Family nursery grows deep community roots

News Article on Renkens Nursery Published in the Victoria Advocate on August 18, 2018

Children hop from flowerbed to flowerbed, plucking petals and waving them in the air like little colorful flags as their parents browse for the perfect addition to their backyard paradise. Vegetable plants glisten in the sun after being doused by the hose, and birds chirp cheerfully to each other from the softly swaying tree branches.

And it all began with an acorn.

Renken's Nursery & Landscaping, 2701 Salem Road, was founded in 1985 by Dennis and Grace Renken. Dennis, 74, came from a farming family, and Grace, 72, was raised on a dairy farm, so growing things was simply second nature. The fact that Dennis could pick up an acorn off the ground, plant it and in a few years it would sprout into a magnificent tree fascinated him so much that he took an early retirement and committed to running the nursery full-time.

The Renkens' only child, Dina Krenek, 53, was not always so interested in the family business. After she graduated from Sam Houston State University in 1989 with a degree in marketing and a minor in art, Krenek wanted to work for a big financial company and live in a bigger city. Yet with the growing success of the nursery, her parents offered to let her run the business side of things and put her creativity to good use by coming up with landscape designs for clients.

In 2012, Krenek took over the business, but her parents are still actively involved, each with their own specialty.

Her dad takes care of the grounds and makes deliveries, and her mom, who used to work at a bank, does the paperwork and payroll. Together, they keep everything running smoothly and efficiently.

Krenek likes not having to wear a suit to work and having lunch with her family every day. Although they may get on each other's nerves, in the end they're all family and can always count on each other, she said.

"My parents taught me that in this industry, humility is everything," Krenek said. "You're never going to know everything because you're dealing with live plants, and every year there's something new: a new bug, a new fungus, a new chemical," she continued. "At 53, I'm still learning, and so is my dad at the age of 74."

The landscaping and gardening business has evolved as people continue to have less free time. Instead of working on their yards themselves, that's where Renken's Nursery comes in.

They have a variety of clientele.

From big businesses to the 85-year-old lady down the street, Krenek wants to be able to meet her client's needs, no matter how challenging.

"Growing up and learning the business from my dad, I was taught how important it is that we don't need to carry every product out there," Krenek said. "We need to carry what helps our customers because that's what we're here for."

And running a nursery isn't always sunshine and flowers.

Because Krenek deals with living things, it's a 24/7 job, she explains.

"If I'm not at the nursery, I'm in someone's yard," Krenek said. "I go out to the yards and properties myself, checking on the progress, checking on my crew. I'm involved, and that makes a difference."

Because the nursery has always been family-owned and -operated, they take a lot of pride in giving the client a quality product and educating them on how to take care of that product for their own success.

"We just want to serve the community," Grace Renken said. "We give them more than just plants; we give them knowledge. And they trust us. That's why they keep coming back."

Krenek would love for the nursery to stay in the family, but she doesn't want to force it on either of her two sons.

She wants them to know the opportunity is here, but it's ultimately their choice.

Krenek is confident that as Victoria continues to grow, so will their business and their ability to make an impact on the community.

"We've got great clients – some I've worked with for 25 years," she said. "Every spring, every summer, every party, whatever plant they need, we've got it for them. It's a great industry; there will always be a need for a family nursery that you can trust. It's that's personal interaction that's important."

Beyond helping her clients make their landscape dreams come true, Krenek values the legacy her family has made.

"Running the nursery with my family is very rewarding, not just for the financial aspect, but you can actually say you grew something with your family," Krenek said. "This place has taken care of us, and we're going to take care of it."