Business Close-Up: A vision for Northwoods gardens
It takes vision and hard work to turn a dream into a reality, and that’s evident when visiting CCL Gardens and Landscaping, owned and operated by D. Bert Saal.
Bert, who is a life-long resident of Rhinelander, and his dedicated employees, are busy turning this property into a showcase model of gardens and landscaping ideas for all to see. Located on Hwy. 47, just north of Cty. K, CCL Gardens has much to offer those looking to enhance their property and outdoor surroundings.
For 17 years Bert worked as a foreman for Northwoods Nursery, but he always had a dream of opening his own garden center and landscaping business. In 2005 he made that dream a reality by purchasing a piece of property on Hwy. 47.
Today CCL Gardens and Landscaping, (CCL stands for Customer Choice Landscaping) offers clients a place to purchase hardy trees, shrubs and plants; a convenient location to buy locally grown produce; and this welcoming enterprise also offers clients a chance to see, up close, many landscaping materials, and talk to professionals who know how to make landscaping ideas and projects a reality.
Bert’s vision is expanding, and every year he offers more and more to his customers and clients. Take for instance CCL’s produce stand which is located in the small house located on the property. “Most of the produce we sell here is locally grown in Wisconsin,” said Jim Krueger, office manager at CCL. “Some of it comes from an Amish farm in western Wisconsin, but we try and purchase produce as locally as possible.”
There’s lots to choose from here, including green beans, tomatoes (including beautiful beefsteak specimens,) sweet corn, cherries, peaches, cucumbers, dill, zucchini, maple syrup and even a locally made BBQ sauce, to name a few. And as more vegetables and fruits become available, Bert includes those as well. Customers can even order large quantities if they want to preserve their own food.
In addition to this welcoming produce stand, CCL Gardens also has many types of trees for sale. Some are fruiting specimens like apple and cherry, while other are hardy ornamentals like flowering crab apple. “You can plant a tree any time of year you can get a shovel in the ground,” said Jim. “The key to success in getting a tree started is making sure it has adequate water.” There are many shrubs and bushes to see here and most come with a one year warranty.
There are also several greenhouses on the property, and right now one is filled with perennials that are flowering in a beautiful array of colors. In the springtime there is a large selection of annual plants to choose from as well, including flowers and vegetables.
Travelers driving past CCL may have noticed some landscaping going on right now. Bert and Jim are working to create a large garden that will include a water feature, many plants they sell and a lot of products that are available, including landscaping pavers, stepping stones, river rock of every size and retaining wall bricks. All these products come in a wide variety of sizes, colors and materials. In addition, a super soil combination, along with wood mulch, is available.
Gardeners can also purchase supplies at CCL Garden supplies include pesticides, tools, fertilizer, and much more. Garden art is offered, including rain barrel rigs, locally made birdhouses and interesting figurines that are sure to bring a smile. There are also chain saw carvings, many of which can be observed while driving past CCL.
Landscaping has always been Bert’s passion, and clients are welcome to stop by and discuss ideas or problems with this professional. Bert has the equipment needed to complete all types of projects that could include a retaining wall, rock garden, walkway, a deck or just a spruce up when current vegetation becomes overgrown.
Bert and Jim make sure their customers are treated like family, and invite everyone to stop in and see for themselves what CCL Gardens and Landscaping has to offer. “We’re always changing things up, making improvement and offering more products,” said Jim. “There’s always something new to see.”
CCL Gardens and Landscaping is located at 3839 Hwy. 47 N. in Rhinelander. It is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information, call (715) 362-2991, or visit cclgardens.com.
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