Gardeners rejoice! GreenUP Ecology Park’s native plant and tree nursery at 1899 Ashburnham Drive in Peterborough is now open to the public for the 2020 season.
The nursery usually opens in mid May, but was delayed this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The nursery officially opened for the season on Saturday (June 13).
“While it’s later than usual, we’re happy to be opening and grateful for everyone’s support,” says Ecology Park manager Vern Bastable. “All the emails and phone calls were really heartwarming.”
The nursery is now open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday through Sunday until October 11th.
Things will operate a little bit differently this season though, largely because of public health requirements due to the pandemic. Through consultation with Peterborough Public Health, Ecology Park has taken measures to ensure the well-being, health, and safety of both customers and staff.
“Our purpose at the nursery has always been to offer native plants that benefit the community as a whole, so it feels natural that we would do that in a way that keeps our community healthy during this unusual time,” Bastable says.
Here are the notable changes:
- Only pedestrian access is permitted to the nursery. Parking is available the south end of the Beavermead Park parking lot, off Marsdale Drive at Ashburnham. Loading service for heavy purchase will be provided (customers are asked to follow instructions provided by Ecology Park staff and maintain physical distancing).
- No compost, mulch, or wood chips are available.
- Customers are asked to stay at home and not visit the nursery if they or anyone they have been in close contact with anyone who has a respiratory illness, has travelled outside of Ontario in the past 14 days, or is displaying any symptoms of COVID-19.
- Customers are asked to maintain physical distancing at all times (a minimum of two metres distance from others).
- Customers are asked to consider wearing a mask to protect others.
- Entry to the nursery will be limited (customers are asked to wait in line until directed by staff to enter the nursery).
- Customers are asked to sanitize hands before entering the sales area (hand sanitizer will be provided on site).
- Customers are asked to “go with the flow” and follow the directional arrows through the nursery space.
- Cashless payment is preferred.
VIDEO: COVID-19 procedures at Ecology Park Nursery
Before visiting the nursery, people are encouraged to check the price list greenup.on.ca/ecology-park/nursery/. The Ecology Park team updates this list every Tuesday to remove sold-out items.
It should be noted that the list may not always be entirely accurate. Since Ecology Park is a “welcoming home” to urban wildlife, wildlife may occasionally damage nursery stock.
Bastable adds “there’s no rush” if you’ve been waiting for the nursery to open for the season.
“We’ll be here all summer,” he says. “If the nursery is busy when you get here, slow down and perhaps enjoy a walk through the native tree arboretum, the demonstration gardens, and even along the Great Trail.”
“We take pride in doing things well here. Our customers know that our nursery offers hearty plants that are grown slowly and properly for our climate in Peterborough. When you’re at the nursery, we encourage everyone to slow down, follow the signs, and do our part to take care of each other.”
GreenUP is a non-profit charity and all proceeds from sales at the Ecology Park nursery contribute to the organization’s programs and resources.
