Staying in the family: Spangler’s Landscaping passes to the next generation

MORRISON – After five decades of early mornings and late nights, Lanny and Linda Spangler are hanging up their gardening shears and passing the keys to Spangler’s Landscaping and Gardening Center to their son Jim Spangler.

“At our age, after 53 years of hard work and sacrifice, we decided it was time for a little rest,” Linda said. “Jim knows the business very well and decided to give it a try. He was actually born on the day of our grand opening.”

Spangler’s provides landscape design, hardscape installation, garden decor and retail sales of flowers, trees, shrubbery, mulch and other landscaping needs.

The business has been serving Morrison and the surrounding area since the couple bought the five-acre property at 12540 Lincoln Highway in 1971.

“In the early ‘80s, we had a particularly dry spring and summer,” Linda said. “That was a miserable year. The business was no good and when the economy went, we prayed to have enough business just to pay the bills. There have been many loyal customers that came back year after year, and without them, we wouldn’t have made it.”

Jim had been running his own mowing service, which he still operates, when he decided to come back to the family business in 2001. His partner in life and business, Kendra Kirk, has worked for Spangler’s since 2013.

“Ultimately, when Lanny and Linda decided to retire, we were faced with a choice: either take over the business or find a different job,” Kirk said.

Kirk loves working with plants and said she could not imagine doing anything else. Jim’s love for landscaping and dedication to the community was enough to keep him in it for the long haul.

“I didn’t want this business to go away,” Jim said. “Morrison has lost so much business already and we’re a part of this community.”

Now that they have taken over, the couple is modernizing certain aspects of the business.

“We threw out the fax machine and we email now,” Jim said. “My parents did things the way they knew how to do them and it worked for them, but technology definitely makes things easier.”

One of the bigger challenges they have encountered since taking over is trying to fill multiple roles within the business while finding steady employees who know landscaping.

“We’re kind of burning the candle at both ends,” Jim said. “I really enjoy throwing myself into the work and so it was kind of nice when Dad was around to do a lot of the talking, but we’re getting it figured out.”

One thing they have learned is getting an early start on ordering plants for the following season.

“Toward the end of summer, early fall, you do all of the ordering,” Kirk said. “You have to get an early start on spring to get the plants you want.”

Kirk said they want to carry more rare and unique plants that commonly are not found at big-box stores.

“You can’t go to Menards or Home Depot and find Knock Out roses, Golden Showers roses, Seven-son flowers, Hot Lips Turtleheads and Berry White Hydrangeas,” Kirk said. “You typically need to visit a local nursery to find one of those.”

The couple is hosting an all-day event Saturday, Sept. 7, as a way to introduce themselves to the community as the new owners. The event is open to the public and will feature face-painting for kids and giveaways. 93.9 FM radio hosts Dave and Darren will be there from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“There’s some other details we’re still working out,” Kirk said. “A food truck would be amazing if we could make it work.”

Spangler’s is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. For information, call 815-772-4318 or visit the business’s Facebook page.