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End of an era

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After 43 years of providing top-notch horticultural services and giving friendly, sage advice to their loyal customers from Strathroy-Caradoc and beyond, John and Mary Zimmermann have decided to hang up their pruning shears.

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A veritable Strathroy institution that has served generations of community members since it opened on Beattie Street in 1960, Zimmermann’s Garden Centre will be closing its doors for good this November.

“We really, really enjoyed it,” Mary said. “But there comes a time where you simply can’t do it anymore. We’ve been mulling it over for the last three or four years.”

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John, 68, and Mary, 67, have spent a lifetime in the horticultural industry, sometimes working 15 to 16 hours a day, seven days a week, developing an almost encyclopedic knowledge about plants, flowers, gardening, and landscaping while also raising two daughters (Heidi and Kristy) and gaining the respect and trust of their employees and fellow community members.

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Before them, the story of Zimmermann’s Garden Centre is similar to many other great post-war Canadian success stories.

John’s father, Johann ‘John’ Zimmermann, a Romanian-born immigrant who came to Canada in 1950 with his wife Elsa and not much else, opened the garden centre in 1960. Out of nothing, Johann, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 91, built it from scratch, tilling and toiling through some lean years until he established an enduring business in Strathroy.

It was the culmination of a lifelong dream, his son said.

“Dad went to agricultural college in Romania and he always loved horticulture,” John said. “He didn’t have money, though, so he actually looked after the grounds and the animals to pay for his tuition.”

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Johann and Elsa got married in 1948 and emigrated to Canada two years later looking for a new beginning. The couple made their way to Mount Brydges where they were sponsored by Elsa’s aunt. Johann worked on a tobacco farm and at Downham Nurseries, John said, before branching out on his own.

Growing up, John and his brother Tony — who still owns and operates Zimmermann’s Nurseries — helped their parents keep the business going, which is where they acquired their strong work ethics.

“As kids, my brother Tony and I would cut grass and do maintenance,” John said. “I used to cut lawns for five bucks.”

Equipment wasn’t as user-friendly back then, John added with a grin.

“I still remember we had an old wheelbarrow with steel wheels,” he said. “We had no equipment, no tractor, nothing. Everything was done by hand. I think dad and I went to Parkhill to buy our first Ford 8N tractor, I think it was a ’51, and eventually in 1976 we bought a Ford 3000. That helped.”

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John and Mary took over the business in 1977. They moved the garden centre to Carroll Street in 1980. Over the years, the couple added a new drip irrigation system, an injector system for the plants, modern heating systems, and a pair of big greenhouses.

But what they’re most proud of is their reputation for excellence and their good relationship with customers and their employees.

“We’ve built up a good reputation and that’s probably the most rewarding thing,” Mary said. “People have told us that they’re really sad to see us go, they’re not sure where they can get the right information. Just being honest and giving good advice that we’ve picked up over the years, that was really satisfying.

“And you can’t run a business for 43 years without good employees,” she added. “The key for us was we worked alongside our employees. We did what they did and we always had a good rapport with them.”

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The couple won’t be quitting cold turkey. John will continue doing trimming and Mary will look for work in another garden centre in the spring, so as not to squander her lifetime of knowledge.

“We’re really going to miss our customers,” Mary said. “And it’ll be a hard transition from being so busy every March to being retired.”

But after being on their feet for the better part of four-and-a-half decades, John said it’s finally time to simply sit back and smell the roses.

“It’s been very rewarding.”

IF YOU GO

What: The Art Group Strathroy-Caradoc presents a festival of art, music, and horticulture celebrating John and Mary’s retirement.

When: Sept. 14, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Where: Zimmermann’s Garden Centre, 2 Carroll St.

Cost: Free

More info: theartgroupstrathroy.com

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