At Cornell Design & Landscaping, there's a bustle of activity as gardeners arrive to start the new growing season accompanied by the eagerly anticipated signs of spring.
Leslie Cornell, owner of Cornell Design & Landscaping, reflects on the beginnings of her journey. “I needed to do something different after I stayed home and raised the kids,” she recalls.
“I knew that I needed to get an education, and so I started taking the Prairie Horticulture Certificate offered through the University of Saskatchewan... and then as the years went on, started my own company.” Having earned her Red Seal certificate in horticulture, Cornell now mentors staff who are interested in furthering their education too. “I encourage my staff to take training, and now we have three journeymen Red Seal licensed horticulturalists,” including herself and one currently studying.
The mentorship she offers is required to complete the program. “When you are taking the horticulturist course, you need to work under someone who has taken the training, so that you can actually give them the proper training for hands-on work,” explains Cornell. The Red Seal certification is a four-year program and comes with the option to work anywhere across Canada.
Cornell’s passion has always driven her work. “For me, it’s about being able to create change, and connect people and plants while helping people understand what plants can do for them, and what their landscape can do, as far as bringing them enjoyment... and cleaning the air.” Her passion flows over to the community as well.
Cornell has volunteered a solution for the heat at Sidewalk Days this summer as just one example: “This year I got permission from the Sidewalk Days Committee to make a couple cooling stations, so I am going to bring a couple large plants,” she mentions. “So, that will be me, volunteering my time and putting my plants out there to hopefully help make somebody's day better.”
Cornell was also the project manager for the Humboldt Urban Garden Sanctuary (HUGS), which provides a healing space to honor the victims and families of the tragedy that shook the province in 2018.
Cornell encourages everyone to give gardening a try and see the benefits from starting our own garden. “Right now, what I've seen are a lot of people wanting to grow their own food. The cost of food in a grocery store is pretty high...,” she says. Due to inflation, a lot of people are “looking for things they can grow in their own yard,” and many of us are conscious about the origins of our food. Growing your own food means you know exactly what you are eating and where it came from.
Cornell reflects on the origins of her business: “I started the greenhouse so I had a place to store all my stuff, and it has just grown to a full, do-it-yourself garden center... to supply all of the things you need to do your landscaping, and we can help you put it together as well.”
“We are looking at things like getting better soil structure, so we can get healthier plants and more fruit and vegetables out of our gardens. There is a lot involved,” adds Cornell. To cope with this complexity, even the novice gardener can get much needed assistance. “Definitely we can help let them know what they need…,” she affirms.
There is no need to be discouraged if you don’t have the space for a traditional garden. “Even for someone who can't get out, they can get plants in the home and help clean the air,” she adds, referring to their large selection of house plants.
Hanging baskets are a great addition and can be added to your yard even with limited space. Cornell Design & Landscaping features new variations to their hanging baskets each growing season and it's worth stopping in to see what’s in store. “One of the fun things is getting different annuals. With hanging baskets, we bring in different ones every year. Right now we have hanging baskets on sale for Mother's Day weekend, which lasts four or five days for us.”
In the spirit of Cornell’s vision of bringing people and plants together, consider adding some green to your life. Not only do plants provide the perfect gift or addition to your home, but also free food for the table.
Cornell Design & Landscaping is located 11km south of Moose Jaw along Highway 2 and is open seven days a week during the growing season. For more information contact them at 306.693.8733 or visit their website at https://www.cornelltrees.com/contact-us/.
