This Costco Garden Center guide is NOT sponsored and was written based on our honest experience as a mom and dad growing an urban homestead!
This truly is one of the best times of the year – spring has arrived and it’s time to start planting your garden.
For me, the excitement starts to build in early March as I see gardening supplies and tools lining the seasonal section at my local Costco warehouse (we’re from Vancouver, BC).
It’s time to start planning because you know it won’t be long until the Garden center is open and ready to go!
Keep reading to find out:
- When does the Costco Garden Center open?
- What flowers, plants, and trees does Costco carry?
- Tips for buying garden beds and/or a planter box
- Our favorite hose, garden tools, and lights
Costco Garden Center: Tips + Must Haves for 2023
We’ve been buying gardening supplies and plants at Costco since 2015 but really invested around 5 years ago when we purchased our first house on a nice little plot of land.
Before then, we owned a condo and did a lot of balcony gardening.
Here’s what it looked like when we first started out!
With some floor tiles and a few pieces of furniture from IKEA, a gardening bed, some pots, and a fruit tree from Costco, we knew our lives would never be the same.
A few years later, our goal was to become as self-sufficient as possible!
Because when you grow your own food, you control your supply and know exactly what goes into it from start to finish.
These days, fewer and fewer of the foods we buy at the grocery store represent what we actually find in nature and are loaded with necessary additives and preservatives.
We can’t encourage our readers enough to invest in a garden and most especially plants and fruit trees that come back every year!
When does the Costco Garden Center open (2023)?
In British Columbia, nearly all Costco Garden centers opened on April 3rd this year.
As of April 20th, most garden centers in Ontario are also open.
To check for updates on Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Quebec, see the official Garden Centre Locations page.
So, if you’re wondering if the Costco garden center is open, check out the details for your local warehouse here.
What does the Costco Garden center have?
The 2023 Costco Garden center is already stocked with a variety of vegetables, flowers, shrubs, climbers, fruit trees, planters, and hanging baskets.
You can also get an incredible deal on bulbs!
Is the online garden selection different than the one in-store?
Yes, Costco online offers a different variety of gardening tools, seeds, bulbs, and plants.
On Costco.ca, you can currently find the following amongst Costco Canada’s massive online gardening catalog – the Horticana packs are definitely worth checking out as they offer great variety at a reasonable cost:
- Horticana: Savory Edibles Canadian Onion & Potato Collection
- 500 g ‘Banana Gourmet’ Seed Potato
- 500 g ‘Russian Blue’ Seed Potato
- 500 g ‘Norland’ Seed Potato
- 500 g ‘Russet Burbanks’ Seed Potato
- 500 g ‘Yukon Gold’ Seed Potato
- 15 bulbs Multiplier Gourmet Shallot Sets
- 80 bulbs Mixed Onion Sets
- Horticana: Delightful Dinnerplate Dahlias (8 clumps of tubers)
- 1 Dahlia Cambridge – yellow-red
- 1 Dahlia Color Spectacle – orange-white
- 1 Dahlia Ferncliff Illusion – white-lilac
- 1 Dahlia Kelvin Floodlight – yellow
- 1 Dahlia Kidd’s Climax – pink
- 1 Dahlia Manhattan Island – maroon
- 1 Dahlia Sir Alfred Ramsey – purple-lilac
- 1 Dahlia Snowbound – white
