In this episode of Down the Garden Path, Joanne Shaw welcomes Nick and Hilary VanderHeide of Creekside Growers to discuss their dahlia farm in Delhi, Ontario.

• Nick and Hilary VanderHeide started Creekside Growers in 2009 on a farm in a little-known Ontario Hamlet called Hartford, about 45 minutes outside Hamilton toward Lake Erie.
• Since the start of Creekside Growers in 2009, Nick and Hilary have grown the business into many different sectors. Creekside Growers started as a field-grown wholesale cut peony producer and has since diversified into field-grown wholesale cut dahlias, greenhouse-grown wholesale cut dahlias, and greenhouse-grown dahlia plugs produced from cuttings.
• Dahlia tubers produced from divisions and cuttings are sold to both wholesale and retail customers.
• In 2017, Creekside Growers moved to a new farm outside Delhi, Ontario in Norfolk County and has expanded every year since.
• They farm on 14 acres and 1 acre of greenhouse.
• Nick and Hilary raise their four children right on the farm where they are homeschooled and have tons of opportunities to be part of the business, learning everything from growing to marketing and even farming finances.
• Hilary also has a thriving onsite store, The Flower Shack, and the largest u-cut dahlia field in Canada that caters to cash-and-carry customers as well as providing services for weddings, funerals, events, etc. It is a full-service flower shop catering to the Norfolk County area.
• They also sell a Bloom Box which contains recommended dahlia varieties, fertilizer, quality plant tags and quality clippers.
• Nicks parting tip: A little bleach in the water helps cut dahlias last longer!
• Creekside Growers sells all their dahlia tubers through their online store at CreeksideGrowers.ca.

Find more information about Creekside Growers:

• Website: www.creeksidegrowers.ca
• Instagram: creeksidegrow
• Facebook: @creeksidegrow

Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. You can also email your questions and comments to [email protected], or connect with Joanne via her website: down2earth.ca

Down the Garden Path Podcast

On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low maintenance as possible. 

In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.