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History: Beurré Giffard was discovered as a chance seedling by Nicolas Giffard in 1825 in France. "Beurré" translates from French as "butter-like," referring to the smooth, juicy flesh that was typical of pears developed at this time in France and Belgium. It was later introduced to the United States in 1850. 

Why We Grow It: This French heirloom pear is one of the earliest ripening pears we offer. Its sweet, melting yet crisp flesh is similar to Bartlett with an excellent flavour.

History: Beurré Hardy was cultivated in France around 1820 by a Monsieur Bonnet and was named after Julien Alexandre Hardy, the director of the Luxembourg Gardens located in Paris. "Beurré" translates from French as "butter-like," referring to the smooth, juicy flesh that was typical of pears developed at this time in France and Belgium. It is considered a classic French fresh-eating pear and remains popular to this day. 

Why We Grow It: Beurré Hardy produces a sweet, aromatic pear with white/pinkish flesh that has a hint of rosewater. It grows quickly but can take a while to start fruiting, although once it does it produces reliably heavy crops when grown in warm areas. Its blooms are tolerant of late spring frosts although it isn't always a very reliable pollination partner. 

History: Beurré Hardy was cultivated in France around 1820 by a Monsieur Bonnet and was named after Julien Alexandre Hardy, the director of the Luxembourg Gardens located in Paris. "Beurré" translates from French as "butter-like," referring to the smooth, juicy flesh that was typical of pears developed at this time in France and Belgium. It is considered a classic French fresh-eating pear and remains popular to this day. 

Why We Grow It: Beurré Hardy produces a sweet, aromatic pear with white/pinkish flesh that has a hint of rosewater. It grows quickly but can take a while to start fruiting, although once it does it produces reliably heavy crops when grown in warm areas. Its blooms are tolerant of late spring frosts although it isn't always a very reliable pollination partner. 

History: Big Red was developed by Bob Bors at the University of Saskatchewan. It was one of several varieties an American company further evaluated in the US and selected as the best amongst them. Chosen for its notable cold hardiness, large size, and unique shape along with its good flavour, Big Red is sold under the name Wowza! in the US. The variety is still considered experimental since the original tree was accidentally destroyed prematurely.

Why We Grow It: Along with having good flavour, Big Red is most notable for its large size: the fruit can be twice as big as other dwarf sour cherries! The fruit is also uniquely elongated with a lobed end, giving it an appearance akin to Red Delicious apples. In trials at the University of Saskatchewan, the variety suffered no winterkill so it appears to be extremely cold hardy even in comparison to other dwarf sour cherries. The only downside to this variety is that it has lower yields than other varieties, perhaps as a tradeoff for its other traits.

Check our our blog post with some tasty sour cherry recipes!

History: A traditional French cider apple grown in Normandy, it is one of the varieties approved by the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for use in cider production in the region.

Why We Grow It: This apple produces an aromatic, bittersweet juice that can be used in cider and apple brandy. Although it only bears fruit every other year, it produces a considerable crop in a single season. It is also a great pollinator for other varieties due to its long blooming time.

History: Bing sweet cherries originated near Salem, Oregon in 1875 as a cross between Black Republican and another sweet cherry variety. It was named after Ah Bing who worked as a nursery foreman for Seth Lewelling, the person who made Bing cherries into the top variety in the US. It is uncertain if Ah Bing himself developed the variety or if Lewelling simply named it after him as thanks for the 35 years he worked for him. 

Why We Grow It: There are many reasons why this classic black sweet cherry has become the most commonly grown cherry in the US and the standard by which all other sweet cherries are measured. It produces large heart-shaped fruit with meaty purple-red flesh that is juicy and sweet. It has a semi-cling stone that is easy to remove, making it great for fresh eating and preserves. The tree is a heavy cropper, producing bountiful amounts of these lovely sweet cherries.

Reap the benefits of a biodynamic, organic approach to gardening and grow abundant crops in tune with lunar cycles.

Biodynamic Gardening has all you need to know about gardening by the moon:

• A biodynamic calendar enables you to plan the growing year
• Recipes for making natural amendments that improve the health and vitality of soil and plants
• Essential plant profiles of vegetables and flowers provide growing instruction from seed to harvest

Gardening basics such as preparing beds, composting, and watering make Biodynamic Gardening suitable for beginners, as well as experienced gardeners looking for permaculture plus advice to fully synchronize with Nature’s rhythms for optimal crops.

