Gro-Rite Greenhouse & Garden Center is a family affair. In 1973, Dave and Gerda Vande Vrede opened a small garden center on their New Jersey farm. Year in and year out, they spent growing seasons cultivating all their own plant annual and perennial plants from seeds and cuttings. The Vande Vredes' dedication to personally raising plants and selling directly to customers led to an unparalleled reputation as producers of the finest, most beautiful varieties of flowers and plants in New Jersey... and the ultimate in service.

With attention to high quality and customer service, the business grew to 22 acres, with 160,000 square feet of greenhouse space. By the 1990's, the company outgrew its first location, and purchased a 110 acre farm in Belvidere, adding 180,000 square feet of covered greenhouse growing space and a large outdoor growing area.

Over time, the Vande Vrede children increasingly participated in the family business. The second generation has been actively involved in expanding and refining the business, from technologically enhanced greenhouses to efficient mixing processes; from creating our own brand names to identifying and growing from the world's finest plant materials, seeds and cuttings.

Times may have changed, our staff has grown over the 35 years, but at Gro-Rite, the Vande Vrede family's original dedication to quality products, reasonable prices, smart growing and direct selling endures into a new generation of leadership. Their stewardship and personal attention has garnered a wide and loyal customer base, from the one-pot customer to large wholesale buyers.