Ferndale nursery is an all time favourite of the Constantia Valley. I often go to Ferndale, being that its relatively close to me and I’m very seldom disappointed in what I find. Here is a breakdown of the categories that might help you decide if you need to put this on your list of nurseries to visit.
House plants
The house plant section is spread around two parts of the nursery. The first area is in the shop, close to the tills and the second is in a big under-cover area surrounding a water feature. I do think that their indoor plant areas could be better organised and displayed. But if you do take the time to look through what’s there, you’ll generally be happy about what you stumble upon. I have found really large specimens of uncommon plants amongst all the usual and expected plants. The price range is also pretty good, and one can find good value for money.
Succulents
The great thing about Ferndale is that they have heaps of space for plants and their plant variation does not disappoint. The succulent section is large and they have many types of succulents to choose from. You won’t necessarily find any collector’s items but you will be able to find large and healthy plants to landscape with.
Vegetables
The vegetable section is just about the first main section you bump into upon entry. It’s relatively easy to find what you’re looking for with everything arranged in a sensical order. From leaves to roots if you’re looking for a wide variety of vegetables, then this is a one stop shop for you.
Tools and accessories
Ferndale has an amazing array of outdoor pots available to purchase. I found the indoor pots, to be very similar to those on offer at other nurseries and in fact were a bit limited. On the other hand, there were loads of tools available as well as everything from bird and fish feed to gumboots and stones.
family friendly
One of Ferndale’s amazing attributes is that it is super family friendly. On the nursery grounds you’ll find jungle gyms and bird atriums – there are even chickens wondering around and it really does give you that ‘escaped feeling’. You could almost be on a little farm. One thing that Ferndale really needs – and that it would benefit incredibly from is a small coffee shop of sorts. There would be nothing nicer than having a small bite to eat or something to drink, watching nature go by in such a wonderful nursery.
All in all, Ferndale is definitely a place you should visit if you want to look for plants in a place that has that close to nature experience. Yes, it could do with a bit of reorganising and it’s still a diamond in the rough but nevertheless a gem worth exploring.