History of Jim Melka Landscaping & Garden Center

At the age of ten Jim began mowing the lawn at his fathers’ funeral home in Chicago. After graduating from Carl Sandburg High School in 1976 his love for mowing lawns continued so he started Jim Melka Landscaping and Maintenance. By the end of the summer of 1976 he was mowing thirteen lawns on a weekly basis. In the fall of 1976 Jim attended George Williams College in Downers Grove as a commuter; enabling him to continue his maintenance business. As the years passed the lawn mowing business began doing small landscape jobs. In 1978 Jim’s cousin Henry began working part time and the two of them were able to take on larger jobs. In 1980 Jim graduated from college and decided to pursue landscape and maintenance as a full time career. In the summer of 1988 Jim simultaneously moved the landscape business and opened the garden center to its current location at 11606 W. 179th Street, Mokena, IL. Today Jim Melka Landscaping & Garden Center offers a range of services.

Landscape Maintenance

Landscape Construction

Brick Pavers

Lighting

Landscape Design & Consultation

Full Service Garden Center

Gift Shop

Nursery & Greenhouses

Meet Our Staff

Office Manager

Donna Brown

Design & Sales

Tom Vollmer
Meggan Sledge

Garden Center Manager

Melissa Marino

Greenhouse & Gift Shop Manager

Chris Rink

Landscape Operations

Henry Sawa

Garden Center Operations

Obertino Aguilera
Bob Sloan

Brick Paver Operations

Eligio Arteaga

Maintenance Supervisors

Efren Aguilera
Eliazar Arredondo
Ricardo Lara