Experience the Lakeland

There’s a reason greenhouses in Alberta’s Lakeland are busy in the spring. Growing season is limited, so everyone is on the lookout for expert advice, tools, and most importantly, plants, bulbs and trees to beautify their respective yards and gardens. You may have your favourite place to shop for greenery. Okay, bloomer. But branch out and seek a few more of the Lakeland’s greenhouses and tree farms. Because you can’t live on greens alone—we also suggest nearby eateries. Get growing! Start in Cold Lake and work your way southwest through Bonnyville, Ardmore, Owlseye, and Vegreville. Or create your own loop. Road trip Tip: Photosynthesize! If you bring children along, blend plant shopping with family photos. The kids will love posing among the chrysanthemums and hiding behind the evergreens. Experience a budding romance at these six places:

Cold Lake for E-Tree, The Tree Farm and Gardeners Junction Greenhouse
Ardmore for Touch of Green Greenhouse
Bonnyville for Moe’s Gardens & Greenhouse
Owlseye for Owlseye Greenhouses & Gardens
Vegreville for Rod’s Greenhouse

E-Tree, The Tree Farm, Cold Lake

Spanning over five acres, this full service tree nursery boasts a stunning display of trees and plants, offering a wide range of options to enhance outdoor spaces. Exploring the expansive display is a pleasant and immersive experience. You might find sprawling junipers, trees dangling with crab apples, vibrant evergreens, crisp white hydrangeas and more.

Whether you're looking for shade trees, ornamental trees, evergreens or fruit trees, E-Tree cultivates and maintains healthy trees to keep them vital in the harsh growing conditions of northern Alberta.

Gardeners Junction Greenhouse, Cold Lake

Gardeners Junction Greenhouse, just minutes outside of Cold Lake, was established in 1999 and has expanded to more than 1300 square metres.

Visit and explore their selection of bedding plants, hanging baskets, perennials, trees, shrubs and much more. Open seasonally in spring and over the Christmas season, Gardeners Junction Greenhouse has all you need, whether you are a beginner or seasoned gardener.

Up Your Flower Power and Eat

Clark’s General Store and Eatery in Cold Lake, right across the street from the marina is a throwback to the pioneer days of Alberta. Clark’s was an actual general store from the 1930s reconstructed as a restaurant. You can still see the distinctive tin-ceilinged interior, original furniture and unique memorabilia inside.

Go for the golden fish and chips with inhouse tartar sauce followed by Lakeland style cheesecake, light and fluffy.

Or eat at Jonny Waffles, right on Lakeshore Drive, to try, surprise, various kinds of waffles. Yes, they have Chicken n’ Waffles drizzled with candy bacon maple syrup. But, for something more pizzazz-y, how about a Black Stone Benny, a waffle topped with bacon, tomato, Monterrey jack cheese with two poached eggs on a Brussels waffle with homemade Hollandaise sauce.

Sweet Waffles include Mango Burst and Banana Nutella, all with whipped cream, fruit and sauce. Healthy options exist as do real fruit smoothies and bubble waffles for kids.

Touch of Green Greenhouse, Ardmore

Now open year round, you can pick up gorgeous houseplants in winter, seasonal flowers and pots such as roses in February as well as many other garden delights.

Touch of Green Greenhouse Ardmore has a wide variety of high-quality plants and gardening essentials, from tulip and garlic bulbs in September, gift baskets in December and trees, shrubs and perennials year round.

Employees are passionate about gardening and understand the joy and satisfaction that comes from nurturing plants and watching them flourish. They will help you create a beautiful, thriving garden with a range of options including bedding plants, planters, trees, shrubs, houseplants and vegetables.

Moe’s Gardens & Greenhouse, Bonnyville

“Great selection, high quality bedding plants, herbs, flowers, beautiful planters, hanging baskets, shrubs & trees, and incredibly knowledgeable staff with great advice! Nice little gift shop too.”

Along with comments about the quantity of roses and the big fluffy cat, that’s what people have to say about Moe’s Gardens & Greenhouse.

Besides the wide range of plants and gardening supplies, a charming gift shop is filled with seeds, gardening gloves and other essentials.

Gardeners Gotta Eat

Go retro with a root beer float and fries—make them Piggy Fries—at Jennie’s Diner & Bakery in Bonnyville. This 60s diner like place plays the part not only with shiny red stools, and black and white flooring, but with plenty of good comfort food.

Or pick up Sushi Sashimi Bento boxes at Osaka Sushi to dine al fresco or to take to your accommodations if overnighting. Mmm . . . Lemon Drop and Golden Tiger rolls.

Owlseye Greenhouses & Gardens, Owlseye

Welcome to Owlseye Greenhouses & Gardens, near St. Paul, your premier destination for retail greenhouse and indoor plants. Open seasonally with online shopping available off season, Owlseye Greenhouses & Gardens has a wide selection of high-quality plants and gardening essentials.

Discover a paradise of vibrant colours and fragrances when you step into their greenhouses. Flowering plants, foliage plants and herbs abound.

When You Need More than Foliage

Stop in nearby St. Paul to eat at Twisted Fork. Just about everything chef Debra Poulin and her team serve is made in-house. Poulin is bringing locally raised fare to the foodie scene with her vision to support local farmers and artisans. The restaurant is vibrant at lunch and dinner while folks dig into Alberta AAA ribeye or bison burger with blueberry jalapeno. Enjoy (or buy!) local art on display while you sip a Lakeland Landing Pad lager. Now an Économusée®, Twisted Fork promotes artisans and their traditional trades.

Rod’s Greenhouse, Vegreville

Customers are known to drive long distances to pick up begonias, mums and other gorgeous flowers and plants here. Staff know their stuff and are extremely helpful and friendly.

Garlic bulbs, tomato plants, lilies, Boston ferns, tropicals, succulents, roses and numerous seasonal flowering plants are available at various times throughout the year. They make amazing gift baskets too!

For the green thumbs among you: check out the Lakeland’s greenhouses even if you already have plants this weekend.

The Ultimate Greenhouse Tour