Spring. It’s time to plant vegetables and flowers, and that means trips to garden centres. The good news is that most garden centres are dog-friendly, with a few caveats. Dogs should be good-natured, leave resident animals (like greenhouse cats) alone, and be leashed at all times.

Like any shopping pups, well-socialized is essential and you’ll likely meet up with other pups or people who love pups and want to interact.

Attempting to be as thorough and accurate as possible, dogtrotting.net has compiled a list of major dog-friendly garden centres across Canada. I’ve taken my dog to garden centres many times, especially during wintertime when we’re looking for places to explore. But the warm weather opens up a plethora of opportunities – especially at seasonal places, and centres with outdoor gardens and surrounding rural landscapes.

So far, my dog has been very good about understanding what is outdoor grass for weeing and what are outdoor plants for sale. But to be certain, I walk my dog extensively before we enter the garden centre to be certain she’s empty and a little less excitable. Then she and I can continue our mission to make the front and backyards colourful and, hopefully, bountiful.

Here is the dogtrotting.net guide to dog-friendly garden centres across Canada:

British Columbia

Hunters Garden Centre: 2560 W Broadway, Vancouver, B.C.

Gardenworks: 95 Philip Ave., North Vancouver, B.C.

Hunters Garden Centre: 15175 72 Ave., Surrey, B.C.

Port Kells Nurseries, 18730 88 Ave., Surrey, B.C.

Wildwood Outdoor Living Centre, 4660 Elk Lade Dr., Victoria B.C.

Gardenworks, 4290 Blenkinsop Rd, Victoria, B.C.

Glow Garden Centre, 6690 216 St. Langley, B.C.

Quality Garden & Pet, 325 Pratt Rd., Gibsons, B.C

Gardenworks, 6250 Lougheed Hwy, Burnaby, B.C.

Gardenworks, 4746 Marine Dr., Burnaby, B.C.

Gardenworks, 2575 Barnet Hwy, Coquitlam, B.C.

Alberta

Salisbury Greenhouse: 52337 Range Rd 232, Sherwood Park, AB

Greenland Garden Centre: 23108 AB-16, Sherwood Park, AB

BMR Greenhouses & Water Gardens Ltd.: 24176 Township Rd 500, Leduc County, AB

Golden Acre Home & Garden: 620 Goddard Ave NE, Calgary, AB

Greengate Garden Centres: 14111 Macleod Trail, Calgary, AB

Blue Grass Garden Centre: 260130B Writing Creek Cres, Rocky View County, AB

Spruce It Up Garden Centre: 159 210 Avenue SW, Calgary, AB

Echoglen Gardens: 18469 TWP RD 41 #4, Donalda, AB

Parkland Nurseries & Garden Centre: 26554 Hwy 11, Red Deer County, AB

Saskatchewan

Early’s Farm and Garden Centre: 2615 Lorne Ave, Saskatoon, SK

Early’s Farm and Garden Centre: 502 51st St, Saskatoon, SK

Floral Acres Greenhouse: 284 Valley Rd, Saskatoon, SK

Wilson’s Greenhouse: 303 Owen Mnr, Saskatoon, SK

Dutch Growers: 1818 Central Ave, Saskatoon, SK

Manitoba

Ron Paul Garden Centre: 2661 St Mary’s Rd, Winnipeg, MB

Shelmerdine Garden Centre: 78008 Roblin Blvd, Headingley, MB

St. Mary’s Nursery & Garden Centre: 2901 St Mary’s Rd, Winnipeg, MB

Oakridge Greenhouse & Garden Centre: 32085 Hwy 52, Steinbach, MB

Lacoste Garden Centre: 2787 St Mary’s Rd, Winnipeg, MB

Green Oak Gardens: 43044 Highway 44, Beausejour, MB

Alternative Landscaping Ltd: 34th St & Patricia Ave, Brandon, MB

Interlake Garden Centre: 287 Quarter Mile Rd, Winnipeg Beach, MB

Jaspersons Greenhouse: 236 PR 236, Stonewall, MB

New Leaf Garden Centre: 875 Hwy 14, Winkler, MB

Ontario

Sheridan Nurseries Etobicoke Garden Centre: 2069 Burnhamthorpe Rd E., Mississauga, ON

Sheridan Nurseries Mississauga Garden Centre: 606 Southdown Rd., Mississauga, ON

Toronto Garden Centre: 2827 Yonge St., Toronto, ON 

Sheridan Nurseries Toronto Garden Centre: 2827 Yonge St., Toronto, ON

Scarborough Garden Centre: 1774 Ellesmere Road, Scarborough, ON

Sheridan Nurseries Scarborough Garden Centre: 1774 Ellesmere Rd., Scarborough, ON

