Our Mission
At Shelmerdine, we inspire and support our community in creating beautiful, sustainable living spaces. With passion and expertise, we provide exceptional products and services that bring joy to fashion, home life, and outdoor living. By putting people first, we lead and innovate within the industry.
Our Core Values
Expansive Expertise – Deep knowledge across every product line we carry.
Crafted for Joy – A thoughtfully curated environment designed to inspire happiness.
Passionate Quality – A dedicated approach to growing and offering the highest-quality products and services.
Joy in Excellence – Celebrating continuous improvement as we lead in the lifestyle industry.
Our Story
ROOTED IN TRADITION
Shelmerdine was founded in 1937 in Charleswood by Walter Shelmerdine. Walter produced fruit trees, which were sold mostly to farmers in the area. In 1944, he increased his market by knocking on doors during the winter months offering to draw landscape plans for homeowners, producing plant catalogues and undertaking landscaping contracts.
By these means, the business grew and as a result, a number of business partners joined the firm the 1960s and 1970s. These business partners continued to expand the retail store and landscaping division. The original site in Charleswood was sold in 1974 and, and the present much larger garden center was established on the 80-acre growing range in Headingley. During the 1970s and 1980s, housing developments cropped up in Winnipeg, and the fleet of Shelmerdine landscaping trucks and crews could be seen landscaping entire streets at a time.
Throughout all of these years, Shelmerdine established its reputation as Winnipeg’s most trustworthy landscaping firm and garden center, providing clients with friendly and knowledgeable service, superior plants, and quality gardening products. In 2005, the company reorganized into two separate, but closely operating companies; the retail store known as Shelmerdine Garden Center Ltd. and the commercial landscaping operation Shelmerdine Ltd. The commercial landscape operation was eventually sold and relocated, while Chad Labbe and Nicole Bent dedicated nearly two decades to developing and operating the garden centre into the store it is today.
GROWING FOR THE FUTURE
Today, Shelmerdine Garden Center Ltd. is a destination for those who love to celebrate fashion, plants and beautiful spaces. In February 2025, longtime owner Chad Labbe and Matt Bell of Geller’s Design | Build | Landscape formed an exciting partnership, marking the beginning of a new chapter of growth.
With Geller’s premier landscape company now part of the Shelmerdine property, the vision of offering a complete, full-circle landscape solution has become a reality. Whether you’re looking to transform your outdoor space, explore unique locally grown plants, or find thoughtfully curated products, we’re here to help bring your ideas to life.
As we look to the future, we’re expanding our offerings with new services and products—while staying true to what makes Shelmerdine special and staying rooted in tradition. We invite you to visit, explore, and be inspired.
Welcome to the next chapter of Shelmerdine—where beauty grows.