EST.
1976
NIELSEN ELEFANTE NURSERIES
Commercial Landscape
Design - Installation - Maintenance-Consulting
ABOUT US
With over 40 years of experience, Nielsen-Elefante Nurseries is among the top horticultural and holiday design companies in the Metropolitan Area. We provide complete design services, installation, maintenance, seasonal rotations, holiday displays, and consulting. Nielsen-Elefante Nurseries can address the smallest details of an Orchid display in a hotel lobby, the demands of a sprawling public plaza, and everything in between.
Our tropical plants come from prime growers in Florida, and our landscape material is hand-selected by our own horticultural "green team" from nurseries here in the Northeast. The long-standing relationships we have with these growers allow us to procure nearly any plant material required to complete your vision. Both new and existing landscapes are kept looking their best by one of our dedicated maintenance teams.
We at Nielsen-Elefante Nurseries are always looking for new & inventive ways to improve our products and service for our clientele. While we come from a strong background in more traditional landscape design and installation, we have also worked hard to keep up with current trends. If you need a green wall installed, a design for a rooftop garden, planters to fit the aesthetic of a minimalist building lobby, or even an indoor terrarium; we have the experience to get the job done.
Because of our years of experience, we are better able to identify and solve potential issues before they cause problems. Plant selection, permitting, watering issues, and other concerns specific to the New York Metropolitan Area are all considered and dealt with appropriately. Whether we are currently handling your horticultural work or not, Nielsen Elefante Nurseries is available as a consultant to ensure that often overlooked details are taken care of.
OUR HISTORY
In 1917 a Danish immigrant, Frank Nielsen, opened a flower shop, “Nielsen’s Flowers”, on East 28th Street in New York City. His business flourished for 25 years, and in 1942 Frank retired and his son, Holger, took over the shop. Holger Nielsen quickly recognized the interest expressed by commercial businesses to incorporate live foliage and holiday décor into their lobbies and offices, and so he became a pioneer in providing these services for hotels, banks and other businesses in Manhattan. In 1950, a young man, Frank Elefante, became an employee of the flower shop, and began his career in the art of plantscaping and holiday decorating. Mr. Nielsen, also recognizing the growing need for available and transportable exterior foliage for commercial properties, purchased a 28-acre farm in New Jersey in 1952 and started a horticultural nursery. In 1958, he and his now nursery manager, Frank Elefante, were among the first pioneers in the Northeast to begin growing shrubs and trees in cans above the ground using a soil-less mix, making the material more affordable, because it reduced nursery maintenance, voided the need for digging and burlapping, and was certainly more portable. His business also flourished. In 1976 Holger Nielsen retired and Frank Elefante took over and was joined by his eldest son, James ---- and so began Nielsen-Elefante Nurseries.
