"We just happened to be the one business people seemed to need in this down economy."
The Nursery was started in 1940 by David's grandfather, Charles Housel, as a Christmas tree farm. It thrived through the war years, and in 1955 his son, Myron, took over, adding shrubs and shade trees to the business, and eventually becoming known as the "shade tree king."
David became the third generation of the family to operate the business when he gave up his school teaching job in 1987. Today, his sons David and Larry, work with him in the business.
Olga, David's wife of 25 years, was a native of Brazil and was fluent in four languages. She became a U.S. citizen as well as a certified nurserywoman, designing beautiful landscapes for family homes in the area. In recent years Olga battled a form of Lou Gerhig's disease, eventually losing to that illness last November, even as this article was being prepared.
A fifth generation of the family, now two years old, has already taken on responsibility for spreading gravel on the driveway, in his own hands-on way, of course.