Spring Hill Nurseries is a mail-order garden center based in Tipp City, Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

. Founded in 1849, Spring Hill Nurseries is one of the oldest gardening companies in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The company specializes in garden plants, garden designs, perennials, shrubs, ground covers and gardening supplies. Spring Hill distributes catalogs nationwide and maintains a substantial presence online. One of the largest companies in the gardening industry, Spring Hill Nurseries’ headquarters features a retail store and many acres of greenhouses and trial gardens.

History

Peter Bohlender

Peter Bohlender

Peter Bohlender immigrated to Dayton, Ohio, from Bavaria, Germany, with his family, at the age of 6. Having no opportunity to attend school, he worked in a tobacco stripping house at a very young age. Before reaching his teens, he worked for a local nursery, where he received training in the...

 (born February 1, 1838) immigrated to Dayton

Dayton

Dayton is a city in Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, Ohio, United States.Dayton may also refer to:-United States:*Dayton, Alabama*Dayton, California, in Butte County*Dayton, Lassen County, California*Dayton, Idaho*Dayton, Indiana...

, Ohio, from Bavaria

Bavaria

Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, with his family, at the age of 6. Having no opportunity to attend school, Bohlender worked for a local nursery, where he received training in the gardening industry. In 1849, he started his own small nursery in North Dayton, Ohio.

In 1889, Bohlender renamed the nursery Spring Hill Nurseries and moved his nursery to Tipp City, Ohio. He surmised the name “Spring Hill” from a small hill located near the nursery’s current location.

Spring Hill Nurseries was initially a wholesale garden store, providing products and services to Tipp City locals. In 1930, Spring Hill expanded and became primarily a mail-order gardening company. The garden center retained a smaller retail store, which is still in function today although only as an outlet center with limited hours.

Horticultural Research and Development

Spring Hill Nurseries’ garden center, which includes a trial garden, and 9 acres (36,421.7 m²) of greenhouses, are the focal point for much of the research, testing and controlled-environment growing of plant products that Spring Hill provides. The horticultural specialists at Spring Hill grow and test new plant varieties in manipulated ecological units to ensure heat and soil tolerance, disease resistance and ease of growth. Spring Hill Nurseries also has a plant breeding program, developing new plant breeds and hybrids. The display gardens at Spring Hill Nurseries, which have been featured as a feature destination point by Ohio Magazine, attracted visitors from around the country but are currently neglected and overgrown with weeds.