By Norm Wagenaar

It’s amazing what you find off the beaten track. Sometimes all you have to do is watch the signs.

That’s the case with the Natural Abundance Native Plant Nursery, marked quietly by a small sign off the Island Highway, southbound from Nanaimo. Turn right at Spruston Road (make sure you honk before the dogleg under the railway bridge) and you’ll be there in just a few minutes.

It’s tough to categorize the nursery. You can buy plants and seeds there, so there’s certainly a sales component. But it’s also part outdoor classroom and partly a tribute to the rich natural diversity of central Vancouver Island.

The Natural Abundance Native Plant Nursery was established about 10 years ago by the Nanaimo & Area Land Trust on 40 acres of privately held property which is in the process of being donated to the land trust.

"It’s really an opportunity to experience what’s natural," says nursery manager Susan Fisher. "That’s why we’re half sales and half education and community service."

"We’re very much about this local natural space," she continues, explaining that the nursery is attempting to carry all the plants found within the Nanaimo lowlands ecosystem. "We’re not there yet, but we will be."

"If we can put some names and some understanding to these things around us it helps expand our sense of community, not just community of people but of place."

The nursery is clearly a labour of love for Susan Fisher. Over the years she and other NALT staff, along with an army of volunteers, have created a fully functioning nursery, much of it built with scrounged and donated materials. Teams hired through Job Creation Projects provided recent additions that include a greenhouse, propagation house and a wild edible plant garden. In keeping with the theme of sustainability, the entire operation is off-the-grid, with solar panels providing power for office lighting and a computer, and a rainwater collection water system.

The nursery’s commitment to representing all of the plants in the Nanaimo lowlands means there’s diversity galore—about 140 species from Douglas fir, hemlock, cedar and spruce trees to all of the shrubs, ground covers and flowering plants you’re likely see on a typical walk in any of our area’s wild spaces, whether it’s a forest path, a Garry Oak meadow, or a rocky shoreline.

The diversity of plants attracts a diversity of visitors and buyers. On a typical business day Susan Fisher may talk to new Nanaimo residents wanting to learn about local plants, a restoration specialist purchasing stock for a project, or a school, church or community group out for a tour and demonstration.

Some customers, according to Susan Fisher, are purists—wanting to plant only native species on their properties. Others see the value of including a native component to a garden of exotics. "They’re just wonderful compliments to other cultivars."

She explains one of the advantages of native plants is that, once established, they typically require little care and are tolerant of the sometimes droughty local conditions.

Like the structures on the property, the plants in the nursery have their origins in a variety of sources. Some have been propagated from seeds and cuttings, some have come from schools and nurseries and many have been collected in ‘salvage’ operations from properties which are slated for development. "We get gifts, too, from property owners who have native species on their properties," says Susan Fisher.

If you want to learn more about what grows naturally in the Nanaimo area, and why you might consider adding some native species in your own garden, drop by the Natural Abundance Native Plant Nursery 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. The nursery is located at 3145 Frost Road off Spruston Road at the Haslam Creek bridge on the Island Highway and the route is clearly marked.

In addition to having gardeners and visitors drop in during opening hours Susan Fisher is always happy to hear from schools and community groups interested in native plant workshops and nature walks on the nursery property.

Volunteers interested in getting their hands dirty while they learn about native plants are also always welcome. "There’s such a variety of things for them to do," says Susan Fisher.

For information about the Natural Abundance Native Plant Nursery, contact the Nanaimo & Area Land Trust or visit www.nalt.bc.ca. The web site includes a current inventory of the nursery’s species.