Vandermeer Nursery: 588 Lakeridge Rd S, Ajax, ON

Valleyview Gardens: 8636 Reesor Rd, Markham, ON 

TERRA Gardens Vaughan: 11800 Keele Street. Vaughan, ON

TERRA Gardens Burlington: 2273 #5 Hwy. Burlington, ON

TERRA Gardens Hamilton: 340 Highway 20 R.R. #1 Hamilton, ON

TERRA Gardens Waterdown: #8 Fifth Concession E. Waterdown, ON

Les Serres Robert Plante Greenhouses: 4228 Navan Rd, Ottawa, ON 

Rice Road Greenhouses & Garden Centre: 1361 Rice Rd, Fonthill, ON

The Watering Can: 3725 King St, Vineland, ON

Royal City Nursery: 6838 Wellington Rd 124, Guelph, ON

Van Dongen’s Garden Centre: 6750 Trafalgar Rd., Milton, ON

TERRA Gardens Milton: 12800 Britannia Rd. Milton, ON

Walters Greenhouses and Garden Centre: 363 Governors Rd E, Brant, ON

Lakeside Garden Gallery: 10753 Heart Lake Rd, Brampton, ON

Aurora Garden Centre: 15630 Bayview Ave., Aurora, ON

Georgetown Garden Centre: 140 Guelph St, Georgetown, ON 

Sheridan Nurseries Georgetown Garden Centre: 12302 Tenth Line, Georgetown, ON

Kitchener Garden Centre: 100 Elmsdale Drive. Kitchener, ON

Whitby Garden Centre: 410 Taunton Road West, Whitby, ON

Les Serres Legault Greenhouses: 1810 Highway 34, Hawkesbury, ON

Rice Road Greenhouse and Garden Centre: 1361 Rice Rd. Welland, ON

If you are in Ontario, check out Chewy’s online service for pet food and supplies. It’s quick too (affiliate link):

Quebec

Centre de Jardin Brossard: 6305 Grande-Allée, Brossard, QC

La Seigneurie de l’Île d’Orléans: 3658, chemin Royal, Saint-François-de-l’Île-d’Orléans, QC

New Brunswick

Scott’s Nursery: 2192 NB-102, Lincoln (Fredericton), NB

Fredericton Botanic Garden: 695 Prospect St, Fredericton, NB

Kingsbrae Garden: 220 King Street, Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, NB

Nova Scotia

Lakeland Plant World: 1969 Main St, Dartmouth, NS

Walker’s Feed & Supplies: 1397 Cole Harbour Rd, Dartmouth, NS

Spencer’s Garden Centre: 5 Ohio Rd., Shelburne, NS

Lawrencetown Garden Centre: 2040 Lawrencetown Road, Lawrencetown, NS

Prince Edward Island

Kool Breeze Farms: 231 Read Dr, Summerside, PE

Island Pride Garden Co: 854 TCH Route 1, Wood Islands, PE

Newfoundland & Labrador

Murray’s Garden Centre: 1152 Portugal Cove Rd, Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s, NL

Ocean View Garden Centre: 1604 Portugal Cove Rd, Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s, NL

Lester’s Farm Market: 173 Brookfield Rd, St. John’s, NL

Rise and Shine Nursery: 829 Main Road, St. John’s, NL

Hickey’s Greenhouses and Nursery Ltd.: 902 Conception Bay Hwy, Conception Bay South, NL

Louisbourg Greenhouse: 123 Main St, Louisbourg, NL

Considerations When Taking Your Dog to a Garden Centre

• Most garden centres are dog-friendly, permitting leashed dogs on-site. This list provided here attempts to be as thorough as possible, listing facilities that identified themselves as dog-friendly. But if you’re concerned or unsure, phone ahead or check the website.
• Keep your dog leashed at all times using a short, non-retractable leash. Garden centres can become crowded quickly with carts, children, and fragile displays.
• Make sure your dog is comfortable around strangers, other dogs, and busy environments before bringing them along.
• Do let your dog touch plants. Many common garden centre plants — including lilies, foxglove, azaleas, and sago palms — can be dangerous to dogs. Many garden centres also provide guides to identify which plants are pet-safe.
• Bring poop bags and clean up immediately.
• Watch for hot greenhouse temperatures. Indoor greenhouse sections can become humid and uncomfortable for some dogs, especially brachycephalic breeds or senior pets.
• Keep away from fertilizer, which can be very appealing to dogs but is toxic.
• Bring your own water. Note that garden hoses are sometimes connected to fertilizer sources, which is toxic to dogs.
• Avoid visiting during over-crowded weekend hours if you can.
• Note that many garden centres have resident pets, including cats, so control your dog’s reactions to these animals. This is their home.
• Reward calm behaviour with treats and praise so the experience stays positive for both your dog and other shoppers.

Please let me know in the comments if I have missed your favourite, and I will add it to the list. Or, if there is a garden centre that should not be on this list, please let me know. (I have tried to verify each listing, but some places might have changed policies.

Writer bio: Sherri Telenko has been a professional writer for decades and a travel writer for the last two. She’s a member of TMAC (Travel Media Association of Canada) and Dog Writers Association of America and travels almost weekly with her canine companion, Victoria.Contact Sherri at dogtrotting.net here. All written content is original, written by a person, and based on experience and research. Please subscribe!