When planning your landscape design, keep in mind that trees and shrubs provide privacy, shade and beauty, all of which contribute to your quality of life – and property value. A good nursery will have a variety of species to choose from and the expertise to help you decide. Take your questions to these experts before you put down roots.
This family-run garden centre caters to all gardeners, from savvy green thumbs to novices. Its great selection of trees and shrubs is designed to thrive in the Alberta weather and staff can direct you to the right species for your particular location and soil type. If limited space is an issue, you’ll find an assortment of compact shrubs like potentillas, which bloom all summer and barberry bushes with their colourful foliage.
This family operation involves three generations of the Brown clan, local businesspeople with roots in the tree-farming industry since the early 1980s. The farm in Gleichen, east of Calgary, was founded in 1999 and now boasts a huge array of deciduous and coniferous species suitable for residential and commercial properties. Its fruit tree selection features eight species of crab apple, ornamental cherry and plum. Evergreens include Colorado and white spruce, lodgepole, ponderosa, Scotch and mountain pine. Delivery is available.
This third-generation business stocks both mature and young potted trees, so you can choose from different sizes and price ranges to fit your yard and budget. Trees are available from early May to late October and can be picked up or delivered. Blue Grass carries gorgeous purple chokeberry trees and a wide range of evergreens. Its supply of shrubs is hard to beat, with evergreen, deciduous and fruiting varieties; flowering shrubs and hedges are available, too.
The tree and shrub lot at Golden Acre is covered, so you can shop comfortably, rain or shine. Fresh trees arrive weekly during the spring and summer, and with more than 100 varieties, you’ll have plenty of selection and no end of intriguing choices. There are evergreens, ornamentals and fruit trees on the lot. Their remarkable topiary skills are on display in the form of hedges clipped in the shape of animals.
The centre covers a 20-acre site on the southern edge of the city, enough space to stock all the trees and shrubs you could possibly need to landscape and cover your property. Find tall evergreens that are ready to plant immediately and colourful potted trees and shrubs that can wait until conditions are ideal. There are literally hundreds of species and styles at all prices. Most trees come with a one-year warranty based on proper care and maintenance.
Most of the trees here are rooted in containers, generally a cost-effective and manageable option for the casual, residential gardener. Starburn Nursery carries beautiful deciduous trees like mountain ash, lilac and aspen along with attractive conifers such as frost-hardy Siberian larch, white spruce and Scotch pine. Starburn Nursery offers a 30-day, full refund return policy on trees and shrubs in case you change your mind.
The award-winning landscaping team at Countryside knows their stuff. They’ve twice been voted the top landscape company in Alberta by industry associations, and they can put that planting expertise to use for you. Every tree and shrub sold at Countryside is guaranteed to be in good condition at purchase and fit to flourish with the proper treatment. They back this guarantee with a one-year warranty on regularly priced trees and bushes.
A family-owned business, Ever Blue oversees 100 acres of trees and shrubs. The nursery takes its name from the Silver Blue Spruce, which was developed here. All of its trees and shrubs are adapted to the Calgary climate. These include Colorado spruce, lodgepole pines, columnar spruce and colourful ornamentals like Amur cherry and crabapple. If you’re interested in starting your own, purchase the popular silver blue spruce seedlings.
This farm is located just 20 minutes south of the city where the owners have hundreds of acres of hardy trees and shrubs bred for Calgary growing conditions. Lovely maples, birches and ash variants are available in various sizes and levels of maturity to fit any landscaping need. The nursery is certified under the Clean Plant program, which protects tree stock from invasive pests and aims to prevent such threats from spreading. Truck and crane rentals are available for delivery of mature trees and large orders.