News   GLOBAL  |  Apr 02, 2020
 8.4K     0 
News   GLOBAL  |  Apr 01, 2020
 39K     0 
News   GLOBAL  |  Apr 01, 2020
 4.7K     0 

W. K. Lis

Superstar
Member Bio
Joined
Dec 24, 2007
Messages
24,074
Reaction score
14,768
City:
Toronto
Places like Plant World and Humber Nurseries have gone (hopefully only temporary) from the retail scene, some turned wholesale only. We have only small retailers in the plant nursery business this spring.

While there will be big box stores or grocery stores that sell nursery stock, they are only a side business for them. Looking for experts to help you? Not if they only pay the staff minimum wage. I would expect that they will be selling only the common varieties of plants. Stuff the serious gardeners are not looking for. I don't want "beefsteak" tomatoes for example, which have no flavour. Where can I get the "exotic" garden plants?

We would like to see the wholesalers have a retail outlet, so that homeowners or condo dwellers can get something that only the landscapers will get access to.

Maybe with this thread, you can report on the plant nurseries that you came across, and most importantly, are still open.
 
Places like Plant World and Humber Nurseries have gone (hopefully only temporary) from the retail scene, some turned wholesale only. We have only small retailers in the plant nursery business this spring.

While there will be big box stores or grocery stores that sell nursery stock, they are only a side business for them. Looking for experts to help you? Not if they only pay the staff minimum wage. I would expect that they will be selling only the common varieties of plants. Stuff the serious gardeners are not looking for. I don't want "beefsteak" tomatoes for example, which have no flavour. Where can I get the "exotic" garden plants?

We would like to see the wholesalers have a retail outlet, so that homeowners or condo dwellers can get something that only the landscapers will get access to.

Maybe with this thread, you can report on the plant nurseries that you came across, and most importantly, are still open.
Sheridan Nurseries is still kicking for now. Their location on Yonge (between Lawrence and York Mills) always seems fairly busy in the warmer months
 
If your looking for flowers; and willing/able to get out of the City, I'd recommend

Native Plants in Claremont


They're about 20m north of Ajax.

I can recommend a bunch more places even further afield if interested. They're obviously focused on native plants, particularly flowers/ground covers.

In the City Evergreen Brickworks carries a mix of native flowers, and even some trees/shrubs; they also carry vegetables and herbs and have a wider selection of heirloom varieties than many places.

If you're willing to grow from seed, there are a number of good sources in the City including Urban Harvest online, and seasonally at Dufferin Grove and Wychwood markets. https://uharvest.ca/shop/

They also do a limited selection of plants which I've seen sold at Big Carrot on Danforth in the past.

I recall getting Watermelon Beefsteak Tomato and Black Cherry Tomato from them.
 
There's Islington Nurseries, on Islington at Titan (just north of the Queensway).
 
The Davenport Garden Centre at Davenport & Dupont is also available. They also have locations at Bayview & Davisville and Pape & Danforth.

 
So, I popped by the Loblaws Garden Centre near me today, during the 'white out' ...........figuring it might not be busy.........(I was one of 3 customers and 2 staff..........so it wasn't)........... I was particularly interested to see their native plant rack which I had heard they were bringing back this year.

First.........the garden centre in general was mostly empty.......maybe 15% stocked.

That said, they had the rack out for native plants.

It was maybe 20% full.

However...........more than 1/2 of those plants were dead or close to dead................

A quick feel of the pots............none had been watered in days...................

No chance they will sell those.............what a waste..........

In theory, they might be good value..............as they clearly made a decision to price all the natives at $5.

In reality, some plants take much longer to grow than others, especially to a garden-ready state.

What that means is $5 is a fair price for some; and a steal for a few (as in that's pretty much the wholesale price for quantities of 100)

But that only applies if they water the damn plant and keep it alive.............

Saw the same thing last year with their regular plants................
 
Last edited:
So, I popped by the Loblaws Garden Centre near me today, during the 'white out' ...........figuring it might not be busy.........(I was one of 3 customers and 2 staff..........so it wasn't)........... I was particularly interested to see their native plant rack which I had heard they were bringing back this year.

First.........the garden centre in general was mostly empty.......maybe 15% stocked.

That set, they had the rack out for native plants.

It was maybe 20% full.

However...........more than 1/2 of those plants were dead or close to dead................

A quick feel of the pots............none had been watered in days...................

No chance they will sell those.............what a waste..........

In theory, they might be good value..............as they clearly made a decision to price all the natives at $5.

In reality, some plants take much longer to grow than others, especially to a garden-ready state.

What that means is $5 is a fair price for some; and a steal for a few (as in that's pretty much the wholesale price for quantities of 100)

But that only applies if they water the damn plant and keep it alive.............

Saw the same thing last year with their regular plants................




That's been my experience at most grocery store garden centres over the years. I will gladly pay a premium price at a proper nursery that has quality control and experienced horticultural staff to answer my questions.
 
That's been my experience at most grocery store garden centres over the years. I will gladly pay a premium price at a proper nursery that has quality control and experienced horticultural staff to answer my questions.

They used to have some staff that cared..............they have a water hookup, FFS........

Just sayin.
 
The Davenport Garden Centre at Davenport & Dupont is also available. They also have locations at Bayview & Davisville and Pape & Danforth.

This year was a rather poor year for selection at their garden centre at Bayview & Davisville. Perhaps somewhat understandable given the year's events.
 
This year was a rather poor year for selection at their garden centre at Bayview & Davisville. Perhaps somewhat understandable given the year's events.

Bayview & Davisville is more central in Toronto. Close to "Lawrence Park", according to The Torontoist. See link.

20100314torontoscentre4.png


With the closure of Plant World and Humber Nurseries to the retail crowd, the west end of Toronto is sparse for plant nurseries. Maybe next year, after COVID-19.
 
Fiesta Gardens also always has a pretty good selection (and has been super rammed this year as folks have taken a lockdown-inspired interest in their gardens or balconies), and seem to be attuned to the trends of pollinator-friendly species, native species, and wildflower/meadow gardens.

It's also a family-run business and very community-oriented; I love both it and Fiesta Farms.
 
Fiesta Gardens also always has a pretty good selection (and has been super rammed this year as folks have taken a lockdown-inspired interest in their gardens or balconies), and seem to be attuned to the trends of pollinator-friendly species, native species, and wildflower/meadow gardens.

It's also a family-run business and very community-oriented; I love both it and Fiesta Farms.

Fiesta is great. Such an interesting store, very committed to supporting local and innovative product. They like to give 'little guys' a chance.

But boy does the building show its age inside and out........

I'd much rather keep it dings and all than lose it.

But it could use a little TLC.
 

Back
Top