Interviewed by Elizabeth Spence
You can’t help liking Michael Ashton. He is tall, has a cheeky grin, a wry sense of humour and a very noticeable accent from the south-east of England – Brighton to be precise.
He is the owner of Ashton’s Garden Centre in Tatamagouche. After his experiences running a garden centre in England, he swore he would never do it again. But he did. Here on the North Shore of Nova Scotia.
Let’s go back to the beginning.
Michael loved gardening from a very early age, helping his Mum and grandfather sow seeds in their back gardens, and generally getting in the way, he suggests.
Once on his own, he was initially limited to pots of plants on a concreted area behind the house, but at the time this was enough for him. He loved flowers so much.
In fact, he says that the calmness and beauty of flowers, even then, and eventually when he was cultivating them, helped him greatly during bouts of serious depression.
Starting with a background in sales, advertising and marketing, Michael opened his first garden centre in the inner-city of Manchester in the north of England. His dream had come true.
He wanted to put his own ideas into practice: displaying plants in the most efficient and attractive way; ensuring that staff relations were exceptional, and always putting the customer first. He is still in contact with some of the staff there.
There was trouble in the camp, however. Time after time there were break-ins and episodes of vandalism. As Michael says: ”It was an absolute nightmare! Never again.”
Then, in 2019, Michael came to Canada to be with his Canadian partner.
During the pandemic things really slowed down of course, and all activities were reduced to almost nothing for everyone. Michael was released from his job at a local care facility, had time on his hands, and thought:
“Hm, I’m missing all the lovely spring flowers in England. I think I’ll create a woodland walk with daffodils, English bluebells and scilla.” So he did. For himself
Then he heard that the local plant nursery in Tatamagouche was closing down and the idea of starting his own nursery business again leapt into his mind. He had six months to do it to be ready for the gardening season of 2022.
He researched and researched, online and by collaring every gardener he knew in the area, picking their brains about hardy plants, zones, and suppliers.
It was a mad rush. The old nursery supplied the three greenhouses, and they were erected with the help of his friends. There was no question of heating them – just too expensive. And he decided to offer mostly annuals for sale the first year too. He had to keep it simple to start with.
You can make the decision, but can you get the plants? Trouble was, all but one of the nursery suppliers were sold out – and Michael was their last customer. Talk about luck! It was meant to be.
In the second year, Michael started bringing in his favourites – perennials. He absolutely LOVES perennial gardening, and is very knowledgeable about the topic.
When I asked him what his favourite perennials were, he said: “Listen to Jimmie Rodgers singing English Country Garden. That will give you your answer!”
So I did. Hollyhocks, foxgloves, lupins, phlox among many others.
Word was getting out about the centre, and more and more people started buying plants there. In fact this year, there was an enormous number of pre-orders, so they were up and running before even opening.
Now, it has become a must-visit destination in the area. Not only because of the ever-growing selection of annual, perennials, shrubs and trees, but because Michael can get you almost anything you want if he doesn’t carry it.
The other wonderful attraction is, of course, the magnificent Woodland and Daffodil Walk. What began as a private venture is now open and free to everyone, and a massive success it is too.
As part of the Woodland Walk you will find all sorts of little fairy villages and houses lurking in the undergrowth. Known as the Fairy Walk it was the brainchild of Michelle Robinson, internationally renowned writer of children’s literature now living in Tatamagouche. She is featured here on our website.
There have been kinks along the way though. The worst was hurricane Fiona.
The night before she hit, Michael and friends went out to slash the plastic covering the greenhouses so that the buildings wouldn’t be carried away. During the storm there was also considerable damage to the ventilation systems and to many, many trees around the property. It was heartbreaking, says Michael.
But now that is in the past. Ashton’s Garden Centre has bounced back with vigour!
Michael says you can’t predict what people are going to buy from one year to the next. For instance, in his first year, everyone wanted yellow flowers, so he ordered lots in for the following year. Then of course, hardly anyone wanted yellow ones. Red was the “in” colour. You have to keep your eye on the trends.
There is a great selection of plants this year, including some that have just been developed. Michael plans to vary the offerings from year to year.
New this year is a little shop where you can buy all kinds of garden-related items, including fairy doors for your garden. This is just the beginning!
What he has in mind is to develop the garden centre to include many other attractions and basically make it a shopping experience like no other – anything and everything to do with outdoor living from barbeques to patio furniture, water features to aggregates and of course many more plants.
Then there’s the barbeque centre, patio area, a café and a bar where non-gardeners can wait for their gardening friends and enjoy themselves at the same time. Can’t wait!
As well this year, the centre is expanding its season to the end of August if supplies last, and then opening again for Christmas.
Also on the cards is renting out the greenhouses as wedding or party venues or places to have live music when the selling season is over. What plans!
The educational side of gardening is very important to Michael too, and he is in the process of developing signs for everywhere on the property, so that you can find out all sorts of things of what gardening and nature are all about.
Personally, I’m really looking forward to this, because on one meander around the Walk, Michael explained to me all about the ants and anthills that we came across. Absolutely fascinating.
Further in the educational vein, he is very particular about the signage in the greenhouses. He gives as much information about the plants on sale as he can. This includes deer resistance, if the plants like sun or shade and other important things to know.
The paramount edge this garden centre has though, is that, just as in his Manchester garden centre, Michael knows that customer service and comfort come first.
Again, based on his training in sales and marketing, he has set up the greenhouses so that the plants are arrayed as attractively as possible, that they are as accessible as possible, and that customers can move around easily and don’t have to work hard to find anything.
Michael knows many of his customers personally, and he knows where they live, what their gardens are like, and basically what their gardening needs are, so advice is given if required.
If they are cottagers just staying for the summer, he finds out about where they are and he is then able to advise them on their microclimates, and what plants suit their location. Brilliant!
One of Michaels’ other brilliant ideas is potting up his own containers. Not just using the same old pots and hanging baskets you see everywhere, but highly imaginative containers – antique spittoons, chamber pots, watering cans, buckets, you name it.
So if you bump into him lurking around junk stores, antique shops or even old car dealerships, you’ll know he’s not just wasting his time – he’s after something to put plants in.
And why not?
2 Responses
Michael is my little brother & I’m so proud of what he has achieved and found a super happy life in Canada. I’ m looking forward to seeing his new business in all its glory this year when I visit Michael and Angus. Great article great read.
I grew up with woodlands filled with blue bells in southwest England, but I left when I was eight years old. When I walked Michael’s blue bell walk, it brought me right back to my childhood, and the addition of magic throughout the walk is absolutely wonderful.
I love Ashton‘s garden centre!
Pip Strachan