Best Plant Nurseries and Garden Centres in Ontario, Toronto & Beyond
For green-thumbed gardeners and plant enthusiasts, few online searches generate more excitement than finding a quality “plant nursery near me” or “garden nursery near me.” Beyond sourcing well-cared-for annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees, the most exceptional garden centres across Ontario become hubs of community, education, and environmental stewardship.
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The following highlights five premier plant nurseries and retail garden centres in Ontario and Toronto that offer extensive plant catalogues, small-scale starter supplies, and large-scale landscaping services alike. These beloved plant places and Ontario nurseries and garden staples house everything from rare Toronto plants to woodland plants for sale.
Five Top Canadian Garden Nurseries
Northland Nursery: Year-Round Plant & Garden Nursery
📌 722 Concession 5 W, Waterdown, ON L8B 1L6
A family-run nursery located in Waterdown, Ontario, Northland Nursery prides itself on sourcing and growing an extensive variety of plants on-site to suit any gardening need or space. Their seasonal operation (April through October) and online store provide year-round access to home gardeners who google “nursery near me” or “plant nursery Ontario.”
Garden Centre Catalogue
Northland Nursery’s catalogue is filled with flowering shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses, vines and other unique varieties that add beauty and intrigue to gardens. Their specialty annuals and continually expanding collections make them a reliable source for interesting plants not readily available at big box stores.
Services
Beyond their impressive retail plant catalogue, Northland Nursery also offers landscape design services, gift cards for the gardener in your life, and helpful guides covering outdoor planting, plant diagnostics, and more. Their passionate, knowledgeable staff provide expert Toronto plant advice to customers exploring the nursery’s plants for sale.
Lost Horizons: Rare Plants for Sale in Acton, Ontario
Lost Horizons founder and expert plantsman Larry Davidson began his specialty, “Lost Horizons Nursery,” over 20 years ago, struggling to source perennials for his garden design clients. His subsequent journey collecting unique plant varieties from around the world grew Lost Horizons into one of Canada’s best sources for rare, hardy plants.
Sadly, after over 20 years of operation, Lost Horizons Nursery is now permanently closed. However, during its tenure, it was a mecca for rare Toronto plants and exotic flora.
Toronto Rare Plants
True to its name, Lost Horizons Nursery contained a treasure trove of exotic and hard-to-find plants, including ferns for sale and rare woodland plants. Their specialty stock included native plants, woody shrubs, alpines and classic garden perennials tailored to Southern Ontario’s climate. Garden enthusiasts from all over the province would flock to explore the nursery’s unparalleled selection.
Education
Beyond retail plant sales, Lost Horizons Nursery shared their botanical passion by hosting free educational seminars diving deep into various plant topics. These on-site workshops covered everything from growing roses, fruits and pollinator-friendly gardens to managing common garden pests.
While the closing of Lost Horizons Nursery marks the end of an era, the team hopes their legacy of rare flora and horticultural education will live on and inspire the next generation of passionate green thumbs in Ontario.
Sheridan Nurseries: Over a Century of Canadian Garden Nurseries Heritage
📌 2827 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4N 2J4 (and 7 other GTA locations)
Celebrating over 100 years as a family-run business, Sheridan Nurseries continues to set the standard amongst Ontario nurseries and garden centres. Since its founding in 1913 near Toronto, Sheridan Nurseries has focused on sustainably sourcing, growing and selling hardy nursery stock and plants to fellow Canadians through an expanding network of retail outlets.
Catalogue & Selection
Boasting one of the largest nursery stock selections amongst garden centers in Ontario, Sheridan offers annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees and more. Most plants are propagated across 900 acres of their Glen Williams and Norval farms before being distributed to their stores. They also provide five-year warranties – the industry’s longest.
Services
Beyond plants and nursery staples, Sheridan Nurseries offers landscape design consultations, customized installation, planting services and commercial landscaping solutions. Their team of talented designers can tailor stunning gardens, patios and outdoor spaces to match their clients’ visions.
Vandermeer Nursery: Family’s Green Business in Ajax
📌 588 Lake Ridge Rd S, Ajax, ON L1Z 1X3
Initially founded in 1961 along the shores of Lake Ontario by Dutch immigrant Adrian Vandermeer, Vandermeer Nursery has bloomed over three generations into a year-round, family-run nursery. Their early days as a small “flower nursery near me” on a one-acre property transformed into a sprawling 36-acre, 200,000-square-foot sustainable operation filled with annuals, perennials and more grown in-house.
Offerings & Events
Beyond their vast plant inventory cultivated on-site, Vandermeer engages its community through free gardening seminars covering various plant types and care tactics. Their website also contains an extensive plant library with growth details for when visitors search for “nursery near me” and “plants for sale near me.” When buying plants in their shop, customers can also get help repotting them properly prior to taking them home.
Stewardship
As conscientious growers, Vandermeer Nursery utilizes integrated pest management, biological controls, recycled irrigation water and other earth-friendly practices to sustainably nurture their crops for local gardeners to enjoy.
Van Dongen’s Garden Centre, Nurseries & Landscaping: From Holland Roots to Ontario Blooms
📌 6750 Trafalgar Road, Milton, ON, L9E 0Z2
Since its founding in 1953 by Dutch immigrants Michael & Petronella Van Dongen, Van Dongens has blossomed from a humble lawn care business into an expansive family-owned garden centre with over 50 acres of nursery production. Their current destination location in Milton, ON, contains a 20,000-square-foot retail store, outdoor plant yards and a landscape department.
Offerings
Beyond gorgeous plants yields from their multiple nursery farms, Van Dongens provides a robust online plant catalogue and a vast array of outdoor living inventory, including fountains, pots, décor and garden structures inside their store and website.
Services & Events
Van Dongen’s passionate employees offer complimentary in-store Toronto plant design consultations to customize landscapes and spaces for their clients. Their location also hosts community events like Nursery Tours and a Kid’s Cedar Maze while giving back to local causes.
Open Lost Horizons Alternatives
Gardeners seeking expertise along with quality annuals, perennials and nursery stock will discover an abundance of plant life and knowledge at these exceptional Ontario nurseries and garden centres, including Northland Nursery, Lost Horizons, and more. Beyond sourcing flora for your garden, you may just find community, inspiration and mentorship flourishing as well amongst your local “plant nursery near me.”
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