Mosterman Plants Inc. produces hardy trees and shrubs for the Canadian and US wholesale nursery market. Our selections respond to the consumer need for small to medium sized trees and shrubs with interesting characteristics.
We started our nursery as Mosterman Plant Propagators in 1984. It was a modest beginning; Theo purchased 3 acres near Yarrow in the upper Fraser Valley and began by planting nine species. In 1997, the nursery changed location when a 20 acre former dairy was purchased in Greendale, not far off the TransCanada highway. This year, 30 acres will be seeded or planted with over 200 varieties of ornamental trees and shrubs.
Theo received his horticultural training in the Netherlands and emigrated to Canada in 1975. Sylvia trained as an occupational therapist in the US and emigrated to Canada in 1981. We have a permanent staff of four, with a flexible group of additional workers during the busy spring and summer. We have had horticultural exchange students from several countries: Australia, Germany and The Netherlands.
Why the focus on deciduous plants? Two good reasons. First, in 1984 coniferous seedlings were readily available, but deciduous seedlings were primarily imported from Oregon and the Netherlands. We decided to provide the local industry with acclimatized understock and lining out material in a specialized propagation nursery. Second, Theo enjoys the attractive range of features offered by deciduous material.
