The Potting Shed
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The past season was an extremely trying one from a “working in the garden” point of view. The weather went from an early long winter with high winds and prolonged low temperatures to an excessively wet and cold spring that in turn changed abruptly to a very hot and dry summer. It did ultimately work to our advantage however, as it served as a testament to the selection and quality of plant material that we are specializing in. 2011 was a true test, and our trials of rare and unusual trees, dwarf conifers and perennials were an overwhelming success, demonstrating the hardiness of many of these plants that only look exotic. Many return customers came in throughout the season to expand on their collections of daylilies, hostas and ornamental grasses. Unlike many other plants, these plants not only survived in their gardens but had become the stars, thriving in the face of adversity. I know that in our own display gardens the daylily bloom was long and amazing, the grasses huge and magnificent, and the hostas so big and lush they were nothing short of spectacular!
As the projects started over the past few seasons start to come together and mature slightly, ‘The Potting Shed’ is becoming more of the destination we had envisioned. The centre core of the nursery is now a landscaped water feature surrounded by diverse plantings that contain many of the plants that we offer. The perimeter of this courtyard is our expanded sales area, newly organized and protected by shade cloth for the comfort of visitors and container grown plants. Interspersed are a couple of flight pens to better display some of our birds and this year we have spread the breeding out with the Nigerian dwarf goats so starting in late May we hope to have new kids coming all season, along with chicks, bunnies, etc.. To their many friends from last year the pigs, Violet and Petunia, say hello.
Rounding things out is the gift shop for those looking for home or garden accents. Here you will find products ranging from wall art to fountains and a nice mix in between. Treat yourself or keep us in mind for Mother’s Day, Birthdays, etc.. Gift Certificates Available
Our goal is to try and provide something for everyone. Individuals, groups and buses are cordially invited to come and browse the gardens. The assortment of plant material and giftware should appease the shopper/collector and the animals appeal to the kid in all of us. Hope to see you this gardening season, regardless of the weather!
Cheers, Jack
***We have opted out of Canada Blooms this year due to the change in format.
In lieu we will be offering promotions similar to our ‘Show Specials’ from the nursery for the month of May.
Specialty Trees / Conifers See other plants for a list of some of the unique trees we have in stock. If you have questions regarding sizes available and pricing feel free to ask. Some are in limited supply.
DAYLILIES
Starting this year we are changing our daylily format to offer the newest daylily varieties in a broader price range. Click on "Current Introductions" to view our top selections for this year. These are the plants that we feel have something to add to the daylily gene pool and have chosen to register with the AHS. Under "Current Releases" we have posted some exceptional plants that will not be registered. This is reflected in the pricing, but these will make tremendous garden plants. It compares to purchasing a puppy with or without papers - it doesn't matter to most gardeners. I do want to emphsize these are not second rate and have been the "picks" out of thousands of seedlings. We have also added a page for"Previous Introductions" , a list of all of our intro's over the past decade.
Try to allow lots of time if you are planning a visit. In addition to lots of great plant material we offer a gift shop, pond supplies, display gardens and lots of great areas to wander about and have a picnic. Literally, there is "a surprise around every corner". Last, but not least our friendly and knowledgeable staff is eager to help with design, selection and general gardening questions. It is worth the drive to Dunnville!
OUR POLICY regarding putting items on SALE has remained consistent for the past 14 years – we don’t do it. With so many customers visiting several times over the course of the season we know it is disheartening to see something you bought in May discounted in July. Instead, we keep our prices reasonable at all times and any “specials” that we offer run for the entire season, to be fair to everyone. This includes our “Random Collection” and our popular “Five Dollar Table”.