Reviving the Bosch tradition at Red Valley Plant Market
Diane and the boys, Tyler and Colin.
later, in 1934, he met and married his wife Helen. In 1940, they started a market garden in south St. Vital, grow- ing vegetable and gladiolas for sale at the North End Market Garden. Theo and Helen, were garden
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pioneers in St. Vital. They opened Red Valley Greenhouse there in 1951 and were the first growers to introduce potted chrysanthemums to the Winni- peg market. They sold these through Florists’ Supply who distributed to local flower shops. The Bosch’s became very well known for their product. Theo retired in 1970 but carried on in retirement until he was 98 years old. He passed away on October 31, 2003. Along the way, Theo and Helen
had a daughter they named Julie, who married Daniel Gyselinck in 1949. In 1965, Julie and Dan opened a busi- ness in St. Vital at 1934 St. Mary's Rd known as Riverside Greenhouses, where they also grew potted mums,
72 • Fall 2016
hen Theo Bosch came from Holland to Winni- peg in 1925, he was just 20 years old. Nine years
then added poinsettias and bedding plants to the mix. The business pros- pered and they eventually became the growers of seasonal potted crops for Canada Safeway. Diane and her brother assumed
ownership in 1991 and shifted focus to the retail selling. In 2013, with encroaching residential development in St. Vital, the land was sold That same year Diane and two of
her boys opened a new business, Red Valley Greenhouses in St. Vital. After all those years helping her parents in the garden centre, Diane had developed a passion for growing. Her father had also spent a great deal of time with her sons, Tyler and Colin, instilling in them a love of growing and the ins-and-outs of how to run a greenhouse. The grow- ing world had always been central to Diane’s life as well and so she carried on the tradition of bringing up her chil- dren among the plants and flowers in the greenhouse. In 2014, she and her sons moved
from their original site and opened Red Valley Plant Market, reinstating
the original name started by her great- grandfather,Theo. When Diane and the boys took over, they relocated the company to 3091 St. Mary's Road, property that has its own proud history as it was previously owned by Bill and Jackie Plantje of Bill's Greenhouses. (Bill Plantje senior was another Dutch plant pioneer, who continued to grow plants in the greenhouses from 1960, until his son took over in 1980.) Tyler and Colin had already success-
fully formed the landscape division in 2011, doing both residential and commercial work. They specialize in complete yard transformations, from design to installation of everything from patios, walkways retaining walls, and flower beds, to sod, trees, shrubs and much more. They also sell a vari- ety of decorative stone, limestone and soil in bulk or by the bag, and they will deliver. Over the years Diane has come to
specialize in growing containers and hanging baskets. With many differ- ent mixes available for both sun and shade, she will custom plant and design containers for her customers, utilizing either the client’s pots or working from the great selection of products they carry in the store. “Our staff is friendly and reliable and glad to coach custom- ers to provide the best shopping experi- ence,” says Diane. This fourth generation business has
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