Shopping Guide: East End Garden Centre
East End Garden Centre: Your Insider's Guide
Why You Should Visit
From my experience, here's what makes this garden center stand out:
- Good Variety and Healthy Plants: Over the years, I've consistently found a decent selection and healthy plants here.
- Native Plant Selection: You'll find a growing selection of native plants, which is great if you prioritize local biodiversity.
- Excellent Prices: Shoppers can expect fantastic prices, especially compared to larger retailers like Loblaws or Canadian Tire. This makes it worthwhile to use transit or Uber, particularly if you live downtown.
- Seasonal Offerings: This is a go-to spot for Christmas trees.
- Knowledgeable Staff (When you find them): If you ask, some of the women working here are extremely knowledgeable and helpful, especially regarding plants.
- Quick Service for certain jobs: For pruning and trimming, they can accommodate requests quickly.
- Locally Owned: A locally owned business can be a great alternative to bigger stores.
- Fast installation: Master gardener and team arrive, trim back an overhanging evergreen, fertilized the soil, planted the yews with some Japanese Spurge and finished with lots of mulch. and all done by 10:30am before the rain.
Why You Might Consider Alternatives
Be aware that, based on what I've seen, there are some potential downsides:
- Inconsistent Customer Service: Shoppers can expect a mixed bag. While some staff are helpful and knowledgeable, others have been described as rude and unprofessional.
- Unreliable Information and Misleading Product Availability: Be cautious about information provided, as reports detail providing incorrect details.
- Price negotiation difficulties: Negotiating prices, even for defective products, can be challenging.
- Potential for Disorganized Service: The business can be disorganized, especially concerning installation and follow-up on issues.
- Quality Concerns: Some plants may be in rough shape. Also, make sure you understand the estimate for work you want to have done. Overestimation may lead to higher prices than anticipated.
- Estimates can be exaggerated Expecting to pay for a crew of 6 people and two trips for disposing of the clippings may lead to higher prices than anticipated.
- Owner and Staff Interaction Issues: Interactions with the owner, Judy, can be problematic, with reports of questionable behavior.
- Rude Staff Behavior: The cash register staff may be rude.
- Environmental Concerns: If you are sensitive, be aware that smoking is present.
- Potential for Damage: There have been reports of the owner causing damage to vehicles and then not taking responsibility.
