echeverias
As everyone who reads this blog knows, I’m an insatiable plant collector. For the good or the bad, I can’t seem to stop, I love finding new strange plants for the garden and/or home. Living in the garden city of Victoria B.C there is actually quite a variety of nurserys and garden centers available to the everyday plant geek. From wholesale to specialists, Vancouver Island has them all. In time I hope to document them more thoroughly, but for today lets start with one of my favorite. Let’s talk about Brentwood Bay Nurseries, the island’s best source for succulents and cacti, strange and exotic plants from all over the world.
My girlfriend posing with an aeonium, mid spring at Brentwood Bay Nursery.
While I visit just about every decent garden center south of Parksville, many of my most favorite oddities have come from Brentwood Bay Nursery. Puya Miribilis, Dahlia imperalis, Faucaria tigrina, Euphorbia obesa and Passionvines just to name a few. I don’t think there is anywhere else on the island that matches the sheer depth of interesting plant stock this place has. What’s better is that the stock seems to shift regularly as I tend to find new things every-time I visit. My most favorite place to start at Brentwood Bay Nurseries is their hot house, which no matter what time of year you visit is filled with all kinds of tropical treasures.
On my most recent visit I was shocked to see so many thriving tropicals in a town which is fickle about gardening in the rain. Blooming salvias, date palms and bird of paradise, there are a 100 shades of echeveria and a blooming acacia pravissima. The cheapest trip to the tropics I’ve ever seen. If I ever want to impress a friend who isn’t into plants I set them free in the succulent room at Brentwood Bay. Who couldn’t be blown away by a 30 year old Agave americana that rivals the size of it’s relatives in the South. While you’ll surely find all the common garden plants here as well, if your into tropicals hardy and otherwise this is your nirvana. Brentwood Bay grows the majority of their own plants, and things look healthy and vigorous. Prices are average like anywhere else, and sales happen now and again if you keep your eyes open.
They feature a wide variety of cusp hardy shrubs and perennials from Australia and New Zealand. Contrary to popular believe a lot of exotic plants that grow there can survive in our mild south island climate. As eloquently written on their website. “Our main objective is to help and educate anyone who is interested in plants, especially those plants that will grow in the Pacific Northwest in our wonderful and exciting climate that ranges from zones 7 to 9 “.
Talking with Robin (the owner of the business) you can tell his motivation lies more in his love and appreciation for the plants then the economic viability of growing tropicals in the North. That being said, we all have to pay bills, so I encourage anyone who has a taste for the exotic to seek this nursery out and buy yourself something amazing. If you’re looking for something strange that you can’t find anywhere else be sure to ask them, as they might just have it. I was amazed one day when I was brought to one of the back greenhouses and shown a specimen (which I will not specify at the moment) which is almost impossibel to find anywhere else in the lower mainland. Good luck getting that kind of service at Walmart. It’s worth spending money at great independent nurseries like this to keep the dream alive. We live in a temperate rainforest and we might as well encourage growers that try to utilize our great climate. If gardening ended with petunias, I probably wouldn’t be a plant geek.
Apparently this Salvia Leucantha (Mexican Bush Sage) doesn’t know it’s almost December.
Roses, shrubs, trees, palms, succulents, cacti, tropicals, exotics, ferns and shade lovers,
common perennials Achillea to Zantedeschia. Visit Brentwood Bay Nursery for something new, today.
Directions and Contact Information
Brentwood Bay Nursery
1395 Benvenuto Ave Brentwood Bay, BC
*Remember Keating turns into Benvenuto, on your way to Buchart Gardens*
*Take Keating off the Pat Bay, or turn onto Benvenuto off West Saanich*
(250) 652-1507 call them if you get lost, their helpful staff will be happy to help.
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Below is a quick photo reel from my backstage visit to Brentwood’s succulent production area. What a feast for the eyes, nature is a beautiful thing.
