Florence Township — Whether it’s 500 bulbs or just a few planted in the back yard, there’s a good chance the gladiolus bulbs originated in St. Joseph County.
Fred W. Nagel & Sons of Three Rivers is the leading supplier of glad bulbs to retail stores and mail order catalogs in the United States. The Nagels are famous for some of the world’s finest glads from the past, present, and for the future. The late Fred Nagel began growing gladiolus in 1955 in St. Joseph County. It was a labor of love for Nagel, who had a passion for developing new varieties. Nagel died 10 years ago. His flower business continues to be a family operation.
Bulbs grown in St. Joseph County are sold in Canada, the Netherlands and many other parts of the world. Brian Schreuder of Schoolcraft said it’s a high tech operation that takes equipment so specialized that it can only be found in the Netherlands. Schreuder said each acre is planted with between 260,000 and 300,000 bulbs.
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