22 — Sunday, August 15, 1999 ~ North Shore News THE popularity of gar- deniny activities con- tinues to grow. This interest in plants is probably tuclled by several factors. The population is growing older and as the “boomers” age, More money is spent on homes and gardens. A grow- ing concern about the envi- ronment might also be draw- ing people towards nature and a greener world. The “big box” stores and their mass merchandizing methods have certainly cap- tured a percentage of the nursery sales but total sales have gone up by about the same amount. To remain competitive, the smaller nurs- cries have had to concentrate Me te off bbey expires Aug 31/99. Not in conjunction with any ocher offer on the speciality items and high-end products. Small nurseries may also provide better service and expert help, something that is lack- ing in so many retail outlets these days. Looking at trends in England, where gardening is a massive industry, may give us some idea where our nurs- ery industry is headed. bert Allen of Rences & Drapes CUSTOM INTERIORS north shore news 4 FJOME & GARDEN This past spring I had the opportunity to visit Secrets” Nursery near Guildford, England. A visit to Secrets” is more of a shopping experi- enee or an afternoon outing than just a quick trip down to the focal nursery. They not only had a massive selection of plants, shrubs and trees but also departments for every other garden related item. It was more like a gar- den department store than a nursery. They had a full range of garden furniture, statuary and wall plaques, water gar- den supplies and plants, clothing, tools, books, fresh produce and a large cafeteria. Families were dropping in for Junch and gardeners were picking up a coffee to drink as they wandered through the shops or toured extensive glass houses with displays of tropical plants. Mandeville Gardens in Burnaby was the first focal nursery to move toward this English-style nursery format. West Van store shows They have opened a cate, fresh produce department, information centre and gar- den school as part of their expanded retail nursery oper- ation. More recently, the Plants Galore nursery opened in Park Royal South to pro- vide one stop shopping. They have a coffee bar and books, clothes, garden furniture, statuary and fountains as well as a wide selection of plant material. You might like to stop by and visit their new facility. The Fraser Vailey is one of the best growing areas in North America and since the 1950s many small nurseries have sprung up around the valley, supplying plants to local retailers and landscapers. With the advent of free trade and the increased demand for plants in the ULS., local growers have found a ready market for their plants across the border and are shipping a See Nurseries page 23 NEWS photo wilke Wakatleld THE new wave in garden centres often includes cof- tee shops, book shops, clothes, furniture and more. Sophistication Iv’s clear that the designs .- NEWS photo Mike Wexetiold CHECK cut Decorum Home and Garden Design for unique home accents. T always enjoy dis- covering hidden lit- tle shops that I feel are worth mentioa- ing. One of my new favourites is Decorum Home and Garden Design. Located at 1872 Marine Drive, Decorum offers sophisticated furnishings and home accessories. Some items of interest include the wrought iron hanging baskets and the luxurious slipcovered leather pieces. Owner Ursula Jakubowski takes pride in her furniture and accessory choices. “] relish hand made, artistic, well craft- ed products — wrought iron of the high- est quality, blown glass, and iron Provencal baskets.” are warm and inviting and evoke a sense of old- world charm. They also feature some beautiful garden pieces. A separate garden sec- tion hosts stunning teak Marlborough benches, vintage stcamer chairs and French bistro furni- Luter bome ideas So, before you cake the trip across the bridge for that new couch or table, check out this little West Vancouver shop. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. — Barb Lunter’s floral products are available at Avant Gardener, 1460 Marine Drive, West Varicouver. Contact Barb c/o thé North Shore News, 1139 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, B.C, V7M 2H4. You can also check ont her Web site at - cmembers.home.net/bomeideas>. 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