- Horticana: Shade Loving Perennial Garden Collection (shipped as dormant bare-root perennials)
- 3 Astilbe ‘Fanal’ – Garden Astilbe – Deer Resistant
- 3 Astilbe ‘Washington’– Japanese Spirea – Deer Resistant
- 3 Polygonatum multiflorum – Solomon’s Seal – Deer Resistant
- 2 Dicentra ‘spectabilis’ – Bleeding Heart –- Deer Resistant
- 2 Hosta ‘Golden Meadows’
- 10 Convallaria majalis – Lily of the Valley – Deer Resistant – Fragrant
- 2 Veronica pink – Speedwell – Deer Resistant
- Horticana: Effortless Perennial Garden
- 12 Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ (Montbretia)
- 3 Dicentra ‘Spectabilis’ (Bleeding Heart)
- 2 Bergenia ‘Cordifolia’ (Heartleaf Bergenia)
- 3 Hemerocallis red (Daylily)
- 3 Hosta ‘Francee’ – Plantain Lily
- 9 Liatris ‘Floristan’ – White Blazing Star
- 18 Liatris ‘Spicata’ – Blazing Star
- 3 Hemerocallis ‘Frans Hals’ (Daylily)
- 5 Lilium ‘Pavia’ (Asiatic Lily)
- 2 Sedum ‘Spectabile’ (Stonecrop)
- Horticana: Hosta Haven – Garden Giants
- 2 Hosta ‘Blue Angel’
- 2 Hosta ‘Christmas Tree’
- 2 Hosta ‘Guacamole’
- 2 Hosta sieboldiana ‘Elegans’
- 2 Hosta ‘Wide Brim’
- Horticana: Shady Spaces Hosta Garden
- 2 Hosta ‘Albo Marginata’ – Plantain Lily
- 2 Hosta ‘Francis Williams’ – Plantain Lily
- 2 Hosta ‘Francee’ – Plantain Lily
- 2 Hosta ‘Seiboldian Elgans’ – Plantain Lily
- 2 Hosta ‘Fragrant Bouquet’ – Plantain Lily
- 3 Hosta ‘Fragrant Dream’ – Plantain Lily
- 2 Hosta ‘Bressingham Blue’ – Plantain Lily
- Horticana: Sweet Success Strawberry Collection
- 30 Strawberries Everbearing – white flowers and red berries
- 30 Strawberries June Bearing – white flowers and red berries
- 10 Strawberries Albino Berry – June Bearing – white flowers and white berries
- 5 Pack of Deluxe Strawberry Plants
- 2 Pack of Boston Fern Hanging Baskets
- 3 Pack of Over-Wintered Sweet Potato Plants
- 6 Pack Lavender Collection
- 4 Kit Crunch Pack Seed Plug Pack
- Cucumber
- Sweet Pepper
- Zucchini
- Sugar Snap Peas
- 4 Kit Giant Growers Seed Plug Pack
- Cucumber
- Watermelon
- Zucchini
- Pumpkin
- 12 Pack of Boxwood Hedging (Green Velvet)
- 2.8L Cedar Hedging 6-pack
- Horticana: Feathery Friends Shade Loving Astilbes
- 3 Astilbe Pink – Deer Resistant
- 3 Astilbe Red – Deer Resistant
- 3 Astilbe White – Deer Resistant
- Horticana: Roselily Radiance Double Oriental Lily Collection
- 6 double oriental lily ‘Roselily’ (red-white)
- 6 double oriental lily ‘Roselily’ (pink-white)
- 6 double oriental lily ‘Roselily’ (pink)
- 6 double oriental lily ‘Roselily’ (white)
- Horticana: Razz-ma-Tazz – Raspberry Collection
- 4 Raspberry Everbearing ‘Fall Gold’ – yellow berries
- 4 Raspberry Everbearing ‘Heritage’ – red berries
- 4 Raspberry Summer Bearing ‘Boyne’ – red berries
- 4 Raspberry Summer Bearing ‘Tulameen’ – red berries
- Hardy Climbing Fruit 6-pack
- 3 x 1 Gal. (3.3 litres) – Thornless Blackerry (Black Stain)
- 3 x 1 Gal. (3.3 litres) – Kiwi (Issai)
- Horticana: Blueberry Bounty Shrub Collection
- Blue Crop
- Duke
- Northland
- Share
- Horticana: Farmers Market Fruit & Veggies
- 20 Strawberries Everbearing
- 4 Raspberries Everbearing
- 1 Blueberry ‘Northland’
- 1 Blueberry ‘Duke’
- 2 Rhubarb
- 5 pack of Over-wintered Garlic
- Plant Parent Houseplant Starter 6-Pack
- 1 x Growers choice Fern
- 1 x Growers choice Snake Plant
- 1 x Growers choice Peperomia
- 1 x Grower’s choice Syngonium ‘Arrowhead Plant’
- 1 x Grower’s choice Rhoeo ‘Boat lily, Moses-in-the-cradle’
- 1 x Grower’s choice Croton
Here’s what the raspberries we bought looked like when we first started our backyard garden!
