From the left: Matt and Lianne Hiemstra are seen at their booth at the Russell Flea Market. Courtesy Photo

EMBRUN – If you are looking for something for your home as well as your garden, Trinkets and Thyme has a lot to offer their customers. This business is owned and operated by Matt and Lianne Hiemstra and is located at 671 Augustin Road in Embrun.

“We’re a garden centre and nursery with a focus on perennial food plants and plants native to Ontario which help support local bee, butterfly and wildlife populations.” explained Matt. In addition to the garden centre, Trinkets and Thyme offer clients garden décor, a mixture of antique and vintage items as well as local foods such as honey and maple syrup.

After mentioning the business was launched in 2018 and since 2021, they have “transitioned from selling primarily antiques and hardware to focusing more and more on the plant side of our business”. Matt commented the couple enjoy interacting with clients and discussing with them subjects such as the importance of planting to support wildlife and making a difference in the environment by using native plants in gardening.

Running your own business can be a rewarding experience for entrepreneurs, with Matt mentioning it is important to find “the right balance of time and focus”, noting it is important to find a healthy balance between your personal and business life. This can take some time to achieve, but he feels like they are beginning to achieve a healthy balance. It is equally important for those beginning a business to “be open to starting small and growing from there.” He mentioned how they started selling antiques by “setting up at local markets on weekends, and we slowly grew and evolved from there.”

People are able to purchase plants as well as antiques at their roadside garden centre in Embrun, which is open daily between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. between April and November. Following the closure of their roadside garden centre, the couple are to be found at the Russell Flea Market and other local events selling seeds, antiques, hardware and “promoting plant pre-orders.” Their website, located at www.trinketsandthyme.com, provide clients with a wealth of information and opportunity to place orders on several different types of vegetation such as perennials, vegetables, a wide selection of trees and shrubs.

“We encourage everyone to check out our website and take advantage of our spring preorders for our best selection and pricing.” commented Matt. He continued how they are looking forward to the garden centre reopening soon. He mentioned it is always enjoyable to meet with returning customers as well as new customers as they plan for the coming growing season.

 

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