Hi Penguinsrock,

welcome! Kevin from Toronto posted a list of places in your city to buy gritty mix ingredients. I'm trying to post a link but it is not working. Search this forum for 'Toronto sources' and you should find it.

I am in NS and get my Turface from Halifax Seed here. Perlite should be available at any real garden centre. Don't waste your time searching for pumice in Canada, it is a mythical creature here. You can order it online, but shipping is $$$. I get my grit at a farm supply store , it is sold as chicken grit.

As for plants, most of mine have come from big box stores. You have to watch for them to come in, though. walmart used to carry mixed small succulents but I haven't seen them around here in a few years. Online, one Canadian source is Valley Succulents, though they don't ever seem to update thir website. I am sure Kevin will know of some local Toronto sources.

i bough plants at IKEA last time I was in Vancouver.... They are building one here now and I can't wait to see what they carry in terms of plants!

I am surprised you say you can't find perlite, they sell it just about everywhere. You could buy in bulk in Humber, Plant World, huge bag is almost $40. For other ingredients, here is a link: grit-bark-turface

Plant World, Sheridan Nurseries, Humber Nurseries - they carry some succulents. There are many small garden centers too, and Rona, Lowe's, Home Depot, Wallmart and Canadian Tire that carry succulents - there won't be anything 'special' available in any mentioned, but if you are beginner, there is plenty to choose from. (Even Sobeys and Loblaws will have some, but I find them very overpriced and usually arrangements. Personally, I would not buy.) You have to keep visiting more often, or ask if/when they expect a shipment. (There are other garden centers and greenhouses if you are willing to drive out of city).

Which side of Toronto do you live on? Maybe this will help for soil mix components? [https://www.houzz.com/discussions/porosity-water-holding-capacity-cost-of-common-soil-components-dsvw-vd~4061703[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/porosity-water-holding-capacity-cost-of-common-soil-components-dsvw-vd~4061703)

Crystal Star Orchids is a pretty fantastic place to buy succulents, but you need to make an appointment first. They have a very large variety of common and uncommon succulents and are continuously expanding their selection.

Jade Greenhouses is also very good with some more unusual plants than your typical store. Another family run business that grows their own succulents.

Sheridan Nurseries is usually also good. Some locations are better than others. You can try Terra, but they are overpriced and don't really know how to take care of their plants.

Vandermeer Garden Center in Pickering can be good or bust. Very cheap!

Valley Succulents are very nice to deal with if you are willing to mail order. They have a different selection you may not find elsewhere. Can be slow to respond sometimes, but are very friendly. Best to pick a whole bunch of plants from their website and ask what's available first. Every season I email them for interesting things I might like and they give me a short list of many that are not listed on their website.

There's many more than that... last year I went to a huge number of places looking for interesting succulent species. Now that I have a pretty solid collection going on, I am only looking for specific things. =)

Thank you all for the fantastic info and links.

I think timing has a lot to do with my struggles. Seeing as we are headed into winter most stores I've gone into don't seem to have any succulents or cactus but I know I've seen them there earlier in the year. That is especially the case with the box stores.

Rina: Thanks for the tips I've been to Humber nurseries many times for veggie plants and flowers so maybe I'll make the trek out. Plant World is new to me and their website looks great so maybe I'll head down there one weekend too.

Ewwmayo: I'm actually just north or Toronto but thanks for the links. I've been to Sheridan recently but not much luck. The others are all new to me so I'll check them out.

Great info just as I expected :)

North of TO - you should try some garden centers toward Newmarket. That is where the North York Farmers store is for chicken grit (approx. $10/50lb, get size #2). And then there is Bradford Greenhouse, just N of Bradford on HWY 11 (another location is in Barrie on HWY 27 & 90).

Any particular plants you are looking for?...

Rina: Again some good suggestions and well worth a drive up during fall.

I'm not looking for anything in particular yet just trying to connect with some cacti and succulents that do not grow overly tall. Right now I've got my T5 light set up going which I normally use to grow seedlings for the Veggie garden and figured shorter and more compact specimens would work much better under light before being brought outside in the spring.