Celebrating 34 Years of Blumen Gardens!

On the first day of greenhouse management class, back in 1981 at Kishwaukee Community College, Joel set eyes on Joan. He eventually worked up the courage to ask Joan for a ride home from school and the rest is history. Their love story endured long distance as Joel interned in Germany for a year but separation made the heart grow fonder. Joan later joined him and their love continued to blossom while they traveled Europe and North Africa together. Once home, they worked in various horticulture endeavors, but after getting married and starting a family, it was time to find a home together. The perfect home for Joan was not Joel’s ideal, it was quite the fixer-upper and across from an abandoned factory, little did he know what this neglected lot across the street would eventually become.

Blumen started in 1989 so Joan could work less (that didn’t happen) and desired a landscaping company to maintain her garden designs. Growing plants out of their own backyard grew into renting and then purchasing “the dump” across the street in 1993. This land consisted of a small white building that once was the weigh station for the railroads that ran through Sycamore and a dilapidated factory from the 1860s. Throughout the years, Joan and Joel sculpted their dream business and renovated these historic buildings. A small and humble beginning transformed into a 4.5 acre property including a nursery for growing perennials, a retail shop with home and garden décor, an event space for weddings and events, a design studio and shop for their design, and landscape services with gardens for all customers to enjoy.

This year we celebrate our 30th year and we are thankful and grateful for our wonderful customers, staff and the local community in which we live and work in.

We are excited to keep growing with you & yours for the next 30 years to come!​ With Love. Joel and Joan Barczak