OUTDOOR DESIGN: “Our mission is to provide high quality products to help you build the best outdoor setting you can imagine. We aim to be your trusted partner in creating beautiful functional landscapes and hardscapes that are long-lasting for years of enjoyment.” Evan Bogdan, left, and Ben Kilian of Kilian’s Outdoor Living Supply are shown in the company’s outdoor hardscape setting.
By Jean Stratton
Enjoying the outdoors, being together in nature is more important than ever,” says Rich Kilian. “The interest in outdoor living today is just the tip of the iceberg. People want to be outside with family, friends, or just by themselves to enjoy the pleasure of their landscape. Spending time in the beauty of their own backyard is appealing to more and more people.”
Owner of Kilian’s Outdoor Living Supply, Rich Kilian just relocated his company to 133 Carter Road, the former site of Kale’s Nursery and Landscaping, which closed after many years as a Princeton mainstay.
“We had been looking for a piece of property to grow our business, and we knew this was the right place,” he explains. “Kale’s had such a fine reputation for so many years, and the setting was perfect. We were also glad to keep many of the Kale’s employees with us.”
Kilian’s has a long history in providing outdoor settings for both residential and commercial customers. In 2003, Rich Kilian purchased Trenton Building Block & Hardware, a company which opened soon after World War II. “I am proud to have taken a company that was established in 1947, expanding it, seeing it evolve, and also one that my son and son-in-law will continue,” he points out.
Full Selection
“Continuing Trenton Block’s tradition of well-known service through years of experience, our family-owned and operated business offers the same resources and more. As a top name in the business of hardscape contractor supply, Kilian Outdoor Living Supply, powered by Trenton Block & Hardscape Supply, is committed to expanding our reputation as a trusted supplier of high-quality outdoor materials.”
Landscaping is a big part of Kilian’s services, and the new location, which underwent a substantial renovation, includes a spacious outdoor setting with a full selection of trees, shrubs, and plantings, as well as a garden center with annuals, perennials, herbs, and vegetables.
The hardscape showroom offers samples of every choice for patios, walkways, driveways, retaining walls, pool decks, and more. Blue stone, natural stone, brick, concrete pavers, and porcelain are all available in a variety of patterns and textures.
Hardscapes provide structure, style, and function to the landscape, points out Kilian. “We combine quality materials with thoughtful designs to create spaces that look amazing and last for years to come. Fire pits and fireplaces (both gas and wood) are very popular now, and we also have trellises, pergolas, and arbors.”
Lighting and water features are also in demand today, he adds. Lighting offers both aesthetic enjoyment as well as safety, and choices in style and size are abundant, and much appreciated by customers.
The majority of Kilian’s work is with residential clients, but commercial projects and institutions and schools are also among the landscaping and hardscaping jobs. All sizes, from small to large, are part of the company’s work.
Right Timing
The timing is right for customers to come in and visit the garden center, reports Kilian. A full selection of annuals, perennials, ground covers, ornamental grasses, bedding plants, and hanging baskets is available for planting now. In addition, herbs and vegetables are popular with many people today.
Trees, including fruit, flowering, and evergreen, are all in demand, as is the wide variety of shrubs. Opportunities to establish a year-round thriving landscape are abundant.
A full array of garden tools and planting needs, such as mulch, potting soil, compost, and organic and synthetic fertilizers, is also offered, as is grass seed, deer-resistant plants and deer-deterrent products.
“There are fertilizers and lawn products that are environmentally friendly,” Kilian reports. Also, he adds, many people are including native plantings in their landscaping today. These can withstand the elements better because they are indigenous to their surroundings.
Kilian is very enthusiastic about his new Princeton venture, and as he says, he has always looked forward to new opportunities. No stranger to hard work, he began his landscaping career at the age of 12, when he accompanied a neighbor to the nursery to select plants and helped in her garden.
“She helped me learn about different flowers and plants, fertilizers, etc.,” he explains. “I have always liked to be busy and involved in something creative, and ultimately being able to provide a remarkable result for our customers.”
Expert Guidance
“We connect our retail customers with the professionals who will do a quality job for them,” he continues. “We are essentially a supply business, connecting customers with landscapers and hardscapers. We believe in the power of collaboration, personalized attention, and expert guidance.
“For flowers and individual trees and shrubs, customers can buy directly from us. Our employees are very knowledgeable and experienced, and will help customers with advice regarding sun and shade and the requirements for different plantings, etc. Also, if customers have specific requests, we will do our best for them.
“For those who want substantial landscaping or hardscaping designs and installations, we will connect them with the quality professionals we recommend. They can come here to see all the samples and possibilities for hardscape design, and the wide range of trees and shrubs we carry. If they wish, they can bring in a photo of their yard or patio, etc. so we can help advise them on choices.”
As with any business, it is important to keep up with changes, new developments and advances, and Kilian points out the need to be up to date. The introduction of new technologies, new materials, new designs, and new directions in the field make change inevitable. As he says, “We are passionate about giving people a great experience and a great end result. We have to be knowledgeable about everything to do this.”
He believes his new Princeton location gives him an opportunity to reach more customers and provide them with Kilian’s Outdoor Living Supply’s expertise and experience.
“I also look forward to providing my family with a place to operate from in this new location and within a beautiful setting. I am happy to watch my son and son-in-law become involved in the business and being there to guide them. We look forward to a lot of projects in Princeton, and we also have work elsewhere in New Jersey, at the shore, and in the Poconos in Pennsylvania.”
Outdoor Haven
He is very pleased with the reception the company has received and the welcoming support from customers, neighbors, and the community. It is always important to give back to the community, he emphasizes. “We have to give back. The community has been there for us, and we are grateful. We support food banks and other charities.”
Providing a special outdoor haven for his customers remains Kilian’s greatest reward. As he says, “It’s a great pleasure for me to see someone’s backyard transformed into something special through our landscaping and hardscaping.”
And he continues, “At the heart of everything we do is one simple belief: business is personal. We don’t just sell, we connect. We take the time to understand your goals, your challenges, your vision. Whether you’re a first-time client or a long-term partner, we treat every interaction as the beginning, or continuation, of a meaningful relationship. We know that trust, community, and consistency are the foundation of lasting success.”
Kilian’s Outdoor Living Supply is open Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday 7a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the garden center. For further information, call (609) 396-9570. Visit the website at kiliansoutdoorliving.com.