Country Garden Greenhouse

Country Garden Greenhouse has been doing business in the Kamloops area since 1982 when the farm in Monte Lake was purchased. Dalton and Anita Strong began growing bedding plants and selling them at the Kamloops Farmers’ Market which had itself been in existence for only four years at that time.

The change from mixed farming with pigs, cattle, chickens, etc to bedding plant production occurred gradually, with each greenhouse being added as finances permitted. For a time the plants were retailed at the two Canadian Tire stores in Kamloops and the one in Salmon Arm and in 1999 the garden centre location on Victoria St. was opened in conjunction with the Smorgasbord Deli. This pairing combines the best of both possibilities, with the Deli taking up the slack in the off-season and the Garden Centre providing a lovely ambiance for a leisurely lunch among the greenery.

People are always amazed at the beauty and diversity of plant materials which are fitted into this small space in downtown Kamloops- trees, shrubs, and vines mingle with colourful planters, perennials and flowering annuals. Vegetable starts and herbs contribute their savoury aromas to blend with those of roses and other fragrant blooms. And there is always help and friendly advice from knowledgeable staff who will sit down with you and help you plan your dream garden.

Dalton and Anita have always held the philosophy that it is important to help others as you are able and to that end CGG has every year provided a bursary for a UCC student in agriculture or horticulture. Various fundraisers have helped local schools realize their financial objectives, the most important being the sale of hanging baskets

They have also always believed in the importance of taking care of the environment and started the recycle your hanging basket program in 1989, well before such ideas were in vogue. A big part of taking care of the environment is buying local and at CGG anything which isn’t grown at Monte Lake is sourced as close to home as possible so customers can always be assured that plants are suited to local growing conditions and have the advantage of being appropriate to Kamloops climate. Also, customers can be assured that if they return the containers which they bought their plants in, that they will be reused rather than added to the landfill.

In addition to all the usual variety of garden centre accessories, CGG also carries a great selection of locally made bird feeders and bird houses. Canadian wild bird feed is also on the menu as well as First Mate dog and cat food which are manufactured in Chilliwack from all Canadian ingredients. Garden seeds from West Coast Seeds (Delta) and Pacific Northwest Seeds (Vernon) provide local flavour in the spring.

It is indeed a pleasant surprise to come across this interesting little oasis in downtown Kamloops and visitors are invariably impressed with its character, variety and abundance, and the friendly helpfulness of the staff.