– by Carole Pearson –
It is the end of an era for one of Vancouver Island’s favourite garden stores. After 71 years in business, Marigold Nursery is closing its doors. The property has been sold and this Christmas Eve will be the last day of operation for the family-owned business. This is sad news for the legions of loyal Marigold customers.
“I have mixed emotions. A lot of our customers didn’t just come here to shop. They came to visit, get their spirits lifted and find inspiration so there are some strong personal bonds. There’s going to be some really emotional times in the next few months,” says Brooke Smith.
Her grandfather, Les Smith, started Marigold Nursery back in 1944. The nursery was originally at the corner of Marigold Road and Snowdrop Avenue in the Glanford area. Les grew bedding plants and sold them wholesale. He relocated the nursery to Lochside Drive, beside the Pat Bay Highway, in 1963.
His sons, Len and Ray, started working there full time after graduating from high school. Len began in 1965 and retired in 2001. Ray has worked since 1968 and is now ready to retire as well. He turns 65 this year. Since his brother retired, Ray and his children, Brooke, Rayanne, and Randy, have been running the business.
“It’s the only job I’ve had,” he says. “It’s a 24/7 job and I’m here every single day. We only close, maybe, four or five days a year.”
He says his fondest memories are of all the people he met during his years of work. “We know most of our customers, if not by name, then by sight. We moved into retail in 1976 and we still have some of the same customers from back then. That really means a lot to us.”
Over the years, Marigold Nursery has been a big part of the community, offering free tours to schools and day care centres so children can see how things grow and, perhaps, spark an interest in gardening. “We’ve supported school fairs and community fund-raising events,” Brooke says. “If someone needed a door prize or an item for a silent auction, they’d come to us.”
Ray says, “One of the things I’m going to miss is helping the seniors. A bus used to bring in patients from the Extended Care Section at Saanich Peninsula Hospital and they could pick out whatever they wanted for their community garden. They were pretty happy about that.” He adds, “One of the patients in Extended Care worked for us when we were on Marigold Road back in the ’50s and ’60s.”
The Smith family will be winding down the business over the next few months. This will be no small task for the Island’s largest full-service garden centre, with 15,000 square feet of covered retail space. Brooke says fresh product will continue to be brought in up until closing and to watch for some great deals on merchandise. “Starting in September, there will be store-wide sales. We’re calling it a Retirement Sale.”
In the local coffee shops, people will be speculating on future plans for the site. Ray will only say, “It’s a private sale.” But right now, it is a time for the family to share goodbyes with their customers.
It also means a “goodbye” to their employees when the doors close for the last time. Brooke says, “Marigold’s extended family are our employees. We have two employees who have been with us for more than 20 years. So, yes, we have very mixed feelings about this.”
Brooke remembers growing up at the nursery with her siblings. “We’d run around the peat bales and ride on the wagons and now, my children have grown up here so this place is full of memories.”
The youngest generation of Smiths are Brooke’s children, Cyprus, 11, and Kaydance, 10 and Rayanne’s daughter Piper, 2. They appear in Marigold Nursery’s commercials. “They say they are going to miss all the space they had to run around in and helping customers on the busy spring weekends.” says Brooke.
As for the future, Brooke, Rayanne, and Randy are in the process of planning to open an RV and boat storage facility in Duncan. “We will also be offering full detailing, RV renovations and mechanical services,” explains Brooke. “We are excited for this new chapter in our loves.”
Ray’s not quite ready to hang up the gardening gloves. He plans to spend his retirement puttering around on his nine-acre property and do some gardening, of course.
