A Spring Visit to Our Farm in Canterbury
On a warm spring morning, the drive out to Burnett’s farm in Canterbury, Connecticut feels like entering another world—peaceful, full of promise, and rooted in the rhythms of the season. The hum of birds, the scent of fresh soil, and the sight of rows upon rows of greenhouses remind you that something special is growing here.
Hop in the rugged Kubota with Todd, and you’ll get a front-row seat to how it all comes together. Over 100 cold frames stand in quiet formation—each one a transitional home for plants growing strong before they’re ready for garden center shelves. These houses are the unsung heroes of the operation: sturdy, unheated spaces where plants toughen up before facing the elements.
Inside the bustling potting station, trays are prepped and soil mixes fine-tuned with practiced precision. It’s a choreography that’s evolved over decades—a rhythm of hands, soil, and growing things. But the true heart of the farm lies just beyond the potting line.
In the propagation room, the air is thick with humidity and potential. This is where thousands of cuttings begin their journey. While many cuttings come from trusted growers like Costa Rica, Burnett’s also takes thousands of cuttings on-site—carefully snipped from their own mother stock, a process that gives the team more control and results in stronger, more locally adapted plants.
Because nothing is shipped in at this fragile stage, these cuttings skip the stress of transit—arriving hydrated, intact, and ready to root. Underneath the benches, heated coils warm the soil to the perfect temperature, mimicking the tropical conditions young roots need to form. Above, a fine mist keeps each cutting hydrated while it settles in and begins to grow. It’s this balance of warmth and moisture that sparks strong, healthy root development.
Burnett’s holds a propagation license with premium plant brands like Bloomin’ Easy, allowing them to root exclusive varieties in-house—an advantage that results in better-quality shrubs and perennials that are truly garden-ready.
You won’t find annuals grown at this farm. Instead, the focus is on long-lasting plants that thrive in New England’s climate—shrubs, evergreens perennials, and select trees, all nurtured with patience and purpose. These are the foundational plants of gardens: the backbone of beds and borders, the season-over-season performers.
Growing isn’t always easy. Water is critical, and Mother Nature isn’t always cooperative. Burnett’s farm relies on two self-contained irrigation ponds, a crucial safeguard during dry spells and water bans. Like many independent growers, they face unpredictable weather, labor challenges, and pest pressures—but what sets Burnett’s apart is how they meet those challenges with consistency, care, and deep horticultural knowledge.
Among their most iconic crops? Connecticut’s native mountain laurel—a standout shrub that anchors local landscapes and supports pollinators. As more homeowners seek native plants that give back to the environment, Burnett’s is proud to grow with purpose—choosing varieties that belong here, not just what’s trending elsewhere.
Every corner of the farm reflects their mission:
Burnett’s Grown. Locally Rooted.
It’s more than a phrase—it’s a promise. From propagation to potting to garden center display, each plant is a product of local care, local soil, and a local team that believes in what they grow. And when you take a Burnett’s Grown plant home, you’re bringing more than beauty to your garden—you’re bringing home a story that started right here in Canterbury and sold to you in Salem, Connecticut.