Our Story

In 1946, Bobby Heller founded Heller Nursery. He began by growing small evergreens in his parent’s garden a mile and a half south of the present location. In 1950, the business had grown and it was necessary to move to its present location in Peterson, Indiana. Here, Bobby began growing larger trees, opened a small garden center, and hired his first employees.

In 1960, Bobby married his wife, Mary, and Heller Nursery quickly became a family business. The first glass greenhouse was built in 1965 and is still in use today. 1970 brought more greenhouse expansion, as well as the first purchase of digging machines. Since then, our expansion has continued.

Bobby’s son, John, joined the business in 1988 after graduating from Purdue University with a degree in Horticulture and Landscape Management. Today, under John’s leadership, Heller Nursery employs up to 20 seasonal employees and looks forward to continued growth.

The third generation joined the family business to continue the Heller tradition. Jessie (Heller) Myers, John's daughter, graduated from Purdue University in 2009 with a degree in Horticulture Science. She is working on the marketing and sales side of the business under her father's leadership.