Owner/Proprietor: Alexzander G Smith
Address: 5420 Hwy 6, Guelph, ON N1H 6J2
Web Site: https://www.originnativeplants.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/OriginNativePlants/
Other Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/originnativeplants/
Don’t you just hate it when you discover something really great, and then it’s no longer available? That was me in 2019 when I discovered Grand Moraine Growers just outside of Alma, Ontario. I placed an order that spring, and then in the fall, as I poured over their plant list for my fall purchases, found out the owner was retiring in October. When I voiced my genuine disappointment, they let me know that a new native plant nursery near Guelph was going to take over the rest of their inventory. That someone turned out to be Origin Native Plants.
I started buying plants from Origin Native Plants in the spring of 2020 – the year after they officially opened. One of the things I appreciated was the large selection of somewhat less common native species that they carried – which was what had so excited me about Grand Moraine Growers when I discovered them. I also appreciate that they sell only true native species, not nativars/cultivars, or non-native plants.
As someone who likes to “browse the merchandise” I was a little dismayed that I could only order online and pick up the plants when my order was ready, and that there wasn’t a “showroom” to wander around in to see what might catch my fancy. However, I soon got used to the concept and it probably saves me a lot of money by removing the temptation for all those spur-of-the-moment purchases.
The owner, Alex, is proud of the fact that Origin is the only off-grid nursery in Ontario. Yet, despite being off grid, they now carry over 250 species of natives (and the number keeps growing every year). You can find annuals, biennials and perennials for your flower beds, trees, shrubs and vines, ferns and various grasses and grass like plants. And as I already mentioned, quite a few of the less common species, too. They source their own seeds, both from their own property or nearby, and also rescue plants from development sites.
Alex comes to this business with a BSc in Environmental Science with a minor in Geology as well as a diploma in Ecosystem Restoration (from Niagara College). He also brings intergenerational indigenous knowledge to his expertise.
But Alex doesn’t stop at growing and selling plants – he also does garden /landscape design and installation. Some of the projects he’s worked on include large-scale tree and hedge planting, ecosystem and river restoration, invasive species management, watershed stabilization, shoreline stabilization and wetland design and installation.
He also provides guidance and support for designing and building sustainable, off-grid nurseries – modeled after their own – including propagation hoop houses, parent beds, self-sustaining water systems and collection, integrated battery banks and charging systems to power off-grid nursery and horticultural operations.
He’s a very busy man. If you’re within driving distance of Guelph, I encourage you to check out Origin Native Plants and order some great plants. This is one of my regular, go-to native plant nurseries.
