Potted Plants

Available only for pick-up at nursery.

History: Summercrisp pears were developed by the University of Minnesota in an effort to create a cold hardy pear. They were successful in creating a hardy and delicious pear, releasing the variety in 1985. Its name is derived from the fact it ripens in summer (very early for a pear!) and that it is great right off the tree when still crisp.  

Why We Grow It: Summercrisp performs amazingly in our test orchard, producing lots of freckled beauties that ripen uniformly and hang well on the tree.  This early cold-hardy pear has a really sweet, pleasant flavour and is not gritty or dry. The fruit are average-sized with yellow skin and red blush. For optimal eating they should be picked before fully ripe and stored in the fridge until eating. This variety deserves to be more widely planted.

Available only for pick-up at nursery.

Species: Rubus parviflorus

History: Thimbleberries are a native plant closely related to raspberries and blackberries. Cultivated for edible, ornamental, and ecological reasons today, they have also historically been used by indigenous peoples as a source of food and medicine.

Why We Grow It: This is an excellent under-story plant that produces smaller, flatter berries than cultivated raspberries, but with a delicious sweet-tart flavour. Apparently young shoots can be harvested in spring, lightly peeled, and then boiled for an asparagus-like 'vegetable'- we haven't tried this yet, but would love to hear from you if you have! The thornless bush grows up to 7 feet tall, though can be kept smaller with pruning/trellising/tying down. The fruit grows best on 2-3 year old canes unlike raspberries, which makes this an ideal plant for living fences.

Available only for pick-up at nursery.

History: Thunderchild is a crabapple that was developed by Percy Wright, a prairie plant breeder in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Although it is unknown when exactly Thunderchild was created, it likely came about in the 1900s and can still be seen as a common ornamental tree in the area.

Why We Grow It: Thunderchild makes for a lovely ornamental tree with a profusion of pink blossoms in the spring and deep red foliage. The tiny dark red fruits it produces can be used in cider blends and to make jellies with a gorgeous orange hue. The tree is quite cold hardy and generally disease resistant. 

Available only for pick-up at nursery.

History: Toka is a hybrid of an American plum (Prunus americana) and a Japanese plum (Prunus salicina) that was created by Dr. N.E. Hansen who is known for his extensive career in developing cold hardy plant varieties. He developed Toka at the South Dakota Experiment Station and introduced it in 1911. It is unclear what 'Toka' translates to in English but 'toka' can mean 'etc/among other things' or 'river crossing' in Japanese

Why We Grow It: Toka is also known as Bubblegum plum due to its flavour and smell which bears an uncanny resemblance to bubblegum. These plums are incredibly aromatic, and will fill your kitchen with their perfumed scent as they sit out to ripen. The semi-clingstone fruit features deep red skin and bright yellow flesh that is firm but juicy. It is good for fresh eating or preserving. 

Available only for pick-up at nursery.

Species: Vaccinium angustifolium

History: Top Hat lowbush blueberry was released by the Michigan State University Agricultural Experiment Station some time before the mid to late 1970s.

Why We Grow It: This variety produces small berries with a rich sweet-tart flavour. It is a popular pick for bonsai and container gardening. Blueberries are great for baking, for example Steph made some wonderful black currant and blueberry tarts that are pictured here!

Available only for pick-up at nursery.

Species: Vaccinium corymbosum

History:  Toro is a cross between Earliblue and Ivanhoe bred by USDA blueberry breeder Arlen Draper in Maryland. It was selected for its productivity, firmness, and flavour and introduced in 1987.  It was named Toro ('bull' in Spanish) due to its strong and stocky structure, however this dense canopy structure prevented Toro from achieving true commercial success due to the added difficulty of pruning and harvesting it at a commercial level. 

Why We Grow It: Toro produces large blueberries that are quite sweet and firm. They tend to produce heavy crops that ripen all at once, making mechanical picking easier. Like other blueberries, Toro is great for eating fresh, baking, and preserving! 

Available only for pick-up at nursery.

Species: Carya illinoinensis 

History: Pecan enthusiasts John Gordon and Gary Fernald, determined to get pecans to ripen regularly in Ontario, collected nuts and and grafting material from the earliest ripening pecan trees along the northern edge of their range in Iowa and Missouri. These were grown and tested at Grimo Nut Nursery and the best were chosen to form the Ultra Northern pecan strain.

