Leaving Germany in search of the American dream, horticulturist Richard Lohrmann bought some land in San Rafael, California, in 1909. There, he opened a small neighborhood nursery serving the community he lived and worked in. Since he didn’t have any children of his own, Richard sold the business in 1954 to his nephew, Karl Untermann, who had inherited his green thumb and passion for gardening. Karl's son Tom ran the nursery up until his passing in 2020. He was one of the few people that loved going to work and would usually come home whistling one of his favorite oldies, or much to his families chagrin, Jingle Bells in the middle of July.

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Today, the nursery continues to be an Untermann family enterprise, with grandson Chris running the show. Tom’s wife, Merrie, and Chris’ wife, Barb, work tirelessly behind the scenes, traveling to trade shows, creating the displays and making sure The Christmas House is bigger and better every year.