August 4, 2024
Quebec garden centres prepare to inspire visitors in August
BY STUART SERVICE
The annual International Garden Centre Association (IGCA) congress is coming to Québec, Canada, August 25-31 in what is shaping up to be an inspiring journey to cap off the summer.
Each year, the IGCA’s annual congress often sees more than 200 delegates from 20 countries, visiting numerous garden retailers with the goal of exchanging ideas, and helping independent garden centres become more competitive in a changing retail environment.
This August, the IGCA will visit 11 stores to witness breathtaking scale, innovative merchandising, spectacular plant quality and multi-generational history. Amidst the backdrop of stunning landscapes and floral displays, these garden centres are not merely retail spaces but destinations for family outings and immersive experiences. From the expansive thematic gardens of Jardins Michel Corbeil to the educational butterfly exhibit at Jardin Hamel, many centres offer a unique blend of retail and recreational opportunities. Moreover, with landmarks like Jardin Dion marking significant milestones in Quebec’s horticultural history, the IGCA congress promises not only to showcase excellence in garden retail but also to celebrate the rich heritage and pioneering spirit of Quebec’s horticultural industry. As delegates explore these establishments, they will gain insight into innovative merchandising and plant quality and witness firsthand the deep-rooted connection between Quebecers and their beloved garden centres.
Just a few tour gems
Jardin Hamel near Québec City is a massive, 5,000-squaremetre store that will see about 130,000 customers this year.
“In terms of the quantity of variety of plants we have, I unfortunately can’t tell you because there are so many,” said François Parent of Jardin Hamel. “There are simply thousands of varieties which makes it difficult to count.”
A big draw to Hamel is “Papillons en Fête,” a six-week event from February to April when over 35 butterfly species and about 15,000 butterflies flutter around 1,000 square metres of the store.
“This is an event that happens during a slower season, when there’s spring break and parents don’t know what to do with their kids,” Parent said. “We offer a nice activity that is very affordable.”
The late-August timing is perfect for a visit to Jardins Michel Corbeil where, within the huge plant nursery and vibrant garden centre, there are expansive thematic gardens to explore. Dinner will be served within the display gardens, and IGCA guests will be treated to a Monarch Butterfly sanctuary experience, where guests will get to see young butterflies take their first flight.
Turning a garden centre into a familyfriendly, sight-seeing activity is a theme at many of the garden centres, including Pépinière Villeneuve, which offers customers a more than five-kilometre trail system, a petting zoo, and is a draw for birdwatching enthusiasts.
“The customers have an incredible loyalty to their garden centre,” said Martin Breault from Pépinière Villeneuve, who added the experiences around the Villeneuve are what create long-lasting customer relationships.
“We want people to come in at Villeneuve and have a moment in nature looking through beautiful environments,” he continued. “People don’t necessarily remember a particular experience about the plants, they remember it was a place they used to have a hike, to have a picnic.”
The IGCA visits Jardin2m, a giant garden centre on 500,000-square-feet of land that’s celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Jardin2m makes the most of its garden centre’s landmass by appealing to both retail customers and landscape professionals.
“Usually what we see is a garden centre for retail and then a yard for landscapers,” said Jardin2m owner Mariève Dyotte. “At our place everything is together.”
To help customers visualize the trees and shrubs beyond the containers and wire baskets in which they’re sold, Jardin2m has a vast, walkable demonstration garden that provides living examples of how a selection of their inventory of more than 85,000 plants will grow at different times of maturity.
Staffing reaches about 50 people during the peak of the season, all of whom have been working at Jardin2m for more than two years, and who are eager to show off their store when the IGCA visits.
Also celebrating a milestone year is Jardin Dion which is in its 70th year of business. Jardin Dion was started by two brothers, Guy and Wilfred Dion, who started off as landscape contractors who would buy plants for their projects. At the end of the project, the brothers would have surplus plant material, which passersby would inquire about purchasing.
“In 1954, there was only one nursery for all of the province,” said Mathieu Dion, president of Jardin Dion. His grandfather Wilfred began selling the surplus plant material outside of his home. “He saw that there was a demand for this. In 1954-1960, he was really a pioneer of horticulture here in Québec.”
Jardin Dion employs 225 people at its peak season, and has grown over the years to three store locations, as well as a large landscaping division that generates almost half of Dion Group’s revenue.
“We're very, very happy to welcome you to our garden centre,” Poirier said of the IGCA’s late-August visit to Jardin Dion’s Sainte-Thérèse establishment. “We really have wonderful employees who will be smiling with you, beautiful plants, and a beautiful, warm garden centre with lots of love.”
Local highlights included in tour
Along with seeing these and many other examples of the incredible standard in garden retail being set in the province, the IGCA will feature numerous sights to see. The congress includes visits to Montmorency Falls, guided tours through Québec City and Old Montréal, dinner and entertainment at a Sugar Shack, a dinner cruise to admire the magnificent panorama of Montréal and much, much more.
Visit IGCA24.ca for registration details to experience this summer’s invitation to inspiration.