Second-Generation Owners of Wekiwa Gardens in Florida Capitalize on Founders’ Success

In partnership with: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Kathrein Bellinger Markle and Wekiwa Gardens grew up together. After emigrating from Germany, Markle’s parents, Paul and Marianne Bellinger, started the Apopka-based nursery in 1965. Paul grew stock at home while honing his skills working at several area nurseries.

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The Business Roots

Poinsettias were an early venture, Markle remembers, with her dad nurturing them under pine trees on their property. 

“When a freeze was coming, we had to put them all in the station wagon, drive them over to the nursery where Dad was working at the time, put them inside overnight, then go get them all in the morning,” Markle recalls. 

Eventually, Paul built a small greenhouse – the beginning of the family business. While Markle’s dad was at work and she and her brother, H. Paul, were in school, Marianne would put the plants in the car and peddle them to garden centers, establishing Wekiwa Gardens’ reputation as a trustworthy grower and wholesale supplier of quality products. 

Paul eventually discovered how to coax blooms from aphelandra (zebra plant) and began specializing in the tropical plant. He also became a licensed propagator for Optimara, a trademarked variety of African violets. As a longtime industry member, Paul was inducted into the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscapers Hall of Fame in 1998 for his expertise and industry leadership. 

When H. Paul took over as grower, however, “he said he was tired of fighting Mother Nature,” Markle recalls. “African violets just don’t do well in Florida.” 

Instead, they focused on aphelandra and hoya for years, but around 2009 they began receiving inferior stock from their suppliers. In addition, aphelandra takes a lot of care at the retail level. If not properly maintained, the plant doesn’t present well to the customer. 

“We decided we needed to do something else, and customers wanted foliage. So that is what we decided to grow,” Markle explains. 

“It’s pretty great to see someone post on Facebook, ‘Look what I just scored at the garden center,’ and it’s a plant with your tag in it.”

– Kathrein Bellinger Markle, Wekiwa Gardens Owner

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Focus on Foliage

Wekiwa Gardens now focuses on foliage plants, supplying florist-quality products to garden centers, retail foliage departments, interiorscapers and brokers. Markle, H. Paul and his wife, Madge, operate the business. Markle says they concentrate on plants with color and texture. 

“Some of the interiorscapers still like plain green, but what sells through in garden centers are the interesting plants – colorful varieties such as alocasia, fatsia, calathea and apoballis with textured leaves,” she says. 

The pandemic enormously impacted the nursery industry, as remote workers enlivened their home office spaces with greenery. Young millennials living in small urban spaces added plants to brighten up their surroundings as they were spending so much time at home, thus creating a garden decor trend.

“They love plants, and I love that they love plants,” Markle says. 

That customer’s smaller space meant they needed smaller pots, and Wekiwa Gardens adapted, offering more 4-inch and 6-inch pots than ever.

Caring for Growth

Wekiwa Gardens has been recognized by the Florida Farm Bureau’s CARES program, which identifies growers and ranchers who demonstrate exemplary efforts to protect the state’s natural resources by implementing Best Management Practices. 

Even with the continuing challenge of new invasive pests and labor issues, Markle can’t imagine doing anything else. 

“I just love making people happy,” she says. “It’s pretty great to see someone post on Facebook, ‘Look what I just scored at the garden center,’ and it’s a plant with your tag in it. Our customers tell us we are a good supplier, and they have confidence in what we ship them.” 

The same attentiveness to customer needs and focus on consistent product Paul and Marianne developed decades ago has been passed to the present generation. 

“That foundation continues to serve us well,” Markle says.