Village Green Home & Garden, which is celebrating 60 years in business this week, has placed its business and property at 6101 E. Riverside Blvd. in Rockford up for sale. The property is shown Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
Get our free e-newsletter
ROCKFORD — Village Green Home & Garden has sold its flagship location at 6101 E. Riverside Blvd. to a family-run nursery with locations in Bloomingdale and Carpentersville.
Village Green owners Carolyn and Cynthia Smith and Platt Hill Nursery owners Graham and Clark Hill announced on Thursday that they had reached an agreement for the sale. A sales price was not disclosed, and a public record on the transaction has not yet been filed.
Village Green’s operations will conclude after the holiday season in December, and Platt Hill Nursery Rockford will reopen for the spring season in 2026.
The owners said the sale builds on a relationship forged decades ago between the current owners fathers and company founders Laurence P. Smith and Platt W. Hill. The pair frequently shared ideas and business strategies, their children said. The Smiths said they’re glad to see the Hill family honoring and growing this Rockford institution.
“We could not have asked for a better buyer for the Riverside operations,” Cynthia Smith said in a news release.
Village Green’s other property, at 2640 N. Main St., was previously put on the market after closing at the end of September 2024. The Riverside location was listed for sale as part of the owners’ long-term exit strategy. The sisters had inherited the business after the death of their father in April 2020, and they had set an internal goal to operate the company for three to five years before selling to a new owner. They feel like they found the perfect fit in the Hill family.
“As a fourth -generation family-owned business, they share our values and commitment to the local community,” Carolyn Smith said in the release.
Platt Hill Nursery’s history dates back to the 1800s when David Hill was commissioned by the Royal Botanic Garden in England to come to the U.S. in search of new plant material, the family said in a news release. The quest resulted in the formation of D. Hill Nursery, which led to the founding of Platt Hill Nursery in the 1980s by Platt Hill – the great grandson of David Hill. Platt’s two sons, Graham and Clark, now own and operate two Platt Hill Nursery locations Bloomingdale and Carpentersville.
“As a plant first brand, we are excited by the opportunity to bring our strong history in trees, shrubs and plants to the Rockford community” Graham Hill said in a news release.
Village Green marked 60 years in business this summer. It started in 1965 in a 2,500-square-foot building across the street from the former Colonial Village Shopping Center at South Alpine and Newburg roads. It opened at its current location on Riverside Boulevard in 1980.
In addition to its garden center growing and retail operations, the Riverside store has grown to be one of the largest casual furniture retailers in the country, the owners said.
Platt Hill Nursery expects to take ownership of the Riverside property in early 2026 and begin renovations in time for a spring opening.
Village Green Home & Garden celebrates 60 years in business on Saturday, April 26, 2025, in Rockford. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
Comments are closed.