REXFORD — It began in 1982 with a used truck, a wheelbarrow and a few shovels.
That’s when John Kulak started his landscaping business with the support of his wife, Karen, and a passion for hard work he developed growing up on a farm in Glenville.
“I was a farmer when I was a young boy, so I kind of just picked it up,” he said. “I like nursery materials, I like the outdoors and I like hard work.”
More than 40 years later the Kulaks have grown their business into a one-stop shop for all things landscaping that employs roughly two dozen and enjoys a loyal customer base that buys up thousands of colorful annuals, vegetables and shrubs sold each spring at the 10-acre garden center along Route 146 in Rexford.
Kulak's Nursery & Landscaping was by no means an overnight success but rather a business built on a reputation for friendly customer service and quality work over decades, John Kulak, 65, said on a recent rainy afternoon in between moving piles of mulch and checking on his staff, who were preparing for what is poised to be a busy gardening season.
“We built our business on reputation,” he said. “We based all of our work and our reputation on our pride.”
The world of gardening and landscaping is now a family affair for the Kulaks, who work with two of their children, Chris and Pam, who have played an active role in the business from a young age. The couple has a third son who has spent the past 17 years in the U.S. Navy.
Flipping through an old photo album in a back office of the store, the Kulaks shared memories of their children jumping into backhoes, eager to demolish an old building that once stood at the Rexford property they acquired 23 years ago as they prepared to renovate the site and grow their business.
Customers shop the vast assortment at Kulak's Nursery on Route 146 in Rexford Friday, April 12, 2024.
“It’s a family operation,” said Karen Kulak.
A former teacher with BOCES, Karen, 64, began devoting more time to the company as things took off, sending out invoices and working part time with the landscaping crew.
Today she oversees the company's financials but spends plenty of time interacting with customers, which she said is her favorite part of the job.
“Never in a million years,” she said when asked if the success of the business is something she ever thought possible.
But the Kulak family is busier than ever, completing hundreds of landscaping jobs each summer that range from planting gardens to installing patios and outdoor kitchens — all of which are designed in-house and built by a team overseen by John, who still picks up a shovel and wheels material around job sites.
Cultivating outdoor living spaces has been a trend for years but took off in 2020 due to the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic that saw more people spending time at home because of travel restrictions put in place to stem the spread of the virus.
But things haven’t slowed even as the pandemic loosened its grip, according to John Kulak, who believes gardening is more popular now than ever.
“It makes people feel good,” he said. “I think that’s one of the big key factors. Just the sense of doing it on your own. It’s a satisfaction to people.”
And Kulak's Nursery likely has something to satisfy everyone, no matter how green their thumb may be.
Bright annuals such as marigolds and petunias are popular for those looking for a splash of color, but the business also carries a wide selection of seed packets, vegetables and spruces that sell out as quickly as they come in. There is also a selection of raised beds and large clay pots, along with piles of mulch of varying shades.
Looking for a birdbath? No problem. Grass seed? Check. The store even has a display of Mother’s Day cards near the front register.
Those who forget to water their plants might find interest in the nursery’s selection of hardy succulents or courses on gardening basics.
“We have a little bit of everything in here,” said John as he showed a reporter around the sprawling garden center while busy employees moved between plants like bees searching for pollen.
As for the future, the Kulaks don’t think they’ll be slowing down anytime soon. They still work an average of 70 hours a week, assisting customers and moving dirt at job sites, but they enjoy every minute.
“I like to say flowers make people happy,” John said.
For information on Kulak's Nursery & Landscaping, visit kulaksnursery.com or stop by the garden center at 1615 Route 146 in Rexford.