Schriemer's Home and Garden Showplace

The Schreimer’s Story

Welcome to Schriemer's, Winnipeg's one true home and garden showplace! We've been serving gardeners and home landscapers in this wonderful part of Manitoba for decades, and we're looking forward to many great years of service to come. If you're interested in learning more about this fixture in the Manitoba gardening community, would like to send us a message, or are interested in joining the Schriemer's team, you've come to the right place!

Schriemer's has been a growing part of Manitoba's gardening and landscaping community dating all the way back to the early 1950's. It's been a long and colorful history from that point all the way to today, with Schriemer's proudly serving the needs of gardeners and home landscapers in Winnipeg and across Manitoba. We've had an interesting past, we are an important business today, and we'll be a key player for many years to come!

“In 1952, my wife Ruth and I immigrated to Homewood, Canada - and worked in the sugar beet fields. Early in spring 1953, we worked for Joe DeGraff in his greenhouse on Kelvin and Talbot, and for the summer we worked again on the sugar beet farms. In the summer of 1955 I started selling fruits and vegetables on the road.

In the spring of 1956, I was asked to run Mr. DeGraff's greenhouses on a 50-50 deal, which lasted through 1957 and 1958. The greenhouses were slated to be appropriated for the construction of the Disraeli bridge. We bought out the equipment and so on from Mr. DeGraff, and moved to a site at 1109 McLeod.

While plants at that time were grown in 6 or 8 dozen flats for retailing, and Kord - or better known as Roy A. Nicholson - introduced fibre dozen packs, we were the first in Winnipeg to use these smaller and more convenient packs. Also in the late 50's, we introduced the 3-1/2“ and 4-1/2“ perennials to the Winnipeg market. We have strived from the start to retail plants grown right on the premises, and in the 60's succeeded by selling most of our production at retail, including nursery stock.

We started selling growers' accessories, and bulbs and seeds, for which in 1981 we built a store. We also began to supply plants, accessories and supplies, on a limited basis, to wholesale greenhouses. This line of business grew so rapidly that in 1989 we formed HJS Wholesale Ltd., to service that market.

We have always grown quality products, and we offer superior service. With Harry and John Peter joining the business, we outgrew the premises, and moved to our present 11 acre site on 1505 Molson in the fall of 1989.

We are still growing, and we now have an office manager and a controller, a store manager, a grower, and a perennials specialist. HJS has also grown, and with the increase in business it became necessary to have a full-time person. We hope to serve our clients in the future as we have in the past.”

- Klaas Schriemer

“In 1994, we joined a buying group called Service Star. This opened up fresh possibilities for new and different products, as well as various nursery vendors we weren't able to purchase from previously. The business continued to grow.

The year 1995 was a sad year for the Schriemer family and staff with the passing of my dad. He was such a warm, caring individual, who would drop what he was doing to assist anyone that needed help or advice about gardening and growing, and, at times, would even deliver plants and vegetables to a novice gardener needing help.

In 2001, John took over as sole owner of HJS, and we moved HJS off the premises. I took over as sole owner of the store. 2002 was another sad year for everyone with the passing of my mother.

The store continued to grow and we put up a special greenhouse specifically for our outdoor living products and giftware in 2003. As a part of the Service Star buying group, we have been able to expand our offerings into outdoor furniture, barbecues and exotic containers.

Schriemer's Home & Garden Showplace continues to encourage the home gardener, just as my father did through the years. We are the only greenhouse in the province to offer rows of seedlings and plugs to the public. We have all the products needed for growing plants, from seed to soil, fertilizer and containers needed for growing, from seed to the finished product to set out in your garden. With our knowledgeable, friendly staff, we continue to remain open year-round to serve our customers and will do so for many years to come.”

- Harry Schriemer