Hicks Nurseries Celebrates 170 Years of Serving Long Island

Hicks Nurseries, Long Island’s largest and premier garden center is celebrating 170 years of serving the local community. This sixth generation family owned and operated business was established in 1853 by Isaac Hicks and has helped transform the landscape of Long Island through continuous innovation.
At the turn of the century, Hicks Nurseries invented and patented the equipment for moving big trees that were desired by Long Island’s new Gold Coast estate owners. Some famous estates include Vanderbilt, JP Morgan and Phipps (which is currently Old Westbury Gardens), and many of those trees still flourish today.
Around 1930, in another innovative move, Hicks Nurseries made pre-dug plants available for customers. This marked the beginning of the walk-in, cash and carry customer business that developed into what is now called a retail garden center. In the 1960's, with western Long Island’s evolution from a rural to a suburban community complete, they refocused the business in order to keep pace with the new generation of Long Islanders, and over the next ten years converted the nursery into a thriving family-oriented retailing and growing operation that served hundreds of thousands of people each year. Seasonal experiences were introduced such as the Fall Festival and the Flower & Garden Show, highly anticipated annual events that have further expanded its customer base.
Today, the sixth generation Hicks family in the business includes siblings Stephen Hicks, who serves as President and Karen Hicks Courts, the Director of Human Resources. Stephen led the launch of Hicks Commercial Sales (the wholesale division) in 2008, and the re-launch of Hicks Landscapes in 2011.
Very few small businesses make the successful transition past one generation never mind six. Hicks Nurseries has overcome many obstacles such as the Civil War, Great Depression, two World Wars and a global pandemic. It has been able to not only survive but thrive as an industry leader and a vital part of the Long Island gardening and landscape community.
“Our success stems from the ability to consistently offer our customers top quality products along with expert advice to help them succeed,” said Stephen Hicks. He continued, “We have responded to the changing needs of the community and are focused on providing the very best shopping experience. We’ve built our reputation on that since the very beginning and continue to innovate with some exciting changes in the works.”
Taking place this month is Hicks Nurseries’ 33rd annual Flower & Garden Show, March 9-26. The show titled “A Novel Approach” takes inspiration from popular book genres including fantasy, romance, western adventure, travel through time and space, a children’s story, mystery, and of course, history which will pay tribute to Hicks.
For more information on the history of Hicks Nurseries visit hicksnurseries.com/about-us/
ABOUT HICKS NURSERIES
Hicks Nurseries is Long Island's largest and premier garden center, family-owned and operated since 1853. Dedicated to helping its customers achieve success in their homes and gardens, Hicks Nurseries provides expert and friendly advice along with an exceptional selection of quality products including indoor and outdoor plants, outdoor furniture, planters, lawn care, seasonal décor including artificial Christmas trees and more. They also offer complete award-winning landscape design services. Hicks Nurseries is located at 100 Jericho Turnpike in Westbury, NY. To learn more visit hicksnurseries.com/ and follow on social media @hicksnurseries.

[@EriksGarden]

Happy Anniversary Hicks! I am a proud alumni of your incredible garden center. Over my 33 years in the industry, I have never come across any place better. Nor have I worked for anyone better than Fred Hicks and Ron Cole. Congratulations!

[@NRadical1]

Happy Anniversary Hicks Family, we are so grateful and honored to be a part of your family as my husband is part of your awesome staff. We have patronized your outstanding business for many so years with our children and now grandchildren, it is very cool to now be really family! 🌼

[@marieprainito390]

you brighten all our lives. happy memories of trip with friends to see the shows, get advice and find plants

[@MyLovelyvoice]

Happy Anniversary! My family (both immediate & extended) & I have been visiting Hicks for over 40 years. We mostly go around Halloween and Christmas but also go to the flower show. By the way could you bring back the Easter display?? We were disappointed when you stopped doing an animated Easter story.

[@jefff4936]

I spent my early years in the landscape craft on Long Island in the 1970s thru 1980s. Took horticulture at Farmingdale. Hicks was long a legend then. Worked on North Shore estates that were purchased from the Hicks family when they were farmers in the 1800s. Knew very well and helped prune some of the massive trees they not only transpalnted, but invented the techniques to do so. Grew up playing in a long since gone Hicks nursery off of Burrs Lane and Straight Path in Dix Hills/Deer Park. Believe there are still a bunch of overgrown Taxus in the woods there, but I have been gone a long time. What an amazing legacy.