NNLA Member Spotlight: Jensen Gardens
To promote our members and learn about each other, NNLA will highlight members with a spotlight feature in the NNLA newsletter, Facebook page, and website. To participate, go to the NNLA webpage (nnla.org) and under member benefits you will find a button to click to complete a form.
For this issue’s member spotlight, we visit with Nathan Jensen with Jensen Gardens.
Nathan Jensen, Jensen Gardens
jensengardens.com
402.253.8880
Tell us about your business’ background and history. How did the company start and where it is today? Describe your path to get here.
How we started: A passion for plants, working in the dirt, building with stone and block, and fixing up old trucks and equipment. Much remains the same today! When I was nine, I convinced our parents to let me put in a garden on the side and back of our house. Our parents were kind and patient enough to agree. We experimented growing all kinds of things for years. What an unsightly mess! It was fun and we learned a lot! One of my first paying jobs was at a Christmas tree farm when I was 14 for $4.75/hr. I came home smelling great every day. I loved it! I went to UNL on an engineering scholarship and quickly realized I missed the dirt. I took up studying horticulture with the great Addie Kinghorn and construction management at UNL/UNO at night while working landscaping full time during the day. Soon after Jensen Gardens was born. Nick and Eric and I started working together as we gained customers and expanded our service offerings.
What are you known for or what is your niche?
We are full service, we design it, build it, and maintain it. We communicate with our customers the whole way through. We have several passionate “plant nerds” on our team. We love what we do! We will have a one hour conversation with you on why we designed your landscape with chinkapin oak and fox sedge instead of river birch and daylilies. Our maintenance team will have a one hour conversation with you about the benefits of mowing at 4” instead of 3.25” and the benefits of aerating and overseeding in the fall, and that you might not need that grub treatment. We love landscapes inspired by nature utilizing natives and natural stone when we can. And we love helping you take care of it.
What are some highlights of serving your community?
We recently sponsored the Sarpy County 4H program. We need to get more kids outside. 4H isn’t just horses and livestock, it’s also gardening and much more. Anything to get kids in the dirt we are big fans of. We adopted 1 mile of Hwy 50, albeit some of the litter is blown out the back of our trucks. We have a crew of the month nomination where the winning crew selects a charity for us to donate to each month. Some of the sponsorships include Open Door Mission, St Jude, Omaha Parks, Boys Town, Ronald McDonald House, Nebraska Children’s Home, and the Daegan Page Memorial.
What awards or recognition has the business received?
Certified Nurserymen: 4 on staff
NE Certified Arborist: 5 on staff
EPA Certified Employees: 5 on staff
National Concrete & Masonry Association Professional Installer
International Concrete Paver Institute Professional Installer
BBB Honor Roll 13 years running
What are you passionate about professionally?
Enhancing our outdoor environment while respecting nature and each other. And, having a family-focused company with values of integrity and respect in a happy, friendly atmosphere known for taking care of each other and our customers above all else.
We love rising to the challenge when a customer has a difficult problem that no one else is willing to tackle. The challenge makes it exciting and rewarding.
What is your favorite way to spend a weekend?
The perfect weekend is farming/gardening/hunting/fishing in the morning. Then spending the evening with family and friends and sharing a great meal.