Who We Are

Gardening isn’t just a job to us — it’s a family passion. With over 95 years of experience in gardening, landscaping, and lawn care we take pride in helping our customers maintain and beautify their homes.

We believe every garden has potential — whether it's a tiny courtyard or a sprawling lawn — and we’re here to help you unlock it. Friendly, professional, and always focused on the details, we treat your garden like it’s our own.

Meet The Team

Joe Allemon

Evan Allemon

Jon Allemon

Bob
(on the left)

“Mary 19”
Jon (again)
Degen

The Long Story…

It all began with the “original” Henry Allemon, who immigrated to the United States from Woumen, Belgium in 1884 at the age of 22. Henry never met his father, who died shortly before Henry was born. Coming from a dairy farming background, Henry joined the growing Belgian community on the east side of Detroit and opened his own dairy farm.

Five years later, he married Emerance Van Damme who immigrated from Zillebeke, Belgium a few years after Henry. Together they founded Pure Milk Dairy, located at 607 Lemay in Detroit, serving Detroit’s east side and the expanding Grosse Pointe area. Their marriage was blessed with eight children.

Henry and Emma would pack up their horse-drawn carriage early each morning to sell wholesale dairy products at Detroit’s Eastern Market. During winter months, they heated bricks in the fireplace, wrapped them in blankets, and used them to keep warm during the 4 1/2 mile trip.

William (Bill) Allemon, would go on to work in—and eventually take over—the family dairy business. Bill and his wife, Emma (Van Hoet) would have three children: Florence, Henry (Hank), and Joe.

The 1920s brought significant hardship for Bill. His wife Emma passed away in 1924 at the age of 29, just ten days after giving birth.

The dairy business also required significant investment to survive. The U.S. Public Health Service recommended that all milk be pasteurized, leading to the Standard Milk Ordinance of 1924. The necessary equipment was expensive, so Bill sold the business to competitor Belle Isle Creamery.

Bill made the best of it for his children. On Sundays after church, he would entertain the kids with a drive. He would throw his hat in the air and whichever direction the wind blew it, that’s where they headed.

Bill later purchased property at 17727 Mack Avenue, where Allemon’s Landscape Center stands today. William J. Allemon Garden Supply, the predecessor to Allemon’s Landscape Center, began operations out of a small shack in early 1929 - just months before the Great Depression started in October.

Fortunately for Bill, Grosse Pointe was slowly transforming from a community of summer cottages and large estates into neighborhoods of single-family homes. And they all needed to be landscaped.

The 1940s brought more uncertainty as the nation entered World War II. Henry was the first to be drafted, serving as a sergeant in the 94th Division of Patton’s Third Army. Landing at Normandy Beach three months after D-Day, his service took him through France, Belgium, Germany, and Czechoslovakia.

Joe, the youngest, was later drafted into an armored division and trained on Sherman tanks in preparation for deployment to the Pacific Theater.

Florence’s sweetheart, Hank Tavery, was already in the South Pacific serving as a medical corpsman treating wounded soldiers and pilots.

Both brothers returned home, and within a few years, all three siblings were married and starting families. Henry, Joe, and their brother-in-law Hank Tavery took over the business from Bill.

During the 1950s and 60s their marriages brought 20 grandchildren into Bill’s life. Each one a part of the growing Allemon legacy. Many worked at the family business during high school and college.

Changes continued through the 1980s. Henry Allemon (1922-1980) passed away unexpectedly. A few years later, two brothers and a cousin (Joe, Ed, and Mike) would take the helm from their fathers. The third generation of ownership began. Hank Tavery retired…and kept coming in to help!

The old store was renovated, new products were introduced, and the nursery yard was redesigned. Allemon’s now carried fountains, statuary, and garden ornaments. A canopy was installed to protect shoppers from the elements. And the first computers were purchased to track inventory and shopper purchases.

Today, the fourth generation of Allemon’s is operating the business. On any given day, you're likely to find several of Joe’s sons — and occasionally Kim, his only daughter — managing the daily operations:

  • Joe Jr. tending to the tomato plants,

  • Ryan explaining how to care for azaleas,

  • Brad showing a potential customer the premium pine bark mulch,

  • Matt discussing the best “smoking chip” options for preparing salmon in a CharBroil smoker,

  • Evan coordinating the daily delivery schedule,

  • Scott keeping the kindling processor running and restocking the pine “carry bags”,

  • Jon ordering more flowers, perennials, and nursery stock — all because Dad says, “Hurry up… we’re running out!”

You might even find a fifth generation Allemon playing “help the customer”.