Hart’s Nursery in Bushnell is a five-generational business, currently owned and operated by Jeff and Pam Vancil.
Hart's Nursery, located at 665 Front Street in Bushnell, was founded in 1959 and has continued to be family operated business, growing to a nearly 10 acre nursery at present time.
Vernon Hart, the original owner, purchased the property and started the nursery AFTER he retired from being a barber. The property was a hog farm that he converted to a nursery. He owned and operated the nursery until the FALL of 1989.
Vernon, Pam’s great uncle, built the store with Pam’s Grandpa, Homer Hart, and also built a small greenhouse that was attached to the store. A shade structure made of lath was also constructed with a concrete ramp, that remains today, to assist in loading balled & burlap wrapped trees and shrubs.
Vernon grew tomatoes, seed geraniums, and marigolds in his greenhouse, but he specialized in growing yews... both spreaders and capitata and shade trees.
Vernon also had a BOLENS lawn tractor dealership, sold Ferti-lome products and landscaped many houses in the area. All but the Bolens equipment sales, the Vancils have continued.
Pam’s Dad, Larry McLouth, had the opportunity to work and learn from Vernon occasionally during the latter years of Vernon’s time at the Nursery. As a little girl, Pam remembers visiting the nursery for a couple of family reunions and with her grandparents at other times. One of her favorite memories of visiting the nursery was looking into the greenhouse through the windows in the store! She didn’t know at the time that the nursery would later become a major part of her life and that she would later spend many of her days in greenhouses!
Jeff & Pam, who were both teachers at B-PC high school, purchased the nursery at an auction in 1989. For a short time, the couple ran the nursery part-time while still teaching. In 1992, Jeff started working full-time at the nursery and Pam joined full-time in 1996.
Since the purchase in 1989, Jeff & Pam have expanded the store to more than double its size , built 14 greenhouses with another in progress at present time.
The couple have grown the nursery to one of the largest in west central Illinois.
The nursery is open nearly year around (closed for a few weeks around Christmas) and offers seasonal landscaping needs and plants for ALL 4 seasons…..even Christmas!! Starting with annuals being seeded and plugs planted in January to potting perennials, trees, and shrubs in March thru the rest of the year, the nursery has the complete one stop-one shop offering of all bedding plants, houseplants, trees, & shrubs.
The nursery also offers various mulches, flagstones, rocks, and more. The nursery has a HUGE COLLECTION of HOSTAS with more than 300 varieties and 1000s of plants.
Seasonally the Vancil’s grow over 2000 mums to kick off fall sales. Fall also offers more perennials, shrubs, trees, and planters for your fall planting projects.
Finally, the Christmas season includes Christmas trees, handmade greenery of items including wreaths, swags, grave blankets & pillows, etc.
Hart’s and the Vancil family provide a wide variety of services including landscaping design and installation, paved patios and sidewalks, plus retaining walls. They also offer maintenance services; lawn care, tree injection and pruning.
The staff includes 3 licensed and trained pest management applicators, two Certified Arborists, and one Mauget Tree injection applicator.
That staff includes, sonin- law, Sam Kipling, who is full-time and a licensed pesticide operator and is prepping to be a certified arborist.
He helps direct purchasing of plants and store supplies and oversees planting of most nursery stock. Sam’s wife (Jeff and Pam’s daughter) Kaity, (4th generation) helps out during the busiest times of the year, such as Mother’s Day and Christmas. She helps tie up trees and puts together containers.
Most years she also helps in transplanting hundreds of petunias.
The Vancil grand- children and 5th generation, Ryan (6) and Eli (2 -who is also named after Pam’s Great Grandpa, Joseph Eli Smith), are frequently at the nursery.
Ryan helps stuff flats, fill pots, move plants and is always excited to work with the staff on various projects. Both grand-children raise a pumpkin patch and sell pumpkins at the nursery during the fall season.
Hart’s Nursery is truly a family business and one that continues to grow and evolve with each generation. Hours for the Nursery are 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, 9am - 4pm on Saturday and Sunday 12pm - 4pm. Stop out and be greeted by the staff and it’s three friendly, large and furry greeters, Kali, Graham, and Baxter.