More Costco gardening and home reviews:
- Hunter Boots Review: Which to Get and Which to AVOID!
- The Best Lululemon Belt Bag Dupe: Costco’s Lole Belt Bag
Costco Garden Center In-Store
You can choose from a wide variety of flower packs, hanging baskets, planters, shrubs, and fruit trees at your local warehouse.
Here’s a list I compiled based on what I’ve seen so far this season plus a few mentionable plants we’ve encountered literally every year since we became Costco garden center shoppers!
Costco Garden Center Flowers
- Annual Flat 18 Plants Packs
- 4 1/2″ Premium Annual 6 Packs
- 6″ Annuals Assorted 3 Packs
- Assorted Petunias
- 6″ Martha/Geranium 3 Packs
- 4″ Zonal Geraniums 8 Packs
- 2 Gallon Hostas
- 12″ Hydrangea
- 2 Gallon Assorted Perennials
- 2 Gallon Assorted Roses
- 3 Gallon Assorted Azaleas
- 2 Gallon Climbers on 4′ Stake
- Clematis
- Rose
- Honeysuckle
Costco Planters
- Ensete Planter with Banana Plant
- Dracaena Planter
Vegetables
- 3 Gallon Mixed Vegetables
- Sugar Snap Peas
- Jalapeño Peppers
- Pepper Mix
- Eggplant
- Mini Cucumber
- Beefsteak Tomatoes
- Roma Tomatoes
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Grape Tomatoes
Hanging Baskets
- 10″ Strawberry Hanging Baskets
- 12″ Hanging Baskets
Shrubs
- 2 Gallon Premium Shrub
- 2 Gallon Evergreen
- 5 Gallon Boxwood
- 5 Gallon Assorted Rhododendrons
- 5 Gallon Assorted Shrubs
- 2 Gallon Raspberry
- 2 Gallon Blueberry
Costco Garden Center Trees
Although later in the season (usually around May or June), Costco gets Banana trees and Windmill palm trees every season.
Here’s some quick tips for these popular plants.
Banana Trees
Costco banana trees are a great price for the size!
The trunk is around 2 or 3 inches wide, looks beautiful, and is ready to plant that day!
In peak summer, they grow about 1 foot a week and from there, can create multiple pups.
Each pup can be cut, sold, or replanted elsewhere in your garden.
You can also just let them grow where they sprout to create a more tropical look for your home.
Winter protection is important though.
You’ll want to cut it after the first frost at about an inch under the leaves so just the stock remains – that way your growth starts from this point the following season.
After you’ve cut it, put a banana jacket on it to protect your tree from harsh weather.
If you don’t protect it, it’ll turn black and start from the ground up.
They haven’t gotten the individual banana trees in yet this season but here’s what the planters look like.
Windmill Palm Trees
Despite the price going up every year, they remain significantly cheaper at Costco than at your local nursery.
That said, the trunks are often crooked.
Don’t let that deter you though – they do straighten out over time!
Should you decide to purchase one though, you need to be careful to protect it from heavy snowfall and frost.
We’ve seen dozens of them die here in the Lower Mainland just over the past winter.
We bought that Windmill Palm tree at Garden Works but had one from Costco in the past!
Assorted Fruit Trees
This is our favorite section of the garden center!
We have so many fruit trees at this point but we can’t help but see what’s new every season and quite honestly, nearly every time we enter the warehouse.