Species: Nyssa sylvatica

History: Black Gum (aka Black Tupelo) is native from southern Ontario ranging down to Texas and Florida with a few sporadic populations in Mexico. The name tupelo comes from the Creek words "ito" which means "tree" and "opilwa" which means "swamp" due to its preference for wetter habitats. The tree is a great source of nectar for bees and the small black fruits the tree produces are an important source of food for many species of birds including bluebirds, scarlet tanagers, and pileated woodpeckers. Black Gum produces a hard wood that is difficult to split, leading its use in products such as mauls, pulleys, and wheel hubs. They are quite visually appealing particularly in the fall, so have also been used as ornamental trees. These can be quite long-lived trees with the oldest known specimen being over 700 years old. 

Why We Grow It: Black Gum is a lovely native tree whether you're looking for a visually striking autumn display, a great source of food for various wildlife, or nice hard wood. The trees are quite adaptable to different soil conditions and although they generally prefer wetter conditions in the wild, they can tolerate drought and dry soils. 

Species: Robinia pseudoacacia

History: Native to small portion of the United States, the tree first became known to Western science in 1607 when British colonists in Jamestown used it to build houses. It was introduced to Britain in 1636 and has since been used as a landscaping tree in many countries around the world. It is unfortunately considered invasive in many places due to its intense suckering habit and ability to fix nitrogen, allowing it to thrive even in poor soils. However, its hard wood has many uses and the flowers are eaten in numerous European countries and Japan, and it is used medicinally in India.

Why We Grow It: While this tree is considered invasive to southern Ontario as it grows quickly and aggressively, we feel when it is grown with control and awareness, it can be a powerful ally for the following reasons:

• it is a great pioneer species in ecologically disturbed spaces thanks to its resilience and ability to grow and produce nitrogen
• even in poor soil it provides erosion control with its spreading, shallow root system
• it's a fast growing hardwood
• it is preferred for firewood and furniture (60x more rot resistant than cedar)
• bees appreciate it's showy blooms, which are edible and can be enjoyed in salads, jams, cooking and baking, check out Fiddlehead Nursery's locust-flower patty recipe! 
• On a farm/tended space, they provide valuable shade for livestock, thicken fencerows, provide habitat for wildlife, increase soil health, and add nitrogen, etc. and are easily managed.

However it is strongly advised not to plant in untended bushland due to its quick and aggressive spread, and resilience once it is established in an area making it quite difficult to remove.

History: We have a collective of Franciscan missionaries to thank for this variety, when they started it in San Diego in 1768. Over the years, it became the favored fig to grow in California, including sweeping through the commercial orchards. 

Why We Grow It: Excellent quality fig, with good production! Black skin, sweet strawberry-red flesh, with distinct flavour.

2026/2027 Staff Favourite

Black Velvet is Wayne's favourite this year! He has been waiting a while to select this variety as his personal favourite: "Black Velvet was what I had hoped to choose as my staff favourite last year, but we didn’t have any to sell! This year we do, and it’s my favourite of our gooseberries - I find it’s a little sweeter and more flavourful; really great for fresh eating.”

All Staff Favourites are 20% off. The Staff Favourite Discount cannot be combined with other quantity discounts.

Species: Ribes uva-crispa x Ribes divaricatum

History: There appears to be little information on the origin of Black Velvet. It is a hybrid between the European gooseberry (R. uva-crispa) and the closely related worcesterberry (R. divaricatum), a plant native to North America. As a result of its mixed parentage, Black Velvet has unique characteristics such as dark-skinned fruit, excellent disease resistance, and notable cold hardiness. 

Why We Grow It: Black Velvet produces large numbers of dark reddish-purple berries with an excellent, fruity flavour that isn't too tart. It is great for fresh eating as well as making jams and jellies. This is an easy to grow plant with good cold hardiness and disease resistance.

Species: Juglans nigra or hybrid. Our seeds are collected from trees that may have been cross-pollinated by closely related species so the resulting seedlings may be hybrids. 

History: Native to much of the eastern and central United States and southern Ontario, Black Walnut has long been used as a source of food, dye, lovely dark wood, and as an ornamental tree. Although it is said to have a better flavour than the English walnut, the Black walnut remains less popular due to the increased difficulty of harvesting the nut meat from within the husk. Black walnut is also infamous for being allelopathic, meaning it secretes toxic chemicals (juglones) into the soil to reduce plant competition. 

