History of Petitti's

celebrating 50 years

the story of petitti's

Founded by Angelo Petitti in 1971, this is the story of Petitti Garden Centers as told by the Petitti family. Journey from Angelo’s humble beginnings to today, and learn the unique aspects and European influences that make Petitti’s unlike any other independent garden center business in the country. As Angelo states, “every challenge is an opportunity”. And now, after decades of support from friends, family, employees, and the community, we are humbled & proud to mark the 50th anniversary by sharing the behind-the-flowers story you perhaps never knew!

locally grown & family owned

the company timeline

Angelo Petitti, the son of a farmer and nephew of an avid gardener, immigrated to the United States in 1963 at the age of 16 from Faeto, a small mountain village with a population of 600 in southeast Italy. For 3 years, he worked at Pick-n-Pay Supermarket, and as a busboy at a local restaurant, to support himself while attending Kent State University night classes to pursue political science. Angelo also leveraged his innate sense of the land to do part-time landscaping and, eventually, his interest in horticulture became his full-time passion.

In 1966, Angelo started Petitti Landscape Company. His brother, Domenico, joined him and they bought an oversized garage in 1969 in Oakwood Village to store their trucks, landscape equipment, and plant material. Soon, passersby began to visit, inquiring about the plants, and the brothers found themselves a complementary business.

1971

thursday, april 15

Petitti garden Center 50th Logo

On the site of the old garage, Angelo Petitti opened the first Petitti Garden Center building on Thursday, April 15, 1971 in Oakwood Village, and a Northeast Ohio tradition was born.

Explore our Oakwood Village location

growing the

Family Business

In 1975, Angelo married Maria, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1966 from the same small town. She became active in administration of the business and put her photography talents to work, using plant photographs to create helpful plant signage for customers. Soon, AJ, Andria, and Lisa were born, and the business became a family affair.

The 1980s | Angelo opened 6 seasonal locations in the parking lots of area Gold Circle discount department stores, which Angelo credits for helping him learn how to operate multiple locations. Angelo also opened the Tallmadge location in 1985, the oldest existing location after Oakwood Village. After Gold Circle dismantled in 1988, Angelo quickly recreated his seasonal operations, opening again in the parking lots of local Sears department stores in 1989. This is also when Angelo decided to shed landscaping services and focus on developing his retail garden centers.
The Petitti Family

propagating knowledge

The 1980s is also when the Gardening with Angelo Radio Show hit the local airwaves on WERE-AM with a goal of sharing knowledge to support gardeners’ success. It continued for four decades, moving to WRMR-AM in the ’90s, WDOK-FM in the ’00s and, today, airs Saturday mornings from March-October on WTAM 1100. Listeners tune in for valuable, timely lawn & garden advice, and many call in to have their questions answered on-air.

Listen to episodes on demand

a defining moment

becoming a grower

Petitti Garden Center 5oth Logo

The next defining moment came in 1990 when Angelo officially transformed the Oakwood Village location into a growing facility for annuals and perennials. On the heels of that, in 1991, Angelo purchased 30 acres of farmland in Madison, OH to begin growing trees and shrubs for his stores.

Casa Verde

located in Columbia Station, OH

1996 | Another key turning point came in the mid 90s when Angelo deepened his commitment to growing his own plants by purchasing and redeveloping a 12-acre greenhouse facility in Columbia Station. Today, the facility is comprised of 45 acres known as Casa Verde – where 4 million annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, and indoor plants are cultivated each year to supply fresh plants daily for Petitti Garden Centers.

Angelo also toured garden centers in England in 1996, which he credits for opening his eyes to what the garden center experience could be back in America. Upon returning from his trip, he re-built the Oakwood Village location from the ground up, upgrading for the first time to provide a covered shopping environment and concrete flooring.

cultivating an experience

the modern garden center

Petitti garden Center 50th Logo

2001 |Using knowledge gleaned from European garden center tours, and with a clear vision for evolution, Angelo took a giant leap in 2001. With the help of a world-renowned garden center designer from the U.K., he opened the Strongsville location as a 14-acre Victorian garden conservatory. It was the largest garden center in the country, a first of its kind in the United States, and it met the comprehensive gardener’s lifestyle by offering everything from plants, pottery, and lawn & garden supplies to patio furniture, home décor, and garden accents. Angelo followed up in 2002 by acquiring the Boardman location and redeveloping it as a Petitti Garden Center.

2007 | Expanding significantly on the farming presence that began with a small amount of land in 1991, Angelo purchased 700 additional acres of farmland, making it possible to serve local landscapers and wholesale plant customers outside of Northeast Ohio. Today, the now 1,300-acre collection of farm sites in Lake County is where 3 million trees, shrubs, and ornamental grasses are cultivated over a period of many years to supply Petitti Garden Centers with fresh nursery plants daily. 

Garden Street

Angelo built and opened the Avon location in 2007, now the largest Petitti Garden Center. Once again demonstrating European inspiration and influence, Avon features a galleria-like structure designed and fabricated in Holland that is 45 feet high, 50 feet wide, and 420 feet in length, which Angelo favorably nicknames Garden Street.

Angelo acquired the Bainbridge location in 2010, beloved as a most charming Petitti Garden Center.

Angelo opened the Mentor location in 2011 in Erie Commons shopping plaza near Great Lakes Mall.

new beginnings

April 2018 was a particularly exciting spring, as Angelo opened 3 garden centers with a goal to reach and better serve more customers in their hometown communities. The Canton-Jackson Township location opened in the heart of the Belden Village shopping district. The Brunswick location, acquired from previous ownership, was reintroduced as a Petitti Garden Center. The Boardman location was also redeveloped, and now draws gardeners from Greater Youngstown and Pittsburgh.

cleveland, akron-canton & youngstown

today

The locally grown and family-owned business Angelo Petitti seeded in a small garage in Oakwood Village has blossomed into a beloved Northeast Ohio brand with 9 year-round locations serving the Greater Cleveland, Akron-Canton, and Youngstown communities including Avon, Bainbridge, Boardman, Brunswick, Canton/Jackson Twp., Mentor, Oakwood Village, Strongsville, and Tallmadge.

Text

“When I see people enjoying their day at the garden center, that is the thing that I enjoy. To me, that is the goal.” – Angelo Petitti

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