Here’s a list of the fruit trees we’ve seen so far this season:
- Braeburn Apple
- Fuji Apple
- Gala Apple
- Granny Smith Apple
- Pink Lady Apple
- Red Gravenstein Apple
- Red Jonagold Semi-Dwarf Apple
- Spartan Apple
- Yellow Delicious Apple
- Frost Peach
- Reliance Peach
- Anjou Pear
- Bartlett Semi-Dwarf Pear
- Shinseiki Oriental Pear
- Nijisseiki Oriental Pear
- Green Gage Plum
- Early Golden Plum
- Early Italian Prune Plum
- Italian Prune
- Mount Royal Plum
- Brookgold Plum
- Beauty Plum
- Montmorency Sour Cherry
- North Start Sour Cherry
- Bing Sweet Dwarf Cherry
- Carmine Jewel Cherry
- Lapin Sweet Dwarf Cherry
- Stella Sweet Cherry
- Sam Sweet Cherry
- Vandalay Sweet Cherry
- Black Mission Fig
- Celeste Fig
- Chicago Fig
- Desert King Fig
- Ischia Fig
- Kadota Fig
- Olympian Fig
- Persimmon
Combo Fruit Trees include:
- Combo Cherry – 4 Way
- Combo Plum – 4 Way
- Combo Apple – 4 Way
- Combo European Pear – 4 Way
- Combo Fruit Salad – 4 Way
We keep talking about getting a truck but our Volkswagen SUV has been great for buying fruit trees in the meantime, haha!
Dwarf Citrus
Near the end of the garden center season (usually May or June), Costco stocks a variety of citrus trees in color-coordinated planters. This includes:
- Calamondin (hybrid between a kumquat and a mandarin orange)
- Meyer lemon
- Key lime
This is a great start but you’ll find a much better selection of citrus at your local nursery.
We’ve picked up an avocado tree, grapefruit, navel, and Valencia orange trees at our local nurseries.
They make great houseplants and continue to ripen in the winter months when the right conditions are maintained.
You’ll want to choose a nice bright spot or supplement with grow lights.
This is how we fresh homegrown lemons and limes in December last year!
Costco Garden Center Plants
You can find a variety of houseplants and tropical plants at Costco at nearly any time of true.
We’ve seen the following at one time or another but never all at once:
- Monstera deliciosa
- Dracaena arborea
- Majesty palm
- Orchid
- Ficus
- Snake Plant
- Fiddle leaf
- Aloe vera
- Cacti
- Three pack succulents
Does Costco have garden supplies?
Yes, you can find things like grass seed, soil, outdoor yard lights, planters, hoses, and so much more in the store.
And it’s all available at a competitive price.
We got our Gardena hose, hose extensions, gardening gloves, solar powered outdoor lights, and outdoor sectional at Costco!
I love Gardena gloves for weeding.
We got all of our raised garden beds at Costco plus a planter box!
Here’s how we used the raised garden beds to wrap around our deck.
This is before we filled these three with vegetables – I don’t have the patience to look through tens of thousands of photos on iCloud right now, haha! Will have to circle back to this.
The pots in front are from the cedars we ordered to line our back fence – they were a perfect size for peppers.
The bushy hedge you see to the right of that photo is our grapes!
We managed to get 50 pounds last year (after 3 years of growing them from the ground up to the balcony) and make 20 bottles of wine with them.
How do I find a Costco Garden Center near me?
Check out Costco.com or Costco.ca for a list of garden centers near you.
To see what kind of tools they have, check out the link for your country and note the little “May be available In-Warehouse at a lower non-delivered price” below the Product Details heading.
In the Lower Mainland, we have a great Costco Facebook group too!
If heading into your local warehouse isn’t realistic that day, you can ask other members if they’ve seen the item you’re interested in in-store recently.
Group members will describe their experiences and list the stores they’ve seen it at and/or the last time they saw it!
This is wonderful because it saves you from wasting a trip out if an item is your sole reason for going.
For instance, I found out that Brighton is one of the only stores that had Sea Soil back at the beginning of April.
Not sure if others warehouses will get it but we know it’s there!
Costco Garden Center Review: Final Thoughts
Costco is an incredible one-stop shop for both beginner and seasoned gardeners!
They have a ton of tools, supplies, seeds, plants, flowers, trees, and shrubs at (from what we’ve seen) the most competitive prices around.
That said, their inventory is limited and if you’re looking for a certain plant, you’ll probably have better luck at a local nursery.
Nursery plants also tend to be healthier.
Which plants will you be picking up at Costco this year? New to gardening? Share your goals below! We’d love to hear from you 🙂
Happy planting, friends!
