At Brantim Farm and Garden Centre in Almonte, growing flowers is a family affair, where a floral partnership has taken over restaurant patios in the region one flower at a time. “Currently we supply probably close to 25 to 30 restaurants across the city,” said Andrew Smith, owner of Brantim Farm and Garden Centre. The business has been around for 25 years, now sending out roughly 300 flower baskets to restaurants all over the Ottawa-area. “We supplied one restaurant one summer, and from there, through word of mouth, it just got out through the community that we did the flowers at those big restaurants,” Smith said. It’s not just restaurants. Brantim’s work can be seen at places like Calypso Water Park and Kanata Centrum. “We plant about 60 to 62 large ground containers all through that facility every season,” Smith said. In the ByWard Market, Brantim supplies colourful displays to popular spots like the Aulde Dubliner and The Grand Pizzeria. Restaurants like The Brew Table in Bells Corners count on Brantim to bring their patios to life. “These flowers, they stay all summer. They don’t wilt,” said Jason Wilkinson, manager of the Brew Table in Bells Corners. “For the last four years that we’ve been open, we’ve used them and as you can see, they’re beautiful. We like to go local.” Smith believes supporting local doesn’t just make sense, it can save money compared to some big box stores. “If people just dig a little deeper, they’ll find quite competitive prices at local businesses and they’ll be able to get a lot more quality product if they just go that extra distance to seek out those local producers,” he said. From family farm to restaurant patios, it’s a local business that’s growing as fast as the flowers they plant.
