Hicks Nurseries Flower Show is Open

Hicks Nurseries, a Long Island staple, has been family-owned and operated since 1853. Isaac Hicks started the business by selling trees to his neighbors. The company is currently run by the sixth generation of the Hicks family. The nursery invented and patented equipment for moving large trees, which were in demand by wealthy Gold Coast estate owners like the Vanderbilts and J.P. Morgan. Some of those trees still thrive at Old Westbury Gardens. Hicks also innovated retail practices, offering pre-dug plants for walk-in customers around 1930, which helped evolve the modern garden center. Today, Stephen Hicks serves as President and Karen Hicks-Courts is the Director of Human Resources. The flower show requires meticulous planning nearly a year in advance. The displays feature thousands of plants forced to bloom in heated greenhouses. Past shows have included over 7,000 plants of 300 varieties. Flower shows can draw impressive crowds. The Philadelphia Flower Show, the oldest and largest indoor show in the world, attracts over 250,000 people each year. In 2009, it had roughly 245,000 attendees. The RHS Chelsea Flower Show anticipates 145,000 visitors.