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The History of Mink's NurseryMink's Nursery was started in 1942 by William H. Mink when the area was on the outskirts of London. The main plants that he carried were the traditional landscape plants of the time; Hemlock, Taxus, and Arborvitae, some of which are still evident in the immediate area. In the off-season, Mr. Mink supplemented his income as a local handsaw, then chainsaw, sharpening service. He became a district dealer in Lombard chainsaws and was a well-known southeast Kentucky authority on bonsai plants. In 1981, Mr. Mink sold the Nursery to Arnold and Mary Ann Samples, who had moved to the area in 1974. They saw the nursery as a solid business opportunity, but not without some risks. They decided to keep the Mink's name because of the strong name-recognition that it enjoyed in the area. Arnold and Mary Ann immediately began creating new lines of inventory to cater to the changing consumer tastes. Michael, David and Katrina all work at the Nursery with their families. Over the years, more intricate landscape design/build projects, lawn maintenance services as well as swimming pool installation have been introduced. As we head into 2007, our third generation is continuing to add more to the business as well as a second location. In 1997, an old turn-of-the-century log cabin from the Swiss-Colony area west of London was saved from demolition. It was taken down piece-by-piece and re-built in front of the original concrete block building that Mink had constructed. It now houses a gift shop and is the entrance to the store. Click on the small picture of the cabin at the top of the page to see a larger image. We would love for you to stop by and visit us at either of our locations. |