When the winter feels long and the days feel short, a trip to the greenhouse feels like a mini-holiday. Valerie Kristjanson of Connon Nurseries shares her passion and paints a lush picture of gardening and community:
Life in the greenhouse always feels fresh! The lush and vibrant foliage of houseplants, paired with the scent of blooms and freshly watered soil, are sure to awaken your senses when you’re wandering through.
Spending time with plants, nurturing their growth, and connecting with nature is beneficial to both physical and mental health and well-being, reduces stress and anxiety, and is proven to improve productivity. Throughout the seasons, the positivity of plants and gardening, and sharing plant love transcends spaces from indoors to out.
Plants for Every Season
For most of the year, looking beyond the glass of the greenhouse at Connon Nurseries greets you with an abundance of outdoor nursery plants; flowering shrubs, evergreens, trees, and perennials are grown on their farms in the Waterdown area and fill the sales yard for home gardeners and landscape trade professionals.
When the temperatures begin to drop in Autumn a subtle shift from outdoors takes place, and the greenhouse fills with the collectible, coveted, and must-have houseplants that are on trend. Whether you’re an avid gardener looking to extend the season, or a newer ‘plant parent’ growing your indoor collection, autumn and winter days are made much more bearable when you’re surrounded by plants.
Waterdown Winter Farmers’ Market
During the autumn and winter months, the view from within the greenhouse changes. On Saturdays, Connon Nurseries welcomes local farms, food producers, and a collection of artisans into their seasonal growing space to offer the Waterdown area and surrounding communities a Winter Farmers’ Market.
Hosting the event began in 2019 and carried on throughout the pandemic when many small businesses needed a place to offer their products. A strong focus on locally produced foods has remained since the market’s inception, growing from approximately 25 vendors to over 50 vendors in its fifth year.
Complemented by live music from local amateur musicians, the weekly event has become a meeting place for many local families. Returning week after week to wander through the market while soaking up the warmth and positivity of the plants, shows the support and strength of community that this market fosters.
Long History of Plant Love
A love of plants and gardening naturally brings people together. Sharing knowledge, tips, and information is at the heart of Connon Nurseries’ core values and has been since 1906. Supporting the communities in which they are rooted is at the forefront of the company’s vision.
The existence of the Winter Farmers’ Market in a place filled with plants strengthens the relationship between growth, community, local vendors, and one another. It’s difficult to determine whether the positive feelings that this event invokes are attributed to the benefits of plants, or the happiness that arises from shopping and supporting local; visit the Connon Nurseries Winter Farmers’ Market and you’re sure to leave feeling happy, with something fresh from the market!
Connon Nurseries has locations in Waterdown, Trenton, and Newmarket. The Winter Farmers’ Market is located at their Waterdown location at 656 Robson Road and is open Saturdays from 10am until 2pm until March 30.
To learn more, visit their website, check them out on Facebook, or call (905) 689-7433.
This article was sponsored by Connon Nurseries - Waterdown, a 2023 BurlingtonToday Reader Favourite.
