A Labor Of Love

    M. Robinson and Son Inc. Landscape, Nurserymen

We have all been taught not to believe everything we read, and it seems most companies claim to be the best at what they do. Therefore, we usually need something more like a referral from someone we know. A referral that confirms the trustworthiness of a company.

The next best thing to a referral would be to investigate the longevity of a business. Obviously, if a company has been providing service to thousands of people for many years, it's bound to provide a bit of comfort to a prospective customer. Therefore, if a company can boast a long history, they should and usually do.

Martin Robinson, founder of M. Robinson and Son Inc., worked six days a week selling produce in Jersey City. Sundays, his only day off, would be spent with his pals hopping trains and riding in boxcars. One Sunday, as the train pulled into a pretty little town, the cherry trees were blooming and Martin was taken by its charm. He asked the name of the town, his friend replied "Cranford". It was love at first sight. Martin's response was "Someday I'm gonna live in Cranford."

Martin eventually bought a truck and started his own business selling plants. The year was 1929. It was a difficult year to start a business. The world was experiencing the great depression, but Martin's business survived. Although times were tough, there were people buying plants. His business was mobile and Martin knew where to find customers less affected by economic conditions. He saved, and eventually purchased his long desired property in Cranford.

Martin was a great salesman. He was always dressed sharp in a suit and tie. Many people around the area referred to him as "The Mayor". His plant business grew into a landscaping business and eventually a nursery.

There wasn't much competition in the immediate area back then. M. Robinson was, for the most part, the only game in town. Martin knew the value of a good name and he worked for years building his reputation. He taught his son Ed the value of their name. Martin had spent years building an association between his name and the words quality and trust.

Ed Robinson followed in his father's footsteps and developed the business even further. He continued to build the reputation of quality and trust, and picked up quite an education along the way. Ed became a very respected man in the landscape industry. Not only because he was a two time Mayor of his own town, or because he was president of the North Jersey Landscape Association. It was also because of Ed's knowledge, talent, and business relationships.

Ed had become a business associate with, and friend, to James Rose. James Rose was a world famous Landscape architect. It is well known throughout the landscape industry that Mr. Rose was instrumental in changing how Americans look at landscaping. He worked on the most elite jobs in the country. His talents were a must to the rich and famous for landscape architecture. James Rose was "the Frank Lloyd Wright of Landscape Architecture".

Ed and his company worked on over 100 jobs for more than 30 years in cooperation with James Rose. Mr. Rose's style was "natural scapes". He'd say "Our work is done, when it looks like we were never there". He looked to Ed for his knowledge of plants, and the quality of his nursery products. The Robinson's plants were always the best for natural scapes. They were and still are the most natural looking plants available.

Ed worked with the best there was and took as much knowledge as he could with him. Today, when you speak to the Robinsons, you feel you can trust them. It's not only because of their history, you just know, you feel it. These are honest, fair and hard-working people. The best part, however, is that they’re artists. They sell ideas and they feel there should be a marriage between plants and their surroundings. When their work is complete you should look at your house and feel the house looks great, not just the landscape. They know there are many looks to every landscape, day, night, seasons, angles of view, etc. They love their work and are students of the art.

The third generation, Neil Robinson is as passionate about his work as his predecessors. You can hear it in his voice. Neil is inheriting a company with a 75 year history and over 5,000 happy customers. Some of the people calling for landscape work today are third generation clients. The nursery, now a wholesale perennial facility, and landscape company now resides in Millstone Township in Monmouth County. Neil feels as if he is filling the needs of a growing community as his grandfather had 75 years before. So if its Neil working on one of his designs, Michelle in the greenhouse, or even Molly(5) and Morgan(3) planting their seeds in the garden, there's a love for the art and plants that are in their blood.