John Tomasovic, with his brother George, purchased the greenhouses from Charles Meier in 1931.  John grew up in the Lutheran Orphanage and learned the floral business at the age of 14 when he went to work for Thomas C. Kirkwood, a grower on Lockett Road in Kirkwood.  He later purchased five acres of ground on Lockett Road and started his own business growing a variety of field flowers. After buying the Meier property, Tomasovic’s production was mainly the growing of prize-winning carnations, together with snapdragons, delphiniums, feverfew and other wild flowers. 

He added several more greenhouses bringing the total to 80,000 square feet of glass.  He later went into the production of chrysanthemums, pom poms, tulips, iris and jonquils for the downtown wholesale flower market on LaSalle Street.   Tomasovic was very active in various organizations of the Allied Florists, President of the St. Louis Flower Growers Association and Chairman of the Missouri Valley Carnation Growers.

In 1969, John L. Tomasovic Sr. and wife, Pep, purchased the wholesale flower business and home from his father and is carrying on the family tradition of growing prize-winning flowers.  John was issued a patent for the development of the Yellow Coronado chrysanthemum. Even though this prize-winning plant is no longer grown in the greenhouses today, various other plants are grown.  At the present time, 2003, production of bedding plants for spring sales to landscapers both indoor and outdoor, garden centers and non-profit organizations sponsored fundraisers.  Cut flowers are almost non-existent due to foreign imports. 

Dry bulb sales and production of garden mums are done in the fall.  Nursery stock is carried year round. Easter lilies and poinsettias are produced for holiday sales.  

The John L. Tomasovic Sr. Florist, Inc. greenhouses now comprise three acres of glass and plastic. Two greenhouses were part of the horticulture exhibit at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis and are still included in plant production today, almost 100 years later.

The Next Generation . . .

The Tomasovic greenhouses continue today under a new name, Tomasovic Greenhouses & Nursery, Inc. with six acres in production.  John L. Tomasovic, Jr. now manages the business, along with his wife, Beth, as the third generation of Tomasovics.  

Together, John, Sr. and his son are still operating at the same location as the oldest business in Des Peres. They continue the floral tradition of growing prize-winning flowers and giving specialized service to their customers.