More nurseries I can't do without

Just back from a restful weekend away with my longsuffering spouse as we visited friends near Yarmouth. Naturally, Flora and I spent a good deal of time visiting garden centres as well as other people’s gardens in and around the area. I’ll have more to say about that all in future posts, but right now I’m behind in my real (paying) writing and must turn my attention to that. Suffice it to say that more plants followed me home from Yarmouth County, Shelburne County, and Digby County. (Surprise surprise surprise).

This prompted me to make a small list of more garden centres and nurseries I like, to add to the previous top ten (which was really 13) nurseries in the province that I really like.

There are a number that aren’t here—either because I’ve never been there or I’m not terribly fond of them--and of that latter, there are only a couple of places that fall into that category.

Briar Patch 4568 Highway #1,South Berwick, Nova Scotia B0P 1E0 Tel: 902-538-9164 Fax: 902-538-1176: It’s always a treat to visit Lee and John at Briar Patch and the geese, and Willow-the-dog, and the horses, rabbits and ducks…and the PLANTS! There are always choice, exciting and healthy plants to be adopted, from spring bulbs to shrubs and trees. The Dickies have a great selection of conifers (which I’m very fond of) and also of standards (which I’m less fond of ONLY because they’re too formal for my rambunctious non-designed garden. These people love plants, and it shows.

Den Haan’s Garden World: Highway 1, Middleton NS 902-825-4722: A fullsized, full service nursery with a lot of garden ‘giftware’—my only complaint is that most of it is sourced and manufactured offshore—I’d like to see some Nova Scotian/Atlantic garden art and giftware in there. The den Haans also grow hothouse tomatoes, which in the middle of winter taste utterly, completely divine. They’re pretty fine now, too, but only til I get a field-ripened tomato into my hands.

Foggy Hollow Farm: 3949 Hwy 215 Noel, NS (902) 369-2568 We are 3 km west of Noel on Hwy 215. May - October: 7 days a week, 9 am - 9 pm. I met Richard and Marjorie at the Saltscapes Expo, where they had a booth, and a couple of weeks later I made the trek to Noel to see their place. Wonderful selection of very robust and enthusiastic plants, and the farm also supplies other nurseries with annuals.

Garden of Eatin’ Plants, 5716 Highway # 201, Paradise. 902 584-3514: A delightfully punny name for a delightful farm; gorgeous annuals that filled much of the back seat last time I was there, veggie transplants too. Closing for the season in a couple of weeks, so do go visit them!

Gerry’s Nursery: RR#2, Centreville, NS Tel: 678-1255: Gerry’s is one of the first places I started visiting regularly when I finally had a home of my own where I could give free reign to my gardening obsessions. I still visit a number of times each summer and always come home with a variety of perennials and shrubs, but also some great annuals for container plantings. Gerry has been in the nursery business for more years than he would probably like to admit, and he’s seen it all—he and his business partner Joyce are two of my favourite garden people because they are knowledgeable, generous with their wisdom, and never, EVER talk down to people.

Lavender Hill Nursery 373 Lake John Rd Jordan Falls, Shelb Co. NS B0T 1J0 (902)875-4600. This was one of those happy finds that another gardener put me on to a couple of years ago, and I can’t WAIT to visit the nursery each year. Madeline and Alison (can’t find their card so not sure if I’ve spelled their names correctly!) operate this nursery from spring until into summer, and they always have unique annuals as well as shrubs and perennials. I’ve made it there twice this year, quite an accomplishment, and each time some other interesting plants climb into the car with me. Yesterday I agonized over a couple of shrubs I really liked, and I tried to tempt Flora into getting a couple she was drooling gently over. But we were both very good and just bought annuals and perennials instead.

Lowland Gardens 8844 Hwy 2 Great Village, NS (902) 668-2309. I wrote about visiting Lowland earlier in the week—I expect to be going back there soon, too. Marvelous place to visit and terrifically helpful, pleasant staff (and owners) to boot.

Pine View: Pine View Farm Inc.145 Harold Whynot Rd, Bridgewater, NS Telephone (902) 543-4228 or 1-888-850-6136. This is a huge operation, and a pretty nice place, although my trip there several weeks ago was marred by the rudeness of one of the staff members to my spouse, as I observed before. He doesn’t want to go back—I however, will, and will chat with the owners about customer service.

Scotian Gold Country Garden Centre 7033 Highway #1 Coldbrook, B4R 1B6 T 902-679-6786 F 902-679-1055 Another of my regular stops, and I feel guilty because I keep forgetting to include them in lists. Of course I’m partial to this place because it’s part of Scotian Gold Co-operative, celebrating 50 years in business this year. Co-ops RULE, in my opinion—and I like that the garden centre gets as many plants from local suppliers as it can.

St Mary’s Bay Gardens/Le Jardin de la Baie Ste. Marie: Riverview Drive, New Edinburgh 902-837-7413. Open til the end of July regular hours, by appointment following 31 July. For years, every time I go to Yarmouth and come back the Number 1 highway, I’ve seen this sign and wanted to go in for a visit; today I finally made it to St. Mary’s Bay Gardens (which I like better in French because it rolls beautifully off the tongue, and salutes the land of l’Acadie. Wonderful selection in this family owned nursery, good prices too on annuals and perennials especially. I’ll be back!

West River Greenhouses: Central West River Pictou County, N.S. Tel: 902-925-2008 Exit 20 to Route 4 to Route 376. Another of those places I rarely get to visit, but like for its quality plants.

Woodland Farm Nursery Highway No. 1 Annapolis Royal Nova Scotia, Phone: (902) 532-GROW or (902) 532 7617. This nursery was one of my stops on my last trip to Yarmouth, and there wasn’t time to visit again today—but it’s not far from Annapolis Royal so I’m sure we’ll get there before the season is out. The purple beech I bought from Sheila and Richard has settled in nicely, and will be a star performer, I’m sure.

Enough for tonight: garden eye candy will return next posting, I promise, and I might even get my Garden Bloggers Bloom Day report done…