A long time Summit County institution is no more. gardeners in the Richfield, Ohio area will have to look elsewhere for their petunias, daisies, mulch, bug spray, hydrangeas, etc. After 70 years or so, folks get old, motivations change, and time moves on.

Present family is also at retirement age and was obviously ready to sell out. I believe this was only second generation here at Constantine’s, usually a mom and pop last until the third generation, of a business, in this case a garden center. Constantine’s came about in the 1950’s and was very successful and popular for a long time, even folks in the trade bought plant material here. Always polite, courteous, and skilled this was a ‘must destination’ for a lot of folks in northern Summit county.

A bit of history in the greater Akron/Summit County area.  First Donzell’s on the near east side of Akron a 50+ years garden center institution, where folks flocked to, I mean drove a long way to buy their plants. Spring was always packed, parking lots full, very successful. Apparently the owners had no one to pass along to and sold the property. A very pricey bit of reatail/commercial real estate. 

Constantine’s was next, announcing late summer last year of closing their doors and posting the final sales days. Finally the most shocking news, the closing of Dayton’s Nursery in Norton, Ohio early December just a few months ago.  The entire Summit County, Akron area is reeling with these closures. The absolute three biggest Mom and Pops all go down. all that knowledge, customer care and community service. the dependability-gone.

Sure, the big box stores are here, both Lowe’s and Home Depot, but as we all know it’s not the same when looking for that garden center experience. More on that another day for sure. But a bit of surprise here in Akron, there’s going to be an all out plant war.

The big mover in NE Ohio is now Petiti’s Garden Center which has opened it’s 11th location in NE Ohio. this time right here in the Montrose/Fairlawn area, and right next door to a Lowe’s Garden Center(more on that shortly). I mean right next door, amazing actually.

Finally a few pics I took driving by Constantine’s a couple of days ago. solid rumor is the property is already been sold and will be developed into mix use housing, I believe that’s the phrase.

time rolls on, and not in a pretty way.

There are a few smaller places with local owners scattered about that should pick up business form the closing of these three Local Powerehouse garden centers that have closed. But the folks who religiously went to Constantine’s will be the most inconvenienced

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