot of time spent with the customers," said John Heaton, who started working there 40 years ago.

Most agree that it's the store's customer service that sets them apart.

Long-time Knupper's shopper Pat Greis said it's the only place to go when she buys things for potting.

"The staff is knowledgeable and they will spend a lot of time helping you put different flowers together," said the North Barrington resident.

"Other nurseries don't want to help you -- they want you to buy their pots."

Many of the employees have worked there for decades, some racking up 20 or 45 consecutive years.

To celebrate the anniversary, the store will hold a party Saturday. There will be a free ice cream social, pony rides, music, raffle prizes, an antique car show and other activities.

As John and Sue Heaton look through old photo scrapbooks from the business, a sense of pride comes over the two.

After the fire, Knupper's operated out of a trailer and polyhouse for two years until the new store was built, 100 yards north of the original location.

Since that opened in 1993, it's been expanded to four times the size.

To a lot of customers, John Heaton is often referred to as the "Lawn King of Illinois."

Because he's so knowledgeable about grass, people will cut out sections of their lawn and bring it in for his advice. Usually he advises them to also bring in tree branches so he can get the full picture.

He majored in horticulture in college and was the son of a gladiola farmer.

Through the years, the nursery has also been heavily involved in the community.

One of the Heatons' favorite memories is about a local bank that was holding a grand opening ceremony in January as 2 feet of snow blanketed the ground.

But the bank needed landscaping.

"John took over a bunch of our leftover Christmas trees, staked them into the ground and they lasted for two months," Sue Heaton recalled.

"We're friendly over here," she added.

If you go

What: 75th anniversary party

Who: Knupper Nursery, 1801 N. Rand Road, Palatine

When: 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday

Cost: Free

Includes: Ice cream, pony rides, music, raffle prizes, a petting zoo, face painting and other activities

Call: (847) 359-1080