Their love for plant cultivation was inspired by their parents, Joan and Marshall Emmons, who had taken over Marshall’s father’s greenhouse business. Frequent weekend trips to visit relatives in Severn Bridge brought back childhood memories for Marshall and Joan. Marshall had vacationed at his father’s cottage in Sprucedale as a child, while Joan spent part of her childhood living in Wasdell Falls, near Washago. As the family once again fell in love with Muskoka’s magic, they decided to start a small greenhouse business near Windermere. Initially, by doing local planting jobs, the Emmons family began buying and growing plants in two small greenhouses. Today, 30 years later, their garden centre has grown to 32 plus staff members, two landscaping crews, three garden maintenance crews, two annual planting crews and one barging crew, all of which operate out of the largest indoor garden centre in Muskoka. The nursery features 15 greenhouses, a garden accessories store, and rows upon rows of vibrantly coloured perennials, annuals, herbs, shrubs and custom-designed planters.“Whether it’s plants or garden accessories, we always try to offer unique products that no one else has,” says Rick.“Just open any magazine featuring Muskoka cottages and there we are... our plants, our custom planters and our landscape construction.”
Over the years, the business has grown
to offer delivery by cube van, boat or
barge. The company’s landscape construction crews design beautiful landscapes
with natural Muskoka granite
flagstone patios, paths and stone step
staircases interspersed with perennial and
shrub plantings. The annual planting
crews add splashes of colour to ground
beds and planters everywhere, which
keeps their maintenance crews hopping
all season long.
Despite its changes over the years, the
garden centre’s small-town, country
charm and family-oriented service are
still the company’s top priority. Because
of this, loyal customers who first visited
when the nursery opened in 1976 still
return year after year.“We are just one street off the main
street,” says Colleen. “For customers to
make the trip out here, we have to offer
unique plants they can’t get elsewhere —
it’s worth the drive.”
Another unique aspect at Windermere
Garden Centre is the family’s technique
of planting and growing 85 per cent of
their own plants from seed to pot. They grow their plants in three or four stages to continually provide fresh stock for
customers throughout the summer and
into late August.
“We take great pride in the extra care
we give our plants,” says Sharon, Rick’s
sister who manages the office with his
mother Joan.
It is with a hearty plant selection, professional
gardening advice, an array of
gardening tools, bird baths, soil products
and flowers that Windermere Garden
Centre continues to impress after 30
years. While the business is growing to
suit gardening trends and customer needs, the family history that is woven deep into its roots remains as a centerpiece
to its success.
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The summer of 2006 marks a proud milestone for the Emmons family, who has been working hard for the last 30 years at Windermere Garden Centre to provide unique plants and flowers for Muskoka cottagers and residents. The family is thanking their loyal customers over the Canada Day weekend with product specials, cake and refreshments. Just as the winding roads that lead to the garden centre are laden with Muskoka history, the Emmons family’s horticultural experience extends back three generations. Now owned by Rick and Colleen Emmons, the business is always in motion with the help of many family members. The family’s extensive horticultural knowledge began in the Niagara region, where Rick and his four siblings grew up.
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