Why We Grow It: Considering the amount of hard work that went into bringing these trees to Ontario, it's hard to turn down the ability to have a pecan tree in your own backyard. Like a regular pecan, the nuts can be used in a variety of ways for cooking and baking, such as the persimmon and pecan cookies Steph made (see pictures)!

Available only for pick-up at nursery.

History: Van was developed at the Summerland Research Station in BC and was the first variety released by their breeding program. It originated as an open-pollinated cross with Empress Eugenie in 1936 and was introduced in 1944. Van was named after J.R. Van Haarlem, a pomologist at the Horticultural Experiment Station in Vineland, ON. The variety initially enjoyed great popularity, but has faded out of commercial favour since it is not self-pollinating. It can still be found being grown on a small scale and in backyards. 

Why We Grow It: Van produces firm, dark red cherries with an excellent flavour similar to Bing. They have a sweet/tart flavour that makes them great for both fresh eating and baking/cooking. The tree itself is vigorous, hardy, starts bearing fruit at a young age, and produces heavy crops. It also flowers prolifically, making it a lovely tree in the spring and a great pollination partner for other sweet cherries.

Available only for pick-up at nursery.

Species: Aronia melanocarpa

History: Viking was developed in Finland around the 1980s, likely looking to increase productivity. They succeeded and Viking is now the most productive of all aronia cultivars.

Why We Grow It: With slightly larger than average berries, very good flavour, and the best productivity of all aronia berries, Viking is a hard variety to turn down. Like other aronia berries, they can be a bit tart for fresh eating but are great when used for cooking, baking, wines, jams, etc.

Available only for pick-up at nursery.

History: Discovered around the 1680s in Versailles, France, though thought to originate in Spain.

Why We Grow It: Deep purple-black skin over dark red, with very rich sweet flesh - one of the best tasting varieties around! The flavour intensifies if let to dry/shrivel slightly on the tree. Adaptable, excellent cropper and flavour, and a great choice for backyard growers.

Available only for pick-up at nursery.

History: White Lady was created by Zaiger Genetics in California as part of their fruit breeding enterprise. It was selected for its unique white flesh, reddish skin, and overall excellent fruit quality. The variety was introduced in 1986.

Why We Grow It: White Lady is a unique variety featuring red blush over white skin and firm, white flesh. This freestone peach has quite low acidity giving it a very sweet flavour and it is great for fresh eating, canning, preserving, and baking. The tree itself is adaptable and the blossoms tolerate unpredictable spring weather better than most. 

Grafted Peach Trees
We are very pleased to be able to offer peach trees to our customers. They are both challenging and rewarding plants to grow. However, due to the unique challenges of growing peach trees, and the increased care required for their success, we regrettably cannot offer our standard 90 day guarantee on peaches. Please inspect your peach trees to your satisfaction when you pick them up at the nursery, or immediately upon arrival if they are shipped. For shipped trees, make your claim within 7 days of receipt of the trees. After 7 days of receipt, you will have been deemed to have accepted the trees in as-is condition.

Available only for pick-up at nursery.

Species: Ribes rubrum

History: Developed in Holland, White Pearl currants, like all white currants, are actually an albino mutation of red currants. This variety has been popular in Europe for quite some time, although aside from its place of origin it appears there is little information on how it came to be. 

Why We Grow It: These delicate translucent berries are white with a pinkish-gold hue, making them delightful to see growing in the garden. They have sweet and mild flavour that is slightly floral. The plant itself is quite cold hardy and bears prolific crops.

Available only for pick-up at nursery.

History: Yellow Transparent (aka Harvest Apple and White Transparent) originated as a chance seedling in a nursery in Riga, Latvia around 1850. At the time Latvia was part of the Russian Empire so this variety is often considered Russian. Due to its early ripening and cold hardiness, this variety was widely grown in Europe, especially northern countries, where it is still grown today. It was imported to the US in the 1870s as part of an effort to import cold hardy Russian species that could potentially survive in states with harsher winters and became quite popular. 

Why We Grow It: This classic early apple deserves a home in every home orchard. The fruit features pale yellow skin that almost looks transparent and white flesh with a sharp, sweet flavour. It can be eaten fresh but also makes a great applesauce. Like many early ripening apples, the fruit does not last long.