To find a member of the Henry Engh (known as Hank the Petunia King) family without dirt under their fingernails is difficult.
With more than 60 years in the nursery business, digging in the dirt is normal for Engh; his son, Dennis; a grandson, Darin; and other relatives.For many years, the Engh family held forth at 2098 E. 3900 South where Engh Floral was a landmark from which millions of plants were sold that helped beautify thousands of homes.
Today, the three generations of Enghs are trying a new concept in nurseries. Instead of the large central nursery, the Enghs have established eight small nurseries in shopping center parking lots and continue offering their quality plants that have build a reputation for the Engh family.
Darin started with one shopping center nursery in 1991 and now has nurseries at 2640 W. 9000 South, West Jordan; 9200 S. 700 East, Sandy; 1800 S. 400 West, Bountiful; 5670 S. 900 East, Murray; 8600 S. 2000 East; 3985 S. 2000 East; 3945 S. Wasatch Blvd; and 6220 S. Highland Drive.
Working on the idea of a low overhead operation close to roads where people are attracted by the color of the plants, Darin said customers are able to get into Engh Flowers locations and get on their way easily.
With an assist from his father, Dennis, who was president of Engh Floral for many years, Darin trains his 40 employees to know what they are selling from each nursery that has 8,000 square-feet surrounded by chain-link fences. They sell trees, shrubs, hanging baskets, fertilizer and bedding plants, their featured item.
Darin, who does newspaper advertising, is looking for two permanent locations. He said all of the plants sold at the nurseries were grown by Enghs and he is proud to carry on the Engh name.
Now 81 years old and still growing plants in several greenhouses at his Salt Lake County home, Salt Lake native Henry said his exposure to plants began when he was 8 years old and started working at Salt Lake Floral for Mr. Lindgren (he can't remember his first name).
Young Henry weeded flower beds, watered the plants and learned that tender loving care for plants is necessary if they are to succeed. After three years, he went to Highland Floral and owner John Quist was another good teacher, Henry said.
When he was 18, Henry started looking for some property and found a 50x200-foot piece at 1005 S. Main. He located the owner and purchased it for $25,000. This was in 1931 when the Great Depression was in full swing. "It was like starting something in a hurricane," Henry said.
With his wife, Della, at his side, Henry built a greenhouse, planted some seeds and obtained other plants, and his business grew. Della made corsages, special occasion bouquets and funeral sprays, and Henry delivered them on foot or on the streetcar.
He recalled working from 6 a.m. to long past dark, but he paid off the price of the lot in less than five years and soon was looking for more property to purchase to build more greenhouses.
A flood in 1952 caused great problems for the Enghs, so they looked around for a different location and saw a farmer plowing at 2098 E. 3900 South. Henry said he approached the man and offered to purchase an acre. The farmer was reluctant to sell, but Henry went back in six days and they marked off the property with four sticks.
Henry paid $50 down and $15 per month. Before the property was paid for, the owner was killed in an automobile accident, and his children wanted the property back, thinking there was no valid contract between the two men. However, Henry produced a small piece of paper signed by the owner and a judge ruled that it was a legitimate contract.
Time passed. Henry purchased more property, eventually winding up with 20 acres that held 90 greenhouses and cold frame structures. His daughters, Jeanette Nelson and Judy Peterson, and sons, Dennis, David, Dan and Paul, all grew up in the nursery business.
In 1979, the Enghs boasted of the finest garden center in the world. Then-Gov. Scott M. Matheson attended a ribbon-cutting for a 38,000-square-foot gift shop.
Henry got the name `Hank the Petunia King" as the result of some antics by radio personality Al "Jazbo" Collins, who did some advertising for the Enghs. The advertising was so successful that Henry sold his plants in three weeks and had to tell Collins to stop the radio campaign.
In the 1970s, the Engh empire crashed through a a series of zoning changes, protests from neighbors, lawsuits and counterlawsuits and a lack of long-term financing by their bank. The 18 shops and grocery store were empty from 1984 until a few years ago when a company moved in.
Dennis said the situation left the Engh family without any money, and he spent 10 years trying to pay off creditors. Since then, Dennis, who grew up in the nursery busi ness and eventually became president of Engh Floral, bought a garden center and changed the name to Nurseryland.
He rented some land at the old Brown Floral site and started another Nurseryland near the Cottonwood Mall. He sold that business to a brother and nephew and went into the landscape and maintenance business. He planted flowers and shrubs around buildings and then cared for them.
When Darin came home from an LDS mission in 1990, he worked with his father, and they decided to try the neighborhood nursery concept. He buys plants from his father, uncles and grandfather.
Meanwhile, Henry and Della continue their love affair with plants. He still grows plants, and Della continues making corsages, fresh-flower bouquets and funeral sprays.