Why We Grow It: Black walnut is a beautiful tree that produces nuts with a stronger flavour than that of English walnuts. The sap can be boiled to make walnut syrup, which tastes very similar to maple syrup but with notes of caramel and butterscotch. Also, the husks can be used in brewing beer! 

Be mindful of the juglones in the in the roots/nut husks, they are toxic to many other species. They require a buffer of about 50'/30m from the edge of the trees canopy for juglone-sensitive plants. This article from The Garden Hoe has a helpful list of plants that tolerate juglones. However there are recent (2019) studies showing healthy soil high in organic matter and mycorrhizal fungi actually reduce the toxicity of juglones suggesting many plants can grow below juglans species in a healthy ecosystem - it will be interesting to see more study done in this area! 

History: Blakeney Red (aka Circus pear, Red pear, and Painted Lady) is believed to have originated in the English village of Blakeney, its birthplace and the prominent red blush on the fruit earning it its name. It may have been originally planted sometime in the 1700s but became better known starting around 1830 and was the most widely planted perry pear. It is still popular in the UK today and is gaining attention in North America as well. A yellow dye can also be made from this variety and it was used to dye khakis for British soldiers during WW1. 

Why We Grow It: This perry pear produces small to medium yellow fruit with red blush and some russet. For those interested in perry, it's hard to ignore this variety's long history, although its quality can vary based on growing conditions. 

History: The history of Blenheim Orange is a bit muddled depending on your source. We know it was discovered by George Kempster (either a baker, a tailor, or a basket weaver depending on who you ask!) in England in 1740 and it was originally named Kempster's Pippin. Some say he found it as a seedling growing along a wall of Blenheim Palace while others claim he grew it in his garden located near Blenheim, England. It was later renamed to Blenheim Orange in the early 1800s, likely when it was sold commercially through nurseries. This variety has many other names, including: Beauty of Dumbleton, Blooming Orange, and Northwitch Blenheim. The tree itself is also known for its sturdy wood and it was at one time popularly used to make railway cogs.

Why We Grow It: These large, somewhat flat apples feature orangey-red stripes over yellow skin with some russet. The fruit is good for fresh eating with a nutty taste and is quite nice when paired with cheese. It is also great for cooking and makes a stiff purée. The tree is highly vigorous but can be slow to come into production, although it has heavy crops once it does.

History: The history of Blenheim Orange is a bit muddled depending on your source. We know it was discovered by George Kempster (either a baker, a tailor, or a basket weaver depending on who you ask!) in England in 1740 and it was originally named Kempster's Pippin. Some say he found it as a seedling growing along a wall of Blenheim Palace while others claim he grew it in his garden located near Blenheim, England. It was later renamed to Blenheim Orange in the early 1800s, likely when it was sold commercially through nurseries. This variety has many other names, including: Beauty of Dumbleton, Blooming Orange, and Northwitch Blenheim. The tree itself is also known for its sturdy wood and it was at one time popularly used to make railway cogs.

Why We Grow It: These large, somewhat flat apples feature orangey-red stripes over yellow skin with some russet. The fruit is good for fresh eating with a nutty taste and is quite nice when paired with cheese. It is also great for cooking and makes a stiff purée. The tree is highly vigorous but can be slow to come into production, although it has heavy crops once it does.

Species: Lonicera caerulea

History: Blue Banana was developed by Lidia Stuart of Berries Unlimited, potentially bred from Russian varieties or a cross between Russian and Japanese varieties. The variety is named for the unique shape of the berries and was likely selected for their large size and sweet flavour.

Why We Grow It: Blue Banana is exceptionally sweet compared to other haskap varieties and the flavour has been described as 'smoked strawberry.' These large, sweet berries are good for fresh eating along with cooking, baking, preserving, etc! The bush itself grows quickly and is relatively disease resistant.

This patchwork pillow features a scrappy double pinwheel in blue and cream fabrics with a lovely floral border and backing. Made with quality cotton fabrics.

Our pillow fronts are all quilted for a unique, plush look. Quilting is done by freemotion, which is a hand guided machine stitching technique, not computer. This means that your quilt will always be one of a kind as the artistry of the stitching is unique to each piece.

Throw cushions are a great way to decorate and give your room a whole new personality!

