With many of our online shoppers living across Canada, we thought it would be a great idea to sit down with our Nursery Manager, Shawn to give our online readers a glance at how our nursery is cared for. Check out what’s happening in the Wildwood Nursery, from our Nursery Manager Shawn himself, below.
Q: Tell us a little bit about your background?
“It is good to be here! I have been in the horticultural trades for 30+ years now. Started out doing commercial installations as a happy roustabout, had my own design and build company on Gabriola Island and finished up doing estate gardening before moving into Retail Nursery. Found time to raise a family, go to school, built some houses, and skippered a commercial fishing boat for a season.”
Q: You recently took over the nursery managers position at Wildwood, how is that going? What is the best part for you?
“It has been exciting and challenging; the best part is the people. We have a great staff here and I really enjoy talking with our customers and learning about their gardening dreams and challenges.”
Q: As the Nursery Manager, you must get a lot of questions on how to care to plants. Is there anything you’re running into a lot lately?
“The big topics are privacy and adapting their landscapes to a changing climate. People want to forest bathe in their own back yard, they want food security, and they want to help the pollinators.”
Q: What’s happening in the Nursery this month?
“Good question. In the nursery and perennials, we will be focusing on more drought tolerant plants, more of the Mediterranean style that adapt to the dry conditions and still look great. A big part of the drought tolerant plants and pollinator plants will come from our native plant collection.
Food forests and vegetable gardens and we have expanded and our small fruit section and continue to bring in PNW adapted fruit trees. We are working with our vendors to bring in more Open Pollinated and Heirloom varieties of vegetable and tomato starts so folks can collect their own seed.”
Q: Why have you chosen to work with Wildwood Outdoor Living Centre?
“Wildwood is a true local hero. Wildwood is a family business with two generations of the Nickel family working here. Gord lives in the neighborhood all our taxes go into our streets our services. We spend our money here and in turn support other local businesses.
Many report to be ‘‘Local’ but their head offices are in the mainland with a chain of stores. We have one outlet. We live and work with our customers.”
Q: What is one last thing you would like to share with our blog audience?
“So many people have shared stories with me about coming to the Nursery as children with their parents how they had tricycles to ride and the Cannor’s Kids program and so much more. Now they are here with their children, and I feel I am, we are, part the fabric that has made Victoria a great place to live with strong connections to the people and the landscape.”
[Photo by Shawn]
Whether you live in Victoria or Manitoba, Shawn is a talented horticulturist who can help with a huge variety of plant topics. We are so glad to have him at Wildwood Outdoor Living Centre to help us and our customers grow. If you ever need assistance online, or in-store be sure to ask for Shawn and he will be happy to point you in the right direction. Thank you Shawn!
