How it All Started
Crystal Star Nursery is the product of a pair of people who truly recognize and appreciate the beauty of plants all shapes and sizes. It was first established as a bonsai nursery in 1987 by husband-and-wife duo, my parents, Ellen and Eric. They named the nursery after me, Crystal. With an admiration for bonsai fostered at a young age, they went on to discover the wonderfully diverse world of orchids and went further to foster a tropical plant selection of hard-to-find, botanical treasures.
With over 30 years of experience, they have acquired an invaluable reserve of plant and horticulture knowledge. That knowledge and deep love is poured into every aspect of Crystal Nursery’s operations, lending to a standard of quality that has defined us. From sourcing our rare plants to hybridizing our very own orchids, our dedication to the industry and our customers is apparent.
Branching Out
Over the years Ellen and Eric have developed a loyal customer base that is so appreciative of their service, knowledge, and products, that they encouraged them to expand their business to the online market. With little computer literacy, they plunged into the unknown waters of the world wide web. Their first website was simple, allowing customers to place orders with a form submission.
Expanding to the online market was both remarkable and overwhelming. They discovered a whole new community of like-minded plant lovers. The interest in their products was unforeseen, and it was soon clear accepting orders via Google Doc was an insufficient method. While they scrambled to continue maintaining the many baby plants in their care and fielding the new onslaught of inquiries from plant lovers across Canada and the world, they explored new avenues to provide the best service possible.
Today and the Future
Although my parents named their business after me, Crystal, I spent many years behind the scenes, helping here and there when I could. In early 2019, I helped launch our first online store and from there my role quickly grew. By summer, I had taken over communications and social media, allowing my parents to focus their time and energy on sourcing and caring for more plant gems.
I've watched them dedicate endless hours, days, and years to this business, to these plants, and to the people who share their passion for botanical treasures. In March 2020, I made the decision to temporarily step away from my career in diagnostic imaging to help my parents build on that dedication and re-home even more botanical treasures. Fast forward to today, I'm still fully immersed in all things Crystal Star Nursery, and we've even welcomed a new generation CSN Gem Grower in-training.
While the industry has evolved over the years, we feel incredibly grateful to continue doing what we love alongside our "crazy" plant lovers. At the end of the day, we're growing more than plants. We're growing a community, and for that, we are truly grateful.
Happy Botanical Treasure Hunting!
– Crystal
Today...
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Over
175K products sold
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With
96% positive reviews
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Selling in
10 provinces and 3 territories