About Us
THE STORY OF DH GARDEN CENTRE – A SMALL DREAM IN A BIG CITY
If you’ve ever started something with nothing but passion and faith… If you’ve ever found yourself in a foreign land with empty hands but a heart full of hope – then this story is for you.
DH Garden Centre didn’t begin like the big brands – no fancy budget, no polished marketing team. It began with a boy named Darrell in Kamloops, who found solace in his grandmother’s garden. In the midst of an affection-starved childhood, that garden became his world. It was there he learned to love nature, respect every leaf and root, and silently promised himself that he would live a kind, genuine life.
Darrell grew up doing every job imaginable – from tomato and pumpkin farms to landscaping companies. He once knocked on door after door, offering to mow lawns for a few dollars – and some days, he worked eight hours and came home with nothing.
There was a day he got fired for refusing to plant things the wrong way. His boss brought a truck full of plants and demanded they all be planted into a tiny garden space. Darrell saw immediately that some of the plants wouldn’t survive there – too little sun, poor soil, overcrowding. He gently voiced his concern: planting this way would only lead to failure and the plants would die within months. The boss glared at him and barked, “Shut up your mouth or you lose your job.” Darrell didn’t say another word. He couldn’t go against his conscience – and he walked away.
Darrell, nonstop for many years, kept learning about plants and gardening from books, from observation, and from seasoned gardeners who were willing to show him their ways. He later worked at a large Garden Centre in North Vancouver. Darrell loved that job so much that he would show up an hour early just to water the plants, tend to them quietly, and absorb more knowledge every day. He rotated through every department – indoor plants, outdoor plants, soil, fertilizers – always eager, always humble.
Customers loved him. They would line up and wait – sometimes close to an hour – just to get his advice. They trusted him. Because Darrell never pushed to sell. He listened. He cared. He wanted every person to walk away with the right plant, the right fit for their home or garden. He would often get in trouble with his manager for spending “too much time” with customers. But to Darrell, this wasn’t a job. It was a calling.
My name is Hien. I left a good job, a close-knit family, and everything I knew in Vietnam to join Darrell in Canada with our little son in my arms. We had very little – just each other and a dream. A dream of opening a little shop where people felt seen, heard, and guided – a place where they’d fall in love with plants and the joy of growing something with their own hands.
On November 24, 2021, DH Garden Centre was born – tucked away on a quiet street in North Vancouver. No crowds. No signs. Just one curious customer walking in that day, buying a few plants, and saying, “Wow, these are so healthy.” That simple comment was a glimmer of light in our long, dark tunnel.
But soon came the holiday season. While shopping malls boomed with lights and customers… our shop was silent. Christmas trees stood untouched. Wreaths and bulbs gathered dust. Orders were scarce. Rent and product costs were piling up – over $7000 in bulbs, $6000 in holiday stock. I was seven months pregnant, and yet every night, Darrell and I walked door to door handing out flyers – until 10 p.m. in the freezing cold.
We handed flyers while others had dinner. Handed flyers while our stomachs growled and our feet froze. Some nights, our son fell asleep on the couch waiting for us. Mornings, Darrell would rise at 5 a.m. to do landscaping jobs just to keep the store alive. On other mornings, he’d drive over an hour to remote greenhouses in Langley, Surrey, and Abbotsford – just to personally pick the healthiest, most beautiful plants for our customers.
There were days we sold just one small plant. But we’d spend over an hour wrapping it carefully, watering it gently, and writing thoughtful care instructions – because we wanted every customer to feel loved.
To bring in extra income, I started learning everything I could about selling plants online. I opened a shop on Etsy. We packaged each order like a gift – meticulous, safe, beautiful. Some orders were just $15 – but we packed them with heart. Slowly, customers started coming back. Reviews poured in – five stars, heartfelt messages. One customer shared that our little plant and the care we put into it helped her through a stressful time. Her words lifted us on days we felt like giving up. The online shop helped us pay bills, survive the slow seasons, and believe that what we were doing mattered.
People began returning to the store. They brought friends. Neighbors. Strangers. Not because of ads – but because they felt something real. We started growing our own seedlings because big garden centres didn’t carry the rare herbs and veggies our customers wanted. Darrell would sow an entire tray just for one or two requests. It wasn’t profitable – but it was meaningful.
We began importing handcrafted Vietnamese ceramic pots – pieces made by skilled artisans from my hometown. To us, they weren’t just pots. They were culture. They were bridges. They were stories.
Then came Christmas 2023. We ordered 100 trees, believing the worst was behind us. But customers didn’t come. Trees sat unsold. Darrell drove through heavy snow to deliver what few orders we got – cutting the tree base himself in freezing wind so they’d last longer in our customers’ homes. The holiday music playing in our store couldn’t drown out our fear.
We asked ourselves: Was this a mistake? Should we stop?
But then we remembered why we started: for the love of plants, for the joy on a customer’s face, for that spark of green that changes a home. So we stood up. Again.
In July 2024, our landlord told us the building would be demolished. We had just begun to build a loyal community. Our hearts sank. The shop had become a familiar, beloved part of the Lower Capilano neighborhood – a place people visited not just to shop, but to reconnect with something peaceful and real.
We searched for months. Finally, we found 3742 West 10th Ave – a former restaurant with a tiny back patio, but plenty of sun and hope. We couldn’t afford major renovations, so we did the plumbing and electrical work in basic. Permits were delayed. Costs piled up. For another month, we paid rent without being allowed to open. We borrowed money. Asked for grace from our suppliers. Hoped.
On March 30, 2025, we opened again. No grand opening. No press. But it felt like coming home.
We are still a small, family-run business. But we’ve grown – not in square footage, but in heart, in grit, in the number of people who trust us.
DH Garden Centre is not just a store. It’s a sanctuary. A place where people come to be heard, guided, and known – even if they’re just buying a $5 plant. A place where nature meets kindness, and where you’re always greeted by name.
If you’ve ever felt lost in the noise of the city… if you’ve ever longed for something slower, greener, kinder – come see us.
We’re still small. But we’re real. We don’t just sell plants. We share green hope.
DH Garden Centre – 3742 West 10th Ave, Vancouver, BC. You are always welcome here.
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