Lifelong Resident Has Budding Hobby

Imagine passing by Udall Road and Gerek Avenue and seeing nothing but flower farms. That was once what it was like for Doug Gerek, growing up in West Islip. Gerek still lives at 64 Udall Road, a home that was once surrounded by a sprawling flower farm. The youngest of three children, he still grows flowers as a tribute to his parents and to keep the family tradition going.

Gerek's parents, Mary and Stephen, immigrated from the Ukraine when they were 15 and 16-years-old and eventually, in 1932, began growing Gladiolus, Liatris, Tulips and especially Dahlias. They would become one of the largest outdoor flower growers in New York. Flowers were grown, sold wholesale and then shipped to New York City. "They were one of the first flower growers in this area and they became quite large flower growers," Gerek said. 

In the late 1940's, flowers started being flown in by air cheeper than the flower farmers could grow them, the Gerek's were forced to decrease their flower farm. Doug Gerek, a retired athletic director of Mepham High School, decided to continue to grow flowers in memory of his parents. "I do this as a hobby and we sell a very limited amount just to keep the family tradition going," he said. 

Gerek remembers what West Islip was like in the early 1940s. "As a 12-year old kid, I used to walk up and down the road, hunting with a 12-gauge shotgun. It was strictly a great community to live it," he called. "It was country. As a young boy, I knew all the state troopers in the area. One of them eventually got me my first bird dog. But, as anything else, when the prices of land dropped, it was sell or go bankrupt so we did sell at a minimal price."

In the old days, there used to be open land in which to farm. But such days are over, said Gerek. "There isn't an open piece of land anywhere around to be had to do anything as far as growing and farming is concerned," he said. "It's just a matter of progress."

Driving or walking on Udall Road, you may have passed the Gerek family farm, where the public is welcome to purchase flowers. He sells flower plants, especially geraniums. "This is what you call a working hobby," said Gerek, who retired from Mepham in 1994 after 37 years. "Being that the greenhouse is here and I have a green thumb, I do it on very limited basis. We grow the plants that we sell. People know us through the years and they know that we sell as nice product."

Gerek, however, said he only sells from May 10 until the middle of June so those wishing to buy his flowers may have to wait until next year.