Wheelbarrel Nursery

Come Shop in Our Garden

Your one-stop source of all your gardening needs.

Wheelbarrel Nursery is a family owned business, supplying Gabriola Island gardeners since 2003. On our property we offer an outstanding selection of plants, trees, shrubs, seeds, ornaments, water plants, pond supplies, bagged and bulk soils and gravels. We offer well qualified and knowledgeable staff to help you make your gardening selections.

Master Gardener Clinics

We try to have 2 per season.
The next Master Gardener Clinic is April 23, 2022

*photo credit: Michele Black

Customer Appreciation Weekend

This weekend is usually the long weekend in May with music, a bit of refreshments and special prices for customers.

Gabriola Garden Club

Garden Club members receive 10% on every purchase upon presenting their membership card. *Please note that we cannot give a discount on bagged or bulk soil.

Wheelbarrel Nursery Club

Sign up for our Nursery Club when you make your first purchase and receive one point for every $10 purchase (pre tax). 10 points earns a 10% discount on your next purchase.

Gift Certificates

Is there a gardener on your gift list? Our gift certificates are very popular. We can mail gift certificates or hold them for pick-up at the store.To order a gift certificate, phone us at 250-247-8728 during business hours with credit card information and we can immediately issue the gift certificate.

Spring Hours and COVID protocols

The weather feels as though it is nearly Spring. Our non winter has lulled me into thinking it is Spring. Make no mistake, (I tell myself), we will have cool unreliable weather for some time yet. It seems that everyone is anxious to get started including me. ...

Februrary 2021 Selection at Wheelbarrel Nursery

What's new: Plants: Pansies, Primulas, Ground Covers such as Aubretia, Thymes, Lavenders, Heather, Herbs, a few tough perennials such as Digitalis, Doronicum, Erysimum. And of course Hellebores and Heuchera.Begonia Tubers: We have a nice selection. ...

Tom(ate)o, Tom(at)o

Tomatoes like to be planted in rich soil with a PH of 6 to 6.8 or slightly on the acidic side. Neutral is 7. Tomatoes prefer regular feeding once the fruit sets, but too much too early in the season will grow a large plant with fewer tomatoes. Calcium is very...

Planting by Moon Phases

Veggie garden and planting by the moon signs If I read my moon phase calendar correctly the new moon for March is the 8th and the full moon is the 23rd. Keep these dates in mind when reading the following information. Planting by moon signs in its simplest form is...

Mason Bees

Late February, early March is the time the Mason Bees will start to be active. There are natural nesting places in the landscape but for the purposes of this writing, I am going to assume we are buying or building a suitable nest, thereby becoming mason bee farmers or...

Neem Oil

Neem Oil At the Organic Soil Amendment Seminar, Mr. Sayed recommended the use of Neem oil as an organic fungicide and insecticide. He recommended 100% concentrate cold pressed Neem. Several sources were discussed but low and behold we have a source right here on...

Soil Testing

Soil Testing Our Organic Soil Amendment speaker Mr Sayed suggested that we have our soil tested. Many of you have expressed interest in the Mehlich 3 extraction test. This is the test suggested in the book 'The Intelligent Gardener'. After some research the soil...

Organic Soil Amendments

The Organic Soil Amendment Seminar Mr Yasir Sayed from Biofert spoke to us and answered questions for more than three and a half hours. He was very knowledgeable and generous with his information. Wheelbarrel has carried the Orgunique liquid fertilizer for 3 or 4...

Happy Spring!

The seeds are in with new trees, shrubs, fruit trees, ground covers, perennials arriving. Most should be in stock by early March with annuals starting to arrive later in March. We are getting the plant displays set up as the weather improves and shipments roll in. The...

Mason Bee Fall Chores

Mason Bees. If you are increasing your mason bee population by providing nesting houses, early October is the time to remove the nesting tubes and clean the houses with water and a bit of bleach to kill the mites that may be overwintering. Remove your cocoons from the...