Waterford, Wisconsin

It started with a penny a weed.

Paul's Petal Pushers Greenhouse, 28058 N. Lake Drive, Waterford, WI 53185.

Our story

Who we are

Paul is an accountant by profession, and as a kid he liked to sell things. His mom had a beautiful yard full of flowers. His dad always had a big garden. He grew up pulling weeds, and he made a penny a piece.

After college a friend asked if he would work at his retail greenhouse. That did it. He was hooked.

“He grew up pulling weeds. He made a penny a piece.”

How it started

He started his own retail greenhouse business, buying plants from local wholesale growers. Eventually he started growing his own, learning to start plants from seed and cutting: annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetable plants, hanging baskets and bags, and flowering containers. He began as a spring-only grower. Then came mums in the fall, and then Christmas containers and wreaths made with fresh evergreen boughs. Container classes in the spring, and evergreen classes in November and December, came after that.

Today 99% of the plants are grown in five commercial greenhouses in Waterford.

The people here

The same faces, year after year.

One employee has worked for Paul for over 30 years. Many of the others have been here more than 10. They love gardening and they love talking to customers, which is a rarer combination than it sounds.

Two of them are Master Gardeners.

They, like you, cannot wait to get back to the greenhouse each year to begin the season.

30+
Years for our longest-serving employee: 10+
Years for many of the staff: 2
Master Gardeners

Why it matters

Since we grow them, we know them.

We grow 99% of our plants from cuttings, seeds, or plugs. Nothing arrives on a truck the morning it goes on sale.

That means when you ask whether something will handle the west-facing wall that bakes all afternoon, you are asking someone who watched that plant come up. We can help you pick what will beautify your yard, patio, or front porch and still look good in August.

You will also see many of the plants grown here at the Wisconsin State Fair each year, and at other local businesses and garden centers.

Come out to Waterford and see where it all gets grown. Everything sold in Muskego and at the farmers markets started on these benches.

From our benches