Switching out your covers is quick and easy with our overlapping back. Easy care, in with regular wash.

Listing is for the pillow cover only. It is sized for a 17 inch (43 cm) square pillow form, sold separately here.

Will come packaged with care instructions.

Last photos show more coordinating pillows, sold separately here.

Species: Vaccinium corymbosum

History: Blueray higbush blueberry was introduced in 1941, although there is little other information on its origins. It may have originated in New Jersey where blueberry cultivation began.

Why We Grow It: Blueray produces an abundant crop of very large berries with good flavour. This cold hardy variety is great for home growers! Blueberries are great for baking, for example Steph made some wonderful black currant and blueberry tarts that are pictured here!

As an organic slow-release fertilizer, bone meal is primarily used as a source of phosphorus and protein. Phosphorus promotes early growth, root formation and fruit development in trees, shrubs and other garden plants.

Contents: 4-10-0, bovine source

Size: Bagged in 2.2lb/1kg or 4.4lb/2kg bag

Application: Application rates depend on your soil type, but the general rate is 10lb per 100 square feet, or about 1/4-1/3 cup per tree mixed into the soil when planting; one  1kg bag has enough product for planting ~10-12 bareroot trees. DO NOT apply directly to the tree itself, apply it to the soil around the tree. 

• Please Note: If you are adding phosphorous to your soil via fertilizers such as bone meal or soft rock phosphate and also using the Root Rescue mycorrhizal inoculant, reduce the application rate of the phosphorous source by 1/4-1/2. Too much phosphorous will negatively impact the mycorrhizal fungi, potentially slowing or even preventing your plants from forming a relationship with these incredible fungi.

Soil: Bone meal is best suited for slightly acidic soils (below pH 7) for the bone meal to be most available to the plants.  

History: Bonne Louise de Jersey originated from Avranches in Normandy, France in the 1780s. It was originally known as Bonne Louise d'Avranches until it was taken to Jersey in the Channel Islands. As it grew in popularity in the UK, it was given the name Bonne Louise de Jersey instead.  

Why We Grow It: Bonne Louise de Jersey is a rich, buttery pear that produces a juicy, red blushed fruit. In spring, this pear is also adorned with a profusion of notably attractive blossoms, adding a nice touch to any landscape. Although the tree is less vigorous than some other pears, this makes it suitable for potting and espalier.

History: Bonne Louise de Jersey originated from Avranches in Normandy, France in the 1780s. It was originally known as Bonne Louise d'Avranches until it was taken to Jersey in the Channel Islands. As it grew in popularity in the UK, it was given the name Bonne Louise de Jersey instead.  

Why We Grow It: Bonne Louise de Jersey is a rich, buttery pear that produces a juicy, red blushed fruit. In spring, this pear is also adorned with a profusion of notably attractive blossoms, adding a nice touch to any landscape. Although the tree is less vigorous than some other pears, this makes it suitable for potting and espalier.

• pure beeswax 
• 6.9cm wide by 8.9cm tall (2.75" x 3.5")
• approximate burn time 25 hours

The mold for these candles was made from a Bonne Louise de Jersey pear from one of Silver Creek Nursery's own trees! Each pear is rubbed with cinnamon to give a textured, realistic effect, and little leaf tags add the final touch. 

Jodi has created several punny tags that you can add to your pear candle, listed below.

• "Pearfect together."
• "We make a great pear."
• "Have a pearfect day!"

Species: Lonicera caerulea

History: Boreal Beast was developed by Bob Bors at the University of Saskatchewan as part of the Boreal series of haskaps. The goal of the Boreal series is to cross haskaps from Russia, Japan, and the Kuril Islands to create superior cultivars with the best qualities of all three strains. Boreal Beast was rated very highly for flavour in the breeding program. Named after Beauty and the Beast, Boreal Beast was intended to be the pollination partner for Boreal Beauty but in practice it has been found that their pollination times don't quite overlap.

Why We Grow It: Boreal Beast is noted for its excellent flavour with a great aroma and pleasant aftertaste. The shrub itself is quite vigorous and sturdy, and produces good-sized crops of delicious medium-sized berries.

