About Ability Options Wholesale Nursery

Ability Options Wholesale Nursery, based at St Clair, grows more than 500 varieties of quality potted colour annuals, perennials, herbs and vegetables, as well as a selection of hedge lines. Situated on a four hectare site, the nursery has capacity to produce more than one million plants per annum.

The business was established in 1995 with two very clear and equal objectives: First, to operate and trade successfully as a fully commercial model delivering financial returns to the organisation. Secondly, to do this by employing people with disabilities as valued employees, each contributing to the success of the business. The nursery employs 26 people of which 19 have disabilities.

The nursery produces best-in-class seasonal blooms which are available 52 weeks of the year. Its quality, reliability of supply and customer service has put its products in all major retail nurseries throughout NSW and in demand by landscapers, councils, chain stores and keen gardeners. Many customers now look to Ability Options’ potted colour as a benchmark for quality.

The nursery is accredited under the Nursery Industry Australia (NIASA) Guidelines for production nurseries. The nursery has also been recognized as a finalist for the Best Productions Nursery of the Year Award and is also accredited for all 12 Commonwealth Disability Standards for the employment of people with disabilities.

The nursery provides work experience, traineeships and apprenticeships, supporting school programs and community activities. For more information contact the nursery on +612 9670 2097.

The nursery has recently expanded and upgraded its facilities to improve its sustainability through projects funded by the Australian Government (Jobs Fund,) and the NSW Government’s Climate Change Fund and Community Building Partnership Program. The nursery is now fully sustainable and is operating entirely off dammed and recycled water thanks to capital works to recycle and re-use water from a dam recently remediated using part of these funds.

What customers say about the Nursery

One of the nursery’s valued customers is leading Sydney Garden Centre, Eden Gardens (www.edengardens.com.au). Ability Options has been providing Eden Gardens with quality potted colour plants since 2005. Anna Ainsworth is the Community Development Manager of Eden Gardens and Director of the Eden Gardens Foundation.

“Ability Options Wholesale Nursery offers Eden an extensive variety of plants and always provides us with the highest quality product – which is essential to our brand and important to our customers. Their staff are always a pleasure to deal with and ensure that we receive our deliveries on time.”

“Here at Eden we pride ourselves on our genuine commitment to both social and environmental causes with a mission to improve the quality of life in the wider community through horticulture and education. We’re constantly seeking new ways to be proactive and to improve our business practices. Hence, we are proud to include Ability Options Nursery as a supplier because they produce a product that has positive social, economic and environmental impacts in line with our own business philosophy.”

“We believe that our customers appreciate being able to choose a product that offers broader community benefits and we look forward to further developing the strong relationship between our two organisations.” – Anna Ainsworth, Community Development Manager & Director Eden Foundation.