Open year-round, The Green Spot is adding another 5,500 square-feet this spring to its existing 120,000 square feet of greenhouse space that will soon include two additional on-site businesses and a diverse range of new product lines and services.
The Green Spot Home and Garden is the largest garden centre in Brandon.
Chez Angela, owned by James and Angie Chambers, is a popular restaurant in downtown Brandon and will now have its second location at The Green Spot.
As it is, there are few of us who can resist the warmth, humidity and earthy scent of a garden centre.
“We want to create a place where people can relax and rejuvenate,” says Whetter.
Birdsong adds to the ambience at The Green Spot which is home to a cheeky African Grey parrot named Sulley as well as a parakeet, budgie bird, Zebra finches, and doves.
The cheese will feature in some of Chez Angela’s recipes and will also be available at Foxtail Café which is owned by The Green Spot and is located at Riding Mountain National Park.
Other products from producers across Manitoba that will be featured in the food section at The Green Spot include preserves from Flora and Farmer, pasta made from scratch, pure maple syrup from Treesblood Farm and local honey as well as beeswax wraps.
On my visit this spring I was struck by the sight of numerous grapefruit, orange, and lemon patio trees, some of which were beginning to bloom.
There are tables and tables of colourful geraniums, begonias, and countless other varieties.
Suncredible Yellow sunflower has a bush-like habit with thick stems that produce masses of 10 cm blooms. Van den Ham’s mother, Lil, who has worked at The Green Spot for many years as one of the principal growers, grew Suncredible in her garden last year and was amazed by its non-stop performance.
For shade, Van den Ham is excited about Rollercoaster which is the name for a new series of New Guinea impatiens.
With a huge selection of shrub roses, vines, and perennials, it’s not easy to single out any one flowering plant from The Green Spot’s diverse inventory, however, Van den Ham gives a special mention to Hollyhock Blacknight from the Alcea rosea Spotlight Series.
If you are feeling confined and desperately seeking inspiration after a long winter and a seemingly long, cool spring, there is nothing like a visit to a garden centre.