Gardenarium

Gardenarium for Garden Lovers

Including Limestone Coast Roses & Limestone Coast Advanced Trees

20th-birthday.jpg

Celebrating 20 Years

Gardenarium – For Garden Lovers, as it was then, was the brainchild

of well known landscape designer and consultant Calum Haygarth. It began

as a small adjunct to the landscape practice, due to demand from

clients wishing to stock their gardens with different plants and roses.

Calum found it increasingly difficult for clients to plant out the designs he created from what was available locally, especially perennials and cottage garden plants and this pressure became the catalyst to the formation of the retail nursery. Initially opening only a few days a week, this allowed Calum to continue his designing throughout the Limestone Coast, Western Victoria, Ballarat, Melbourne and everywhere in between.

Gardenarium Greenery Hire was also set up to cater for weddings, parties and conferences and also was the early supplier for Generations in Jazz for many years.

Ironically Calum came from a rose growing background but went down the path of landscape design. However, it was a move down under, the starting of Gardenarium, the fact that roses grew so well in the region, meeting well known rosarians Walter Duncan, John Niewesteeg and Tom Williams and everyone’s insatiable desire for the world’s most popular plant that changed things markedly for this young garden guru. “I remember talking on my ABC Gardening Talkback show one Saturday morning about species roses and amazed myself at what I was able to recall all these years later, I guess as a child you are like a sponge and don’t ever really think you’ll remember everything you learn, until someone sparks that part of your mind,” he said.

Demand grew for the roses and before long the nursery was mail ordering right across Australia with the majority of its roses going to Queensland, NSW and Victoria. Wholesale enquiries began and Gardenarium Roses was formed and that’s when things really went up a notch. Now re-branded as Limestone Coast Roses, to better reflect the region in which they are grown, thousands of roses are grown and supplied all across Australia both retail and wholesale with the internet of course having played a major role.

In less than 12 months Gardenarium, had outgrown the site, forcing the leasing, and eventual purchase of the neighbour’s land, and also had to open six days a week.

The Pot Shop was then established to cater for the incredible demand for “different and unique” pots and also huge pots as there was nothing available within Australia. The Pot Shop also imported teak outdoor garden furniture, once again giving that something a little bit different, but at very competitive prices due to direct importing. Now The Pot Shop boasts the largest range of quality outdoor furniture in the region and has expanded in to marble, travertine, wicker and cast aluminium, to allow customers to purchase a quality product at low prices.

Around the same time all of this was happening the move to supply larger trees, fruit trees and advanced shrubs became more apparent. “We had always grown this type of stock, bringing in semi loads of young trees and seedlings and growing them on,” Calum said. And the need to start another business just couldn’t be resisted by this workaholic and Limestone Coast Advanced Trees was born. Once again thousands of trees that are grown right here are sent all around Australia.

What is it Calum loves about the horticultural industry? “I always find this hard to answer easily. Firstly gardening people have to be the most wonderful people in the world and the pleasure I derive from designing someone’s dream garden, be it a courtyard or acreage, and seeing it all come together is breathtaking. Similarly passing on the wealth of knowledge I have gained be it face to face, in talk or on air, the pleasure of teaching everyday people who have a passion and solving their dilemmas is always satisfying. It is always amazing to see a house become so much more with the addition of plants and trees and as the environment in which we live becomes more challenging this in itself has seen one of the biggest changes for me. The benefits of tree planting are well known too, the biggest revolution of change back to home growing of fruit and vegetables and children learning that they don’t just come from a supermarket is paramount. Once upon a time we used to say get one or two truck loads of citrus trees, now we can’t even get enough. Sustainability, nurturing the environment and being careful with how we garden has changed too for me. When I first came to the region it rained consistently throughout the year that one didn’t have to worry too much, now as seasons change and patterns alter, so too are how we garden and get smarter with utilising moisture retaining agents mulch and the like. ”

20 YEAR CELEBRATIONS
Twenty plus years on and Gardenarium along with its additional businesses is now the largest in the region and only Nursery in Mount Gambier due to it having everything garden related. The celebrations begin earnest with sale Specials on everyday for 20 days, a minimum 20% off all stock unless of course already discounted further in the sales as we felt 20% was nearly enough to say Thank you to all our wonderful customers over the past 20 years !! There are lots of ½ price trees, fruit trees, gift ware, roses, outdoor furniture to name a few, along with fountains, statues, ornaments etc.

So be sure to call in and say happy Birthday and who knows you might just get a little extra Birthday present. Located at 167, bay Road Mount Gambier.
Open every day except Mondays and Open October long weekend Monday 10am – 4pm.