Species: Lonicera caerulea

History: Boreal Beauty haskap is part of the Boreal series of haskaps developed by Bob Bors at the University of Saskatchewan. The goal of the Boreal series is to cross haskaps from Russia, Japan, and the Kuril Islands to create superior cultivars with the best qualities of all three strains. Boreal Beauty was released in early 2017, chosen for its large size, firmness, and good flavour. Its name, a reference to Beauty and the Beast, was meant to be a handy way to remember that Boreal Beast is the recommended for pollination partner for this variety, but in practice unfortunately the two don't overlap quite enough for pollination to be optimal.

Why We Grow It: Boreal Beauty sports large berries that are more oval-shaped and firm than other haskaps while maintaining with good flavour. This variety could show promise for mechanical harvesting. It is also quite vigorous and produces heavy crops. 

Species: Lonicera caerulea

History: Boreal Blizzard was developed by Bob Bors at the University of Saskatchewan as part of the Boreal series of haskaps. The goal of the Boreal series is to cross haskaps from Russia, Japan, and the Kuril Islands to create superior cultivars with the best qualities of all three strains. While Boreal Blizzard is only a cross between Russian and Japanese varieties, it has produced some of the largest berries the breeding program has seen while boasting good flavour!

Why We Grow It: Boreal Blizzard produces exceptionally large berries that are meaty and sweet. This heavy cropper is ideal for U-pick operations and small farms where the larger berries make them more suitable for hand-picking. 

Species: Lonicera caerulea

History: Borealis was created by Bob Bors at the University of Saskatchewan and was released in 2007, likely being selected for its large fruit, good flavour, and resistance to powdery mildew. 

Why We Grow It: Borealis produces large, round berries with an excellent flavour, albeit less sweet than more modern haskap varieties. The berries are excellent for baking although they are a bit softer and need to be handled more delicately when being picked. The bush itself is a little more compact than other varieties and is very resistant to powdery mildew. 

History: Bosc pears have an unclear history, either originating from Belgium or France. Some say that an M. Bosc in Belgium grew it from seed around 1807 while others believe it was found as an old tree in France in the 1830s and named after horticulturalist Louis Bosc. Bosc's alternate names 'Beurre Bosc' refer to its buttery texture and 'Calebasse Bosc' refers to its gourd-like shape.  Regardless of its origins, Bosc has remained popular and is grown in numerous countries around the world. 

Why We Grow It: Bosc pears are long and slender with golden brown russetted skin. The flesh is of high quality, very sweet, and the pears store much better than most varieties. They can also be used to make a lovely tart, with a sprinkle of thyme for a savory delight!

History: Bosc pears have an unclear history, either originating from Belgium or France. Some say that an M. Bosc in Belgium grew it from seed around 1807 while others believe it was found as an old tree in France in the 1830s and named after horticulturalist Louis Bosc. Bosc's alternate names 'Beurre Bosc' refer to its buttery texture and 'Calebasse Bosc' refers to its gourd-like shape.  Regardless of its origins, Bosc has remained popular and is grown in numerous countries around the world. 

Why We Grow It: Bosc pears are long and slender with golden brown russetted skin. The flesh is of high quality, very sweet, and the pears store much better than most varieties. They can also be used to make a lovely tart, with a sprinkle of thyme for a savory delight!

History: Despite once being the most commonly planted commercial plum tree in New York, Bradshaw's origins are quite hazy. It is uncertain whether the variety even originated in Europe or the US. It was named in 1846 by C.M. Hovey who wrote about it in his "Magazine of Horticulture," naming the variety "Bradshaw" after an E.E. Bradshaw who had exhibited excellent specimens of the fruit for several years. Bradshaw has since been eclipsed by other plum varieties.

Why We Grow It: Bradshaw produces relatively large purplish-red plums of good quality. The flavour is pleasantly sweet and the variety is good for fresh eating and likely cooking and processing like other European plums. It is semi-clingstone. The tree is self-fertile, productive, and quite hardy, although it can be slow to start bearing fruit. 

History: Discovered in New Zealand by farmer O. Moran in 1952, Braeburn took the world by a storm, becoming one of the most popular commercial apples in the United States and parenting many modern cultivars such as Jazz and Sweetie. 

Why We Grow It: Its winning sweet-tart flavour wrapped in an attractive orangey-red skin makes it an excellent fresh eating apple. It is firm and holds its shape well when cooked, and keeps about 4 months. This variety is fairly disease susceptible, meaning it is better for the experienced natural grower or conventional orchards. It is moderately vigorous and a heavy cropper.