Dinter Nursery was founded in 1973 by Bernhard and Gertrud Dinter. Today, its legacy is continued by father-daughter team Bernie and Tamara Dinter.
Read more of our family story below!
Dinter Nursery was the dream of Bernhard Dinter. He immigrated to Canada from Germany in 1951 and, with his background in horticulture and landscape design, he worked as a gardener for 20 years at Shawnigan Lake School. In the mid 1960's Bernhard and his wife Gertrud purchased a property at the corner of Phipps Road and the Island Highway. They started Dinter Nursery Garden Centre in 1973, with Bernhard focused on plant propagation and landscaping operations while Gertrud took care of greenhouse production and bookkeeping.
Gertrud and Bernhard building the shade roof, c. 1970. Along with an article, this photo was featured in the local newspaper to celebrate the Nursery’s opening.
The Dinter family and their crew during the 1970s, including son Bernie (far right).
Gertrud carrying plants at the nursery circa 1975.
Growing up at the gardener’s house at Shawnigan Lake School, Bernie has fond memories of helping his father with the extensive school gardens. Bernie’s love of growing plants led him to pursue a degree in Plant Science from UBC, completed in 1976, after which he became a member of the BC Institute of Agrologists (P.Ag) and joined his parents at the nursery full-time.
Sharing his father's stated mission to "make the Cowichan Valley more beautiful,” Bernie has managed nursery operations since the early 1990s. While Bernhard continued to draw landscape plans and operate the landscaping side of the business, Bernie used his expertise to concentrate on nursery production, greenhouse management, business administration, and infrastructure development.
Frontal view of the nursery in the 1980s.
Young Bernie at the Butchart Gardens, c. 1954.
Mr. D was known for his horticultural knowledge and landscaping expertise. His legacy can still be enjoyed in many of the Cowichan Valley’s gardens.
As he grew older, Bernhard (known affectionately by the staff as "Mr. D.") phased out the landscaping side of the business and focused his efforts on consulting with customers and drawing landscape plans for them. He was also invaluable in responding to a wide variety of customer inquiries and continued to enjoy personal interactions with his clients well into his autumn years.
Mr. D also enjoyed talking with the children who visited the Nursery on school tours and was known for explaining the life cycle of his kiwi tree. He was still drawing landscape plans 10 days before he passed away in July 2007 at the age of 82.
Bernie has been sharing his love of plants with members of the community for over twenty years. He is pictured here leading a seminar on tree pruning.
Bernie enjoys sharing horticultural knowledge with others and, as a result, he has become a sought-after speaker for local gardening clubs, radio programs, and other community groups. He has taught gardening classes as part of the adult education programs offered at Vancouver Island University for over 20 years. As he says, “Every plant has a story to tell and I enjoy sharing those stories with others.”
The continued success of Dinter Nursery is due in no small part to the hard work and dedication of longtime managers Della, John, Greta, and Marcia pictured here with Cyndy, Bernie, and Tamara at the Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce Black Tie Business Awards in 2013.
Tamara on a research trip studying Galápagos soil in 2019.
Tamara’s career at the nursery began at age 5 sweeping floors for $1 per hour, affectionately overseen by her “Opa.” Tamara’s interest in plants was later sparked through the joys of Community Gardening at the University of Victoria, leading her to apprenticeships on organic farms in Quebec (Ferme Coopérative Tourne-Sol), South Africa and Chile, followed by completing advanced degrees in Agriculture and Environmental Science in Europe. Returning to the nursery full-time in 2020, Tamara is passionate about continuing her family’s gardening legacy in the Cowichan Valley.