Mappin’s Nursery

Well who knew there was a nursery in West End?
Walking in, you go past a myriad of cactus and ponds, before stepping inside to a green oasis full of ferns and hanging plants. Sadly while a glass case listed a snake for sale, no snake could be seen.
Reaching the back of the store you’ll see the sign letting you know there’s more out the back. And so there is. Surprisingly what there is a lot more of out the back is fish. Yes, they sell tropical fish too. Lots of tanks, and fish big and small, with those good for outdoor ponds clearly marked. Being a nursery, they also sell aquatic plants, both for the aquarium and your water feature in the yard.
These guys sell plenty of plants ideal for terrariums, and are able to give advice on the best plants for closed and open systems, as well as selling various sized and shaped vessels perfect for making your own little indoor garden.
I think I’ll have to come back.

A green thumb I am not but I read a mythical legend that Zanzibar Gems are house plants that are incredibly hard to kill. They only require watering once a month! And thus begins the journey that led me to the West End wonderland that is Mappin’s Nursery. And can I end that train of thought by pointing out that it is a freakin’ nursery less than 4kms from the CBD!!!
Okay. Now that I’ve got that out of the way. Mappin’s is a green haven on Montague Road that have a range of plants and not to mention helpful staff willing to answer my silly questions such as, «What make great house plants? Can you show me your suggestions?» and I didn’t dare tell my helper that I kind of like plates as saucers when she handed me a plastic saucer for my newly acquired plant saying, «I don’t understand kids these days using plates as saucers. I can’t let you do that.» Did I spray myself with «Psuedo Hipster» this morning? How did she know?!?
I’d looked for this particular plant at a household name hardware chain (it rhymes with running), and while I paid a fraction more for the same size plant at Mappin’s, the plant itself looks healthier and you bet your bottom dollar I feel better (okay, maybe a little smug) that my money went towards a fantastic local business. Plus I feel like the extra coin went towards the handful of advice I was given about caring for the plant.
When I enter the home owner game I’ll be back at Mappin’s asking them for their green thumb advice on a range of gardening 101. Oh and finally nabbing one of the beautiful Magnolia trees they sell!

You’d be forgiven for thinking that you’d stumbled into a Mexican desert when you enter Mappin’s Nursery. It is riddled with cactus plants — ranging from the very cute and tiny (don’t let their size fool you though — they are still super spiky) through to the very large, desert-​dwellers. Carefully manoeuvring your way through the cactus jungle, you think all is safe, until the sign «snakes out the back» emerges.
But don’t let these sharp, life-​threatening species deter you, as there is a much larger collection of succulents, shrubs, hanging plants and fruit and vegetable seeds also calling this nursery home. You can pick up a large basil, lemongrass or strawberry plant, or opt for packets of seedlings (everything from eggplant to truss tomatoes). Plants aside, there are also an array of water features — my favourite being the gargoyle head (complete with moustache) fountaining water into a large terracotta pot, filled with many an orange fish.

Consensus among historians states that the biblical Garden of Eden was probably somewhere in modern day Iraq. I think Mappin’s on Montague Rd has a legitimate claim to being a contender for God’s original garden. Hey, they even have the infamous snake/​s there, plus a number of fruit trees (which you are probably forbidden from tasting too, unless you’re willing to buy it ;)
These guys are water plant specialists, with their massive aqua-​filled terracotta pots home to oodles of different aquatic plants, like water lilies and edible water chestnuts. I bought one of the latter once and put it in a water feature in my yard. After a few months we yielded a few delicious chestnuts.
They also have an impressive range of cacti and succulents, which are easy to care for, decorative and make a great gift. The innovative decorative pieces designed by local artists are also good present fodder, but be prepared to pay in the hundreds for some (they are after all ‘art’).

I’m a self confessed plant nerd. Mappin’s Nursery is a wonderland for someone like me. While you’re walking down the industrial stretch that is Montague Road, you’ll hit this oasis and you should go inside, plant lover or not.
The nursery is organised so it mimics a jungle. The indoor plants have been organised so there’s a canopy and understory. Just like a jungle, there are resident pet snakes (for sale) there too.
The range of plants is impressive. For your inner city agriculturalist, they’ve got well established tomatoes, herbs, eggplant, lettuce, and so on ($ 4 each). They also have pomegranates! ($ 12). If you’re looking for succulents, you’ve come to the right place. They’ve got plenty, at all different stages of life. Orchids too! And my, are they healthy. Because a lot of the plants on sale are well established and put into charming ceramic pots, the prices can be a little higher than you might find elsewhere.
I don’t think I’ve ever really put the idea of fish and plants together (except for brief interrogations into aquaponic systems) but Mappin’s has done just this, and it makes perfect sense when you see it. The indoor plant section seamlessly transforms into an aquarium as you walk into the back of the shop. There’s angelfish, neon tetras, and your classic gold fish for sale, amidst a multitude of other fish. They have all the fish keeping paraphrenalia you’d need too.
I just can’t talk highly enough about Mappin’s. Go and find out why for yourself.

Places like Bunnings may sell everything in one big shed, but I’d much rather support my local nursery just 5 minutes down the road.
Mappin’s sells almost everything one could need for their garden as a resident of inner city Brisbane. It’s not a huge place but it’s packed with potted plants, herbs, ferns and cacti. There’s a small range of plant food, fertilisers and potting mix – again, enough for the urban gardener.
I bought some potted herbs from there for $ 4 each. Already really well established, they’re doing wonderfully in my garden. Wanting to buy a flowering plant as well, the owner of Mappin’s was great in helping us choose something hardy and easy to look after.
For those who find plants a bit boring, check out Mappin’s range of pet snakes! Too extreme? Head for the back of the store and you’ll find a range of tropical fish.
One thing they don’t have is compost bins or worm farms, but other than that, they’ve got everything I need as an amateur gardener.