History

 

John Tomasovic, with his brother George, purchased the greenhouses from Charles Meier in 1931. John grew up in the Lutheran orphanage on Manchester Road (now Des Peres City Hall) and learned the floral business at the age of 14 when he went to work for Thomas C. Kirkwood, a grower on Lockett Road in Kirkwood. He later purchased five acres of ground on Lockett Road and started his own business growing a variety of field flowers. After buying the Meier property, Tomasovic’s production was mainly the growing of prize-winning carnations, together with snapdragons, delphiniums, feverfew, and other wildflowers. He added several more greenhouses bringing a total of 80,000 square feet of glass. He later went into the production of chrysanthemums, pom poms, tulips, iris, and jonquils for the downtown St. Louis wholesale flower market on LaSalle Street. Tomasovic was very active in various organizations of the Allied Florists, President of the St. Louis Flower Growers Association, and the Missouri Valley Carnation Growers.

 

In 1969, John L. Tomasovic Sr. and wife, Pep, purchased the wholesale flower business from his father to carry on the family tradition of growing prize-winning flowers. John Sr. was issued a patent for the development of the yellow coronado chrysanthemum in [year]. Even though this prize-winning plant is no longer grown in the greenhouses today, various other plants are grown.

 

At the present time, production of bedding plants for spring sales to landscapers, garden centers, and non-profit sponsored fundraisers. Dry bulb sales and production of garden mums are done in the fall. Easter lilies and poinsettias are produced for holiday sales. Nursery stock is carried year round. Tomasovic Greenhouses and Nursery now comprise more than three acres of glass and plastic. Two greenhouses were part of the horticulture exhibit at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis and are still included in plant production today, 117 years later.

 

In January of 2018, John L. Tomasovic Sr. passed away. John Sr. lived a long, successful life and was an influential person locally and in the horticulture & floriculture industries. (You can view his obituary here.) In his honor, John L. Tomasovic, Jr. now manages the business, along with his wife, Beth, as the third generation of Tomasovics. They continue the floral tradition of growing prize-winning flowers and giving specialized service to their customers.