Salisbury Greenhouse — Local services in Alberta

I have shopped at this greenhouse for years and always loved it- however, today, I went to buy a bonsai tree for my best friend's birthday and I was very upset with the pricing. Two years ago I'd bought a beautifully potted schleffera bonsai for about $45, in this pretty ceramic dish with pebbles/the usual fixtures. This evening, the selection was drastically reduced, the trees were a fraction of the size and didn't even look overtly nice or healthy, and they were set at $120 and up. I couldn't even purchase the gift I'd wanted for my friend. I feel really disappointed that a local business would gouge shoppers like this, particularly at a time when so many people are struggling and as we know, the cost of everything has gone up. It is my belief that local businesses should be held to a higher standard. We want to shop at these businesses and support them- please allow us the ability to do so and afford these products. This doesn't benefit the family who owns the business as no one will buy their products if they can't do so, and it doesn't benefit your average client. Please help me to understand how something that is grown in the same methods, or is the same product, can triple in price and reduce in quality in 2 years or less. I've never seen a tiny bonsai like this at such a high cost, and I'll also add that if you were to buy a ceramic dish, pebbles, and likely a larger bonsai on your own, it would still cost about $50. I appreciate the effort put into potting/pruning these plants, but can't understand how the cost aligns with the product. Please have compassion on the people who are trying to get by and sometimes enjoy some of the simpler...

I attended the Christmas Whoville Tree Building Workshop at Salisbury Greenhouse for a company function, and I'm compelled to share our disappointing experience regarding the pricing and customer service.

We were initially quoted a reasonable price via email for the workshop. However, to our dismay, the final bill at checkout was almost double the quoted amount. This discrepancy in pricing felt like a classic bait-and-switch tactic, not what you'd expect from a reputable establishment.

When we inquired about the unexpected price increase, the response from the staff was dismissive. The young lady at the till insisted that the amount we were charged was 'average' and claimed to be unaware of the initial quote we received. This lack of consistency and transparency in pricing is concerning.

To address this issue, we reached out to the management, hoping for an explanation or at least some acknowledgment of the oversight. Unfortunately, our concerns were met with indifference. The lack of a proper response or even basic customer service etiquette from the management was disheartening.

While the idea of the workshop is charming, the execution, particularly in terms of pricing and customer service, is severely lacking. I caution future customers to be wary of the advertised prices and to confirm all details beforehand to avoid a similar experience. As it stands, we feel let down by Salisbury Greenhouse and are hesitant to recommend their services for any group events for the...

I am giving this rating for the The Whoville workshop only. The class was to be a 90 min diy. The instructor took 40 mins to explain the project and how to document the items you may or not purchase. Then we were directed to the boutique for 20min shopping to pick out decorations. This only left us with 30 mins for the project. During the creation of this project we noticed that some ladies has some different decorations then what was offered. I asked them where did they find them? They said they brought in their own decorations not to mention their own pot and sand!! This was not mentioned to us when we booked the workshop . So we were expected to purchase everything!! We decided to for go items as we have most of them at home. Also I broke out in hives due to an unexpected allergy to the greenery. The instructor said oh yeah that can happen!! WTH. She could have warned the class during her 40 min presentation! With that said, we were rushed out shortly after 1230 cause another class was starting at 100. Upon check out with a half completed project, we discovered there was no black Friday deals on any of items purchased. I guess I assumed there would be deals of some sort for our workshop because IT IS black Friday today!! This was an expensive lesson for me to learn and I am very disappointed as this felt like a cash grab. If you are thinking of going to this workshop, bring your own decorations, a pot, sand and a thick wallet. Also remember to pack...