OUR STORY
Our Story
History
Leaving Germany in search of the American dream, horticulturist Richard Lohrmann bought some land in San Rafael, California, in 1909. There, he opened a small neighborhood nursery serving the community he lived and worked in. Since he didn’t have any children of his own, Richard sold the business in 1954 to his nephew, Karl Untermann, who had inherited his green thumb and passion for gardening.
Today, the nursery continues to be an Untermann family enterprise, with grandson Chris running the show. Tom’s wife, Merrie, and Chris’ wife, Barb, work tirelessly behind the scenes, traveling to trade shows, creating the displays and making sure The Christmas House is bigger and better every year.
Our People
All avid gardeners, our employees bring a level of personal service, knowledge and commitment to the nursery that’s beyond compare. Always ready with a quick tip, they’re passionate about what they do and about helping people create beautiful landscapes, whether they’re master gardeners or beginners who don’t have a clue where to start.
Our Nurseries
Sourcing our plants from only the best nurseries in California and Oregon, we’ve been working with many of our growers for over 70 years. It’s these kinds of dedicated partnerships that make West End such a unique and special place for our customers and the people who work here. We only buy from the best quality nurseries such as Monrovia Growers, and we are always down their personally inspecting every shipment as it comes off the truck to make sure it is up to our expectations.
