Propagating more than plants— Cultivating life!

My dad, Danny Takao, is the president and driving force behind Takao Nursery in Fresno, Calif. There’s nothing he’d rather do. The man eats, breathes and sleeps it, day in and day out. To my dad, it’s all about doing what you love and loving what you do. While it’s not always easy for the rest of our family to be in love with it 24/7, we certainly try our best to keep up.

His sincere passion for the floriculture industry and his genuine love of plants has propelled Takao Nursery from the mom-and-pop groundcover nursery that my grandparents started in 1960 in Gardenia, Calif., into a mid-sized propagator of annuals, perennials, roses and woody ornamentals, including patented varieties from breeders worldwide.

Even though my dad’s dedication at times can be more than I care to handle, I admit that it’s definitely had an influence on me. Not everyone is lucky enough to be doing what they love. That doesn’t always mean looking forward to going to work every day, but it does mean knowing deep down that you’re doing what you were meant to do.

From free-spirit to family nursery
My dad wasn’t always a dedicated greenhouse operator. Back in the 1970s, he was a hitch-hiking, So-Cal surfer dude, slim and tan with long wavy hair. My mom, Renu, came along and married the beach boy in 1978, and they moved to Fresno for a change of scenery.   They joined my father’s parents helping to operate their groundcover nursery, which they had relocated to Fresno. The nursery supplied plants to landscapers and other growers in the San Joaquin Valley and the rest of the state.

My parents went from being a couple to being a family when I was born in 1980. I was followed by my younger sister, Emily, and later by my brother Aaron. It was during the 1980s that my parents took over the operation of the company.
 
In 1995 with the help of Pete Kruger at Ball Seed and Don Hanna at Vaughan’s Seed, my parents made the transition to 100 percent liner propagation. In 2000 they purchased a nearby 10-acre location and constructed a state-of-the-art, 80,000-square-foot AgraTech greenhouse. This location has become our main propagation facility. Although this new location was only a few miles away, transitioning an entire operation to propagation turned out to be quite a feat. 
 
There were some growing pains: Learning how to propagate plants under different conditions in a new greenhouse and having to move thousands of plants to the new location. Even after nine years, it’s still a work in progress.

Family ties
About the time that the new location was opening, my sister Emily and I also made the decision to the join the family business. Emily has since left the company preferring law to plants. But I’m still involved working as the creative director. 
 
With a background in graphic design, I handle all of the marketing efforts for the company. The basis behind my approach is to be unique and to not be afraid to step away from the mainstream. I definitely want to be able to appeal to the younger generation as well and show plants in a new light.
 
Although I don’t consider myself to be a “plant person,” my mom and dad are very enthusiastic about the plants our company produces. We are the perfect juxtaposition of imagination and tradition.
 
My brother recently joined the business working as stock manager, overseeing the stock plant production and tending to equipment maintenance and repair. Our “extended” family includes our office personnel, Traci Nottingham, who has been with us for nine years, and Monique Nonini, who has been an employee for seven years. This is definitely a family-operated company.

The importance of relationships
Relationships inside and outside of our company are important to us. They’re one of our main focuses, along with producing quality liners and being a part of change. By being active in various industry organizations, including OFA, Society of American Florists, Perennial Plant Association, Plant Propagators Society, UC Davis Arboretum All-Stars Program and Fresno Master Gardeners, implementing out-of-the-box marketing ideas and introducing new and exciting plant varieties, we hope to make a contribution to our industry and our community.
 
My dad has a zeal for plants and is avid about changing the way our industry does business. He wants to connect people from all industry segments to draw on our strengths to make plants more appealing to consumers. He believes breeders, brokers, growers and retailers need to work together to address the concerns of a dwindling market and a new generation that has a diminishing interest in plants.
 
As a propagator of annuals, perennials, roses, tropicals and woody ornamentals that ships young plants through a network of brokers, we know we’re not close to the end consumer. Still, we want to do our part to contribute to change in the industry and to increase the passion for plants. We hope our enthusiasm will spread, and others will be inspired to evoke change in their own way.

For more: Takao Nursery, (559) 275-3844; www.takaonursery.com.
Lisa Takao-McCall is creative director, Garden Bloomers Takao Nursery, ltakao@takaonursery.com.