About Us

By day, Charlie Baird is a logging contractor. By evening, he’s known simply as Charlie the tree guy. It really started out as a garden with a few horsechestnut seeds and as time went on, it continued to grow to the point where we are today today with over 20,000 potted trees. It’s a hobby that got out of hand.

 The collection of trees and shrubs, exceeds that of any local garden center in Truro. “At this point, I have probably close to 200 different species of trees and 100 varieties of shrubs.  They include everything from your basic maples, oaks and nuts to strange flowering trees. I’m always looking for a new seed source.” 

Over the  years we have learned a lot about the various species of trees we deal with. Wanting people to have planting success, we provide individuals with all the planting instruction and help pick out the right tree or shrub for the location. Some people think planting a tree means finding an open space and sticking it into the ground. “That’s not the case and the problem is, people who work in garden stores don’t pass along that information or they don’t pick out the proper tree for the conditions it’s going to be growing in. That’s why trees die. If a customer wants to plant a tree in a place that’s naturally cold or windy, they need a tree that can survive in that climate. That’s where we offer suggestions and try to help them find a tree they can be happy with and that’s going to survive in the location they’re going to plant it in. I also give them pruning and feeding instructions and tree care advice.

While different people want different trees, fruit trees are high on a lot of people’s lists.

“I pretty well have everything from apple trees to peach trees.” He said. “But again, fruit trees won’t grow everywhere and that’s what I tell people before they make the purchase. “On hand, Baird has more than 200 fruit trees for sale at any time of the year.

One of Baird’s latest ventures doesn’t primarily include a species of tree. It’s his method in growing them, something he found being offered by a company in Alabama, Rootmaker Products . “They’re called root control bags,” he said. “And they do pretty much what the name says. They direct the roots and make a faster growing tree. When planting a tree, it’s common to get circling roots. All the trees sold in Atlantic Canada are container grown and therefore, don’t necessarily have a good root system because they have circular roots. These bags direct the roots making sure they grow center out. Once they outgrow the bag, they’re transplanted into a larger bag which allows the roots to continue growing out and not in a circular fashion. “While the new method adds a couple dollars to the cost, Baird quickly adds the end result is a tree five-times better than container grown trees.

Despite the increase because of the control bags, Baird says anything he can grow himself has a price well under any garden center.

“Right now, someone can come here and get a 8 foot oak or a maple for $65,” he said. “Because of that, I have people traveling from Halifax to buy truck loads. With so many garden centers, it’s going to be tough to compete with their flower prices and that type of thing, but in most cases, my prices for trees and shrubs are lower.”

For those finding it difficult to transport or plant trees, the nursery can  deliver and even plant the trees for you. We have all the compost, bark mulch and tree stakes.

For more information or to call for an appointment call 899-7889.