The 5 Best Plant Nurseries in Christchurch According to Local Horticulturists
David Sims
| Last Updated: October 2024 Believe it or not, sometimes it’s not because you don’t have a green thumb; sometimes it’s the plant. Knowing a reliable plant nursery really makes all the difference.
Reliable nurseries carefully tend to their plants, ensuring each one is healthy and happy before sending them off to their new homes. Plus, they have the right tools and resources to help those who want to start growing from seeds.
But when you’re a newbie like us, it’s tough to separate the great from the “meh.”
So, we consulted Christchurch’s top horticulturists to bring you the definitive list of the best plant nurseries in town. Once we had a great set of recommendations, we set out to review each one and only picked a handful that met our criteria.
How much do plants cost in plant nurseries in Christchurch?
How we chose
1. Kiwiflora Nurseries
Kiwiflora Nurseries offers great value for money. They have a diverse selection – from the highest of perennial trees and shrubs to the hedging and grass below – all at prices that don’t go over standard city rates.
We particularly loved their unique display gardens, which showcase how plants thrive in various conditions. This practical setup helps customers make informed selections before committing to their selected plants.
Their plant categories are also divided into the foliage of the plant, moisture requirements, and what shade or sun it needs to grow. This makes it so much easier to shop for plants, which is always a plus in our book.
However, some customers have encountered issues with plant handling during bulk purchases, resulting in damaged plants. While this may seem worrying, we still appreciate the replacements that were provided due to the inconvenience.
Great service
“Friendly staff and great service. Took time to give advice and answer questions on trees/plants that I was buying and gave me a spot to store trailer overnight after traveling over from the west coast, picked up trees next day on way out of CHCH. Thanks very much.”
Tanya Parsons | Google Review
Impressive selection
“Really impressed with this place, huge selection and very knowledgeable and helpful staff. I loved how they had the different gardens set up to demonstrate which plants do well in shaded areas and which plants love full sun. Highly recommend.”
Amanda Smith | Google Review
2. Southern Woods Nursery
Southern Woods Nursery in Canterbury offers a diverse range of plants suitable for both home and rural gardens. For beginners, they have knowledgeable staff who can provide expert advice across various planting aspects.
The nursery also has demonstration gardens to further aid customers in choosing the best selections for them.
During our visits, we noted their extensive selection, including New Zealand natives. As for accessories, they carry various high-quality gardening tools, such as Japanese secateurs. Their website allows for convenient online stock checks for these items.
But what really won us over is that they cover consultation services to help analyse garden needs. This enables clients to achieve their dream garden without having to scout additional services from other professionals.
While there have been occasional reports of negative experiences related to staff behaviour, their promptness in addressing the feedback is satisfactory.
One of the best
“Best nursery in Canterbury, hands down. For the home gardener, vigorous plants that won’t curl up and die at the first drought or breeze like those ones you get from the hardware store. For the rural property, expert advice on shelter belts, riparian planting, and native bush. Very knowledgeable staff, small demonstration gardens throughout to show you how plants look in combination. I only wish they had a cafe!”
Pamela Niskanen | Google Review
Great service
“Great service with very helpful staff. I just want to pass on how impressed I am with the quality and safe arrival of my plants. All of them are now planted and looking very healthy. Thanks to all at Southern Woods for top quality product and service. Highly recommended.”
Cj Moore | Google Review
3. Portstone Garden Centre
Considering that plants aren’t the only thing involved in decorating a garden, Portstone Garden Centre is a great choice. With a variety of statues, pots, and a fountain feature, you can find gardening decor here that will elevate your garden’s layout.
What’s even more interesting is that they also offer greenhouses, which help control temperature during winter seasons. This ensures that your plants have a robust shelter during the harsh cold months.
Portstone also wins for their expertise, considering they have more than 40 years of raising plants.
As for their plant selection, they carry various types of shrubs, fruit trees, and herbs in their physical store. They even have seedlings for those who want to propagate plants from seeds.
Their online shop’s plant selection, though, is limited. It features only a few varieties of roses and indoor plants, with certain options only available upon request.
Excellent selection
“Great place with. excellent selection of plants. Staff are available and knowledgeable to answer our questions. Good selection of gardening tools also and the Great food at the cafe is a bonus!!”
Steven Illenberger | Google Review
Quality plants
“I wanted to buy a number of large pots to establish a herb garden and Leigh was fantastic. She curated a selection of large pots and sent me photos and pricing to make a selection. I live a long way away and on my next trip to ChCh I took my trailer and picked up my purchases. Very pleased with the quality and pricing, I was able to get exactly what I was looking for and order some grape vines and decorative trees for Spring.”
Stewart Johnstone | Google Review
4. Oderings Garden Centre Christchurch – Philpotts
Beginner plant enthusiasts will find Oderings Garden Centre a great spot. This isn’t only because of their wide range of plant selections for both outdoor and indoor gardens but also because of the expert guides when it comes to plant care and gardening.
With this, they offer a monthly gardening task that serves as a beginner’s guide on plants. These tasks allow gardeners and plant enthusiasts to learn how to take care of seasonal plants and find out which plants go best in which season.
Oderings Garden is also a great choice when it comes to plant selection, considering they offer hundreds of plants including herbs, potted flowers, deciduous trees, and native varieties. And with 90+ years of horticulture history, the plants are notably top-notch.
One thing you might worry about is that they’re quite unresponsive to complaints, although rare occurrences, it’s still note-worthy. On the good side, the overall client experience with them has been positive.
Next-level shopping
“Happy plant shopping place, friendly and helpful staff makes shopping at Oderings next level.”
Gary Harding | Google Review
Incredible service
“A+ service at Oderings Philpotts road. We arrived just before closing time, the team were incredibly friendly, and even though it was nearly closing time we weren’t rushed. Thanks Team! We will be back.”
Poppy | Google Review
5. The Little Big Tree Co.
The Little Big Tree Co. offers a wide variety of plants, catering to diverse landscaping needs. Their knowledgeable staff provides valuable guidance, making each visit productive, especially for those who are just starting out.
One of the best things about them is that they consistently deliver healthy and well-maintained plants. On top of that, they ensure secure loading and tying down of trees for safe transportation.
However, despite the level of safety when it comes to deliveries, a few clients reported that they received incomplete orders. On the positive side, they seem to have improvements in place, such as doing double-checks before sending the vans out for delivery.
Seasonal offerings are also in demand in this nursery, that’s why it’s a great place for customers any time of the year. The great thing is that you can access their plants through their website which doubles as an online shop.
Fabulous service
“I have had nothing but fabulous service each and every time I have gone to Big Little Tree Co. I specifically head out of my way across the other side of town to go here because of their service, beautiful stock, and valuable advice. When I call, whomever picks up is always willing to give ongoing support and advice. Thanks Team! I will be back time and time again!”
Amy Yerro | Google Review
Value for money
“We’ve used The Little Big Tree Co several times over the years whilst living in the North Island for several types of trees. We’ve always found their trees value for money compared to other companies and there was never an issue shipping to us. I’ve always had a pleasure dealing with them and they were prompt on deliveries and communication.”
Samantha Saunders | Google Review
