Russell Fisher of Pontypool is one of a rare breed on the verge of distinction- an independent nursery operator. Even Mark Cullen has thrown in the towel and is now known as “Canada’s best known gardening personality” according to his website. Russell Fisher- now there’s a gardening personality! Russell has been running Fisher’s Nursery from its location on Sandy Hook south off Pontypool Road since the mid 1960’s. He lives in the house there that was built by relatives on his grandmother Henderson’s side of the family in 1850. He sells a large variety of healthy- sized trees and shrubs that are well equipped to grow in the local environment.
In the early days Russell employed as many as 11 staff, including the late Ann Thomas who worked with him for 44 years and Ann’s husband Laverne who joined Russell after retirement and remains to this day. His business was hard hit when Highway 115 became 4 lanes, as he lost his direct access and clear visibility from the highway. Those days he used to sell a tractor trailer load of product almost every day. Back then he also grew more of his stock, but these days the bulk of his inventory comes from a nursery west of Grimsby and one outside Schomberg.
When you first meet Russell, he is often complaining about the weather- it’s too dry, hot, cold, but rarely too wet. The nursery is on sandy soil, so sprinklers are often on to soak plants several times a day. He is lucky his well has 71’ of water- he has never had a problem with supply. Russell complains about the weather because he cares deeply about the health of his plants- before and after they leave his nursery. That’s why you won’t find any tender “plant of the month” varieties he is often pushed to sell by gardeners looking to experiment with new breeds. He guards his reputation fiercely- he only sells plants he is confident will flourish in our climate. That is why he makes sure customers have very clear planting and watering instructions before they leave his operation with their purchases. If you follow the instructions, your purchases will do extremely well.
When asked about changes in the business over the years, Russell does not mince words. He believes big box stores have put many operators out of business and nurtured mentality of bargain hunting in consumers who are always seeking “sales” and not looking at the products themselves. He has succumbed to this pressure by listing 2 prices in his brochure: a “regular” price and a “sale” price. The thing is, his brochure has not changed much in 6 years, so all of his prices are reasonable- even the ones that have been adjusted by hand. It’s always a sale at Fisher’s Nursery- Russell is an expert, low cost operator who only sells reliable plant material. This means what you purchase actually thrives instead of struggles. Russell’s favourite tree over the past few years is the Autumn Blaze maple, a “freemanni” variety which is a fast growing offspring of the Silver Maple and the Red Maple which quickly reaches 50’ in height and has brilliant fall colour. He would avoid Japanese Red Maples as they are not hardy in our area.
Fall is a great time to plant, so if your landscape needs some new inspiration, don’t wait until spring to visit. Plants prefer to be moved when it is cool and overcast, so pick your spot and dig your holes! Just make sure you don’t forget to water your new transplants well to prepare them for whatever winter brings us this year. Fisher’s Nursery can be found at 954 Sandy Hook Rd. It operates 7 days a week from 8 am-8pm until November. No website, no Visa, Phone 705-277-2806 for more information.
