Gifts That Bloom

The future is bright for Beadle Floral & Landscaping

“It was like poetry.” That’s how Jennifer Fleming describes what it was like watching the employees at Beadle Floral & Landscaping as they fulfilled orders on Valentine’s Day, one of their busiest holidays. This Valentine’s Day rush was a first for Jennifer, but Floral Designers, Annette Feiock and Jackie Hubert were eager to share the knowledge and expertise that they’ve acquired in their decades with the company. “They’re amazing. The number of flower arrangements that went out that day, and the way it all happened, was like clockwork. I was in awe,” Jennifer adds. 

Last December, Jim and Bev Beadle made it possible for a new chapter to begin in the business they’ve owned for 46 years when they passed Beadle Floral & Landscaping into the hands of Andy and Jennifer Fleming. The Flemings are the third family to own the company, which was founded over 70 years ago by the Koch family as Koch’s Greenhouse, and then purchased by the Beadles in the early 1970s as Beadle Floral & Nursery. It was the establishment’s family-friendly atmosphere that attracted the Flemings, who have four children. They’re excited to have their three sons, Jonah (14), Nolan (12), and Ethan (9), helping out at the store and a part of their new adventure. Their oldest daughter, Samantha, lives in Colorado. “We’re having a kid’s day at the store in June that our boys will be involved in. We also hope to bring Simon Says Give to Aberdeen, the nonprofit our kids started in Sioux Falls that provides birthday parties to children in need,” Jennifer explains. 

The Fleming’s entrepreneurial spirit is evident, as is their passion for handing those values down to their kids. The prospect of owning Beadles brought the family from Sioux Falls to Aberdeen just a few months ago. Before that, they owned other businesses, including a real estate and property management company for 15 years. Lifelong hobbyists and gardeners, they say Beadles has given them a solid foundation to take the things they enjoy doing and jump into business. “We really admire what Jim, Bev, and their team have built here. When we started coming to town and talking to folks, everyone knew Beadles right away, and it was wonderful to hear such positive things about a long-term staple in the community.”

Andy and Jennifer also emphasize that they are just a small part of a company filled with talented people. Jim and Bev plan to work with them and continue helping with customers, and their well-known landscaping team leaders, Russ Beadle and Kim Kettering, are also staying on board. Of the landscaping team, Andy says, “I think what we’re really known for is the skill and art that Russ and Kim bring to people’s yards through landscapes and hardscapes. They are truly talented and masters of their craft.” Altogether, the business has about a dozen full and part-time employees, plus extra seasonal help during the busy summer months. 

Beadle Floral & Landscaping has two locations. Their south store, 906 S. 8th Street, is open year round and houses home decor and a floral and garden center. Just past Wylie Park, at 12849 386th Avenue, is their north location, where they have their larger garden center with most of their trees and shrubs, and are open from April until mid-November. They want to expand their north store this year by adding some new features to it, like fresh floral and home decor. This space is also their main growing center, and another thing the Flemings say they are proud of is that all of Beadle’s plants are homegrown. “Everything is grown on site, nothing is shipped in. So we’re able to have bigger, healthier plants.” Kristi Ruhnke, Mike Richey, and Kelly Richey are the professional greenhouse growers on staff. 

The business really has so many components that work together seamlessly. They have landscaping and full-service floral services, a garden center, and home decor, as well as host various home and gardening classes for the public to try their hand at things like soap making, or combining succulents with fairy gardens. At their open house in March, Jennifer says many people were surprised to see the unique selection of home and gift items that they carry. “We have so many pretty lamps and wall art pieces, wedding and baby gifts, and all these colorful fabrics and linens. Our goal is to bring to Aberdeen all those things that customers want to put in their homes and enjoy and have difficulty finding.” 

The people in Aberdeen have also made a lasting impression on the Flemings as they get started in their new business. Jennifer says, “Everyone has been so amazing, people go out of their way to help you, give you advice, and to share ideas. We’re so thankful, and I can’t say enough about the integrity, generosity, and welcoming spirit of this community. Aberdeen has truly made us feel at home.” // – Jenny Roth

To learn more about Beadle Floral & Landscaping, visit www.beadlefloral.com, or find them on Facebook at GrowWithBeadle. For information on Simon Says Give, head to www.SimonSaysGive.org.