Drake’s 7 Dees History

Drake’s 7 Dees in the Beginning

Bob Snodgrass and his wife, Meryle, started 7 Dees in 1956.

During the early 1960’s, Bob decided to expand the business and purchase a second garden center at the Stark Street location. At that time, much of the surrounding area was undeveloped, but Portland was beginning to grow rapidly and it seemed inevitable that a store on the perimeter of the city would eventually thrive.

Bob and Meryle named the business after their seven children~ six sons and one daughter, whose names all begin with the letter ‘D’. Hence the name 7 Dees.  To Bob’s delight, all of his children have shared his passion for plants and beautiful landscapes.

Drake continues the legacy…

Bob & Meryle’s son Drake, proved his interest in the business by graduating from Oregon State University with a major in business and a minor in horticulture. In 1974, Drake purchased the Stark Street Garden Center from 7 Dees. Drake’s interest quickly grew into a passion as he devoted himself to the business of caring for customers as well as making gardening a significant and positive part of his family’s life.  Over 30 years have passed since the Stark Steet Garden Center opened and the business has grown significantly.

Langdown Florist Becomes Drake’s 7 Dees

In 2009, Drake’s 7 Dees purchased the Landgown Florist and Greenhouse and created a west side neighborhood location for their growing Landscaping and Garden Center business.