About Us
Family owned and operated since 1998.
DiMeco’s is a full-service floral and gift shop, nursery, garden center, landscape design, lawn maintenance, and irrigation contractor located in Lancaster, MA.
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For 25 years, we’ve been serving and supporting our community with high quality products and professional care.
The story of DiMeco's success comes from humble beginnings, with a 15 year old Dale DiMeco working at Bigelow Nursery in Sterling, MA after school and on Saturdays. While at Bigelow's, Dale got a taste of working in and with nature and nothing was ever quite the same for him after that. At Bigelow Nursery, he developed a healthy work ethic and his love of agriculture developed and grew from there. Before the end of his junior year of high school, Dale knew he would attend the School of Agriculture at UMass Stockbridge.
In 1987, white still in school, Dale bought his first lawnmower and pickup truck and began building his client list one lawn at a time. He chose South Meadow Landscaping for the name of his business, and he operated out of his parent's home. While away at college, Dale would come home on the weekends in the winter to plow.
OUR MISSION IS
To make available to our local and regional communities, quality products and services which support their home, lawn, and garden.
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We are committed to helping you build confidence in your ability to care for and grow healthy and beautiful plants, trees, fruits, herbs, vegetables, and flowers.
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To share our creative vision and capabilities and to inspire and assist you to exercise your creative muscle in relation to your home, gardens, and natural surroundings.
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To provide the products, services, knowledge, and support to fulfill your vision.
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To contribute in meaningful ways to beautifying, maintaining, and sustaining life and our environment one person, one garden, and one community at a time.
The History of DiMeco's
1991, Dale DiMeco graduated from the school of Agriculture with his Associate's Degree in Soil Science. Upon graduation, he moved his business into a building next to the Clinton Fire Station. He mowed and built outdoor spaces in the summer, snow plowed in the winter, and sold Christmas trees during the holidays.
1998, Dale incorporated his business and officially changed its name to DiMeco's Nursery and Landscape. As the business grew, Dale moved its location as needed to accommodate the growth.
2010, one of the larger visions he held for his business came to fruition. The Deershorn property at the corner of Route 62 and Chace Hill Road in Lancaster was offered for sale. Dale purchased the 5+ acre property and moved the DiMeco's operation onto the land where it operates from today at 374 Sterling Street in Lancaster, MA. The property came with a retail store and 4 greenhouses.
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From 2010 to 2018, the landscape and construction division of the business flourished, and Dale began to develop his team. He fully staffed and equipped Landscape and Lawn Maintenance crews and he brought on a pesticide expert to expand lawn fertilizer and maintenance programs.
2019, Debbie Kaplan joined the DiMeco's team as the Retail Division Manager. With Debbie's Floral industry experience, The Flower Shop at DiMeco's was launched in May of 2019. DiMeco's expanded from a three season business to a year-round operation, offering a Tropical Greenhouse available all year round.
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2020 held the beginning of a massive shift in the world as the COVID pandemic hit. As a result, the new DiMeco's team prepared to serve their clients and the community according to new demands. DiMeco's quickly and steadily increased the volume and expanded the variety of plants and products stocked, even increasing and diversifying the workshops offered.
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2021, Tammy Phillips was onboarded as Office Manager and Assistant to Dale, supporting the Landscape Maintenance portion of the business, and aiding in DiMeco's growth.
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2023, with 25 years in the rearview mirror, there is a certain sense of accomplishment and an equally present thrill of excitement of what lies ahead for DiMeco's.
Leadership Team
Dale DiMeco - Owner
Dale is a 3rd generation Clintonian. He was born and raised in Clinton and has raised both of his sons, Jamison and Dominic, here in Clinton as well. He, and nearly all of his immediate family, still reside in Clinton today. At DiMeco's, we joke that everyone is either related or knows Dale- he is just one of those people.
Dale has been a very active member of the community. He has been involved in the revisioning of downtown Clinton, and was involved in the project of bringing that vision to fruition.
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Dale began his entrepreneurial adventure in 1987 with a mower. a pickup, and the desire to build something for himself doing work that he loved. In 1991, he graduated from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture, obtaining his Associate's Degree in Soil Science.
He incorporated his business in 1998, and bought the land where it operates out of today in 2010. Dale has since been working and growing within the industry. He continues to expand his areas of expertise through continuing education, certifications, and courses.
In addition to his extensive experience and continuing education, Dale is also a certified Irrigation Installer through the Irrigation Association of Massachusetts Flower Growers and holds a Certified Massachusetts Construction Supervisor's license.
With all of his achievements to date, Dale still has many more visions for the future of DiMeco's. He is planning and preparing for the next 25 years!
Debbie Kaplan - Director Retail Operations
DiMeco's Retail Division - garden center, floral and gift shop - is led by our creative director, Debbie Kaplan. With more than 35 years of business experience and 25 of those years logged in the floral and garden industries, Debbie brings a wealth of business development, leadership, and industry knowledge with her to DiMeco's.
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Debbie graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1987 with a BA in Psychology. After graduation, she joined MVAK Technologies, a vacuum pump rebuilding company, located in New Jersey, in an administrative capacity. Over the next few years, she became experienced in sales and was promoted to a management position. In 1990, Debbie was transferred to Billerica, MA to open a facility for the company. In 1996, she was appointed President of the company and oversaw the integrated operation of three facilities along the east coast. In 1998, she took a leap of faith and moved to Florida with her family and in 1999, Debbie launched a floral and gift boutique in Wellington, Florida. While raising her daughters, Shauna and Rachel, she developed and evolved her business for 18 years and in 2017, she sold her business and fulfilled her long term vision of returning to New England and being surrounded by nature in all four seasons.
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In 2019 she joined the DiMeco's team and is now living and evolving her dream in an area of the world where her Spirit sings.
Deb's creative vision and enthusiastic connection with nature and people are very well suited to her work at DiMeco's. Leading a team of talented individuals in a dynamic environment which changes seasonally and involves interacting with people and the community in fun, educational and social settings is a position custom-tailored for her. Debbie looks forward with enthusiasm and great anticipation to what's in store at DiMeco's over the next 25 years.
Community Connections
DiMeco's role and contributions in the community have evolved through the years. One of the greatest thrills for Dale and the team is to be the vehicles through which the nature or gardening bug bites someone, forever changing their relationship with nature and life to some degree.
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Below are some of the organizations DiMeco's has sponsored and partnered with:
DiMeco's has been a sponsor for local youth sports programs, the Lancaster and Sterling Garden Clubs and the Herbal Community of Central Massachusetts.
DiMeco's has provided support to the Robotics Club in Clinton, contributed to building sets for local school theatrical performances and has participated in countless local community projects and annual activites.
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In 2022, DiMeco's partnered with NuVue Communities, Growing Places, Clinton Hospital, and local non-profit organizations to establish, develop, and revitalize Community gardens in Clinton, Fitchburg, and Gardner. Also in 2022, DiMeco's collaborated with NueVue Communities and SproutChange to support and share permaculture gardening practices and strategies for food independence to the community.
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Most recently, DiMeco's began a relationship with Pernet Family Health Services in Worcester. In early 2023, the elementary and high school students enrolled in Pernet's after school program took part in two floral design workshops at DiMeco's.
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