Welcome To Jolly Farmer
Serving Growers Across North America We are growers of high-quality young plants from seed and vegetative materials. We’re uniquely positioned to accommodate the needs of small to mid-sized operations. Why choose Jolly Farmer? Since we sell our plants directly, we...
Drive Through Plant Sale!
Due to the COVID-19 situation, we are unable to open the self-serve retail this year; so instead, we will be offering a ‘drive-thru’ plant sale! Find out more!
Letter from a Frustrated Retailer
Our outlook was bad. Our future didn’t look so good, either. Growers and retailers, small and big, well-known and just local, closing their doors.
I DIDN’T WANT TO BE ONE OF THEM! And so we took a walk through the nursery.
Are Boxes and Common Carriers “Plant Pests”?
Everybody has a story or 12 of a shipment gone terribly wrong. My favorite is of several boxes of hellebores shipped cross-country to us several years ago. The boxes arrived a little worse for wear and thoroughly bundled in tape, but had mostly maintained their intended shape. We signed, took them up to the greenhouse, cut the tape and began unpacking.
Cultural Check List
Cultural Check List Jerry Gorchels is on our team to help you with cultural advice. With 50 years in the industry and lots of hands-on experience, Jerry adds another level to our service. Help avoid costly losses by tapping into his expert advice. If you would like to...
The Kale Flag
More than 1000 flowering kale welcome our Canadian autumn!
We Were Featured by ‘In Greenhouses’ Magazine!
James Darrow, our General Manager, discusses experiments with innovative solutions such as automated sticking machines, LEDs, and our resulting success with plant quality and workplace efficiency.
Better Root Development With LEDs
Jolly Farmer is a progressive young plant propagator using the most up-to-date greenhouse equipment and technology. Naturally, they would be one of the first growers in North America to embrace LED technology on a large scale—
It’s Spring!
Today is the first day of spring!
Gerbera Daisies
No wonder we love them so much!
Wave Petunias
Want to know why the ‘Wave is all the Rave’?
Jolly Farmer acquires Sweet Valley
We are pleased to announce that Anna and Aaron Randall of Sweet Valley Herbs, Inc. have agreed to sell their product line and brand to Jolly Farmer in order to satisfy the increasing demand for their product. They have operated Sweet Valley for 20 years in Keswick NB,...
A New Look
To celebrate our 50th anniversary, we decided it was time to update our look. Our dear old Jolly Farmer face has served us well for many years, but his appearance, as well as the accompanying logo, better defines our beginning than who we are today. We are a...
Designing Successful Combos
As we get into spring season, we may be making up more combos "on the fly". Especially when we're trying to use up small amounts of this or that, the idea of mixing them in a container seems logical and economical. A few rules of thumb are wise to keep in mind,...
March is National Gerbera Daisy Month!
We’ve got availability! Shop from our current inventory.
Looking back 30 years
I've been selling plugs and cuttings at Jolly Farmer for almost 30 years and am continually amazed at the progress that's been made - as an industry and as a company. Plugs was new technology back then. We used to seed by hand into open flats, tearing the seedlings...
The Fixer
Well, we've heard of fixers, and most of us hope we'll never need one. For public personalities, a fixer may turn the tide in elections, diffuse bad publicity, or solve financial issues. But for us here at Jolly Farmer, we made that investment...a Combi-Fix which...
Sowing Seeds
Despite the dropping temperatures, there are sure signs that spring is on its way. Take the longer days for instance...don't you feel that spark of hope that winter will not last? Well, here at the greenhouse, it energizes me to see the abundance of new life...
Cuttings Season
This week, approximately one million cuttings arrived here at Jolly Farmer from 10 different countries. Over 50 crew members are involved in inspecting, sticking cuttings, preparing elle pots and laying the trays out in the house. The team spirit runs high as the...
It Matters
Showing people that you care really matters. We all want to matter, we all want our needs to be significant to others. The really good companies with the best customer service show their customers that they matter and their orders are important. In this photo, our...
Part 3: Work Smarter, not harder
What's the single biggest event at your store? Mother's Day? Easter? Christmas? Nope, none of the above... It's when a customer walks into your store! We have customers in our place of business all the time, but seriously, they are the reason for our existence....
Say Merry Christmas with Poinsettias
Poinsettias are one of the customs for the Christmas season, along with balsam, stars, snowflakes, ornaments, mistletoe and reindeer. Although potentially cheapened by door-crasher Black Friday sales, poinsettias are truly beautiful, especially if they are well-grown...
Part 2: Work Smarter, not Harder!
Last month I wrote about making sure you know your costs and more importantly, being willing to charge what your plants are worth. Another important key to profitability is knowing why we do things. Ever heard about the park bench? Well, it's a story of not being...
Fairy Gardens
I wonder about our fascination with miniature things...maybe it is just envisioning and creating order and beauty in a tiny kingdom that makes us feel good. A way to have our say in a mostly out-of-our-control world. Anyway, fairy gardens are so much fun and...
The Mums We Love, or Not?
Just completing our mum selling season might leave us a little jaded and tired of these plants, but they are pretty much a fact of life for the fall season. I love mums, the abundance of flowers, the bright colors, even their scent. Apparently, I'm not alone...Here's...
The Case of the Spotted Plant
reprinted with permission: Source: Greenhouse Management, October 2015, www.greenhousemag.com INSV is incurable. Protect your plants with these savvy prevention tips. September 30, 2015 Steven D. Frank The breakdown Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV) is a constant...
Work Smarter, not Harder
As we approach the next Spring growing season, I want to help you every way we can to make your season a success. You may have questions like "How can I be sure I'm turning a profit?" or "Is there a smarter or simpler way to do what I'm doing?" or "How can I...
Plug It In
The very first job I had in the greenhouse was transplanting after school. It was spring and the fledgling company "Jolly Farmer Nursery" needed extra hands. Do you remember when we sowed seed in rows in an open flat and tore the poor little things apart to transplant...
The Next Generation
Isn't this little guy just adorable? His grandpa who shared the photo says, "He's my little CEO, putting the final approval on my order!" Really cute. Shout out to Greg Caron of Winthrop Greenhouse in Winthrop NY...thanks for sharing! It's great when our kids (or...
Inside our Greenhouse
Believe it or not, we are in the midst of house renovations...greenhouse renovations, that is! We've been using this facility (using it "hard", I might add) for almost 20 years now. The flooring which was made of asphalt is full of dips and valleys which collect...
Busy, Busy!
So much to do before winter! All around our home, the squirrels are crazy-busy! Our massive Red Oaks are loaded with acorns which these creatures are desperate to store up before winter. My dog barks and chases them, but they are not deterred from this all-important...
Falling into the Season
Today, the calendar says “Autumn begins”. (Frankly, I’m disappointed for summer to be over already. Seems like it just began!) But just this week, the signs are all there…kids shivering in the early morning fog while they wait for their school bus, ducks and geese...
Why choose Jolly Farmer…
We are growers of high quality young plants from seed and vegetative materials. Serving customers in both the U.S. and Canada, we sell our plants directly, not through the broker network. Our service is especially suited for the small to mid-size growers – no minimum...
Everything Matters to Customers
An article from Greenhouse Grower Republished with permission By Laura Drotleff | September 13, 2013 High-quality, clean plants. Shipping plants in small increments. Returning calls. Giving access to an on-call horticulturist. Informing customers of all costs up...