Native Plants in Claremont is a Small Native Plant Nursery Making a Big Difference

WHITBY, Ontario - Jan. 12, 2018 - PRLog -- Like many Ontarians, Karen Abrahams nourished her innate love of our natural environment during family cottage vacations and playing outdoors as a child. Her love of natural led her to a path of study in botany at UofT, where she developed an appreciation for native wildflowers.  What followed was many years of related work experience in the field with Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Friends of Little German Mills Creek in Thornhill and Ontario Native Plants. This experience further developed her passion for wildflowers and lead to the founding of Native Plants in Claremont (NPIC) in 2006.

NPIC is located north of Pickering in the beautiful rolling hills of Claremont. There, on their 15 acre property, Karen, husband Rob and their 10 staff grow wildflowers, grasses and shrubs that are native to the local ecosystem, pollinator friendly and specific to environments from shorelines to woodlands and meadows.

While the business may be small in comparison to other commercial greenhouses, it is nothing short of mighty. NPIC supplies organizations like the David Suzuki Foundation, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, the The City of Pickering and EcoBusiness Network. Their staff are avid gardeners with years of experience, Master Gardeners and  students who are interested in the field of study and have a real desire to learn and help.

"There is an increasing interest in native plants as part of a growing environmental movement in Ontario," commented Ms. Abrahams. "We need to reassess our landscapes and start to focus on the health of our natural environments both in our gardens and across our communities."

NPIC functions as more than a greenhouse; they also offer educational opportunities for their customers and the greater community. Karen, Rob and staff are often invited to speak with horticultural groups across Ontario, and they provide tours of their facility and grounds, including part of Duffins creek, a pond and several demonstration projects that provide information on different habitats and planting options.

For those new to the world of native plant gardening, NPIC can walk you through each step of the process. Their organic compost will help start your garden off right, and plant selection can be a breeze with their native plant kits filled with wildflowers best suited for a specific environment or purpose, such as their pollinator kits. For those interested in germinating plants themselves, NPIC has sustainably sourced seed packets for sale. They pride themselves on providing end to end support for new gardeners so they can focus on what is most important, creating beautiful natural habitats in their own backyards.

While NPIC has grown in size over the last 12 years there are no signs of stopping. They are focused on continuing to build partnerships within the community, not only with other nurseries but with community organizations, schools, landscapers and gardening enthusiasts.  In the coming years they hope to expand their design services as well as their educational offerings, as they foresee demand for these to continue to grow in the field.

So this spring, when your green thumb is twitching, make the trip to Claremont… your garden, your bees and your butterflies will thank you for it.