Our Story

Rooted in Passion. Shaped by Life.

Hosta Choice Gardens was not built in a boardroom. It was built across a lifetime of gardens, provinces, and seasons — and through the kind of challenges that quietly redefine everything.

Where It Began

Hosta Choice Gardens was established in 1998 in Appin, Ontario by Margot and Udo Dargatz, who cultivated a thriving collection of hostas on their 50-acre property. In 2008, Glenn Wilson and Yvon Trépanier purchased the nursery from the Dargatz estate and continued its legacy — bringing with them decades of horticultural experience earned across Canada.

Glenn grew up navigating the extreme seasons of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Yvon was raised in Lac-à-la-Tortue, Quebec. Together, they had lived and gardened through the cloud forest climate of Victoria and Vancouver, BC, the high-plains winds of Brooks, Alberta, and the Great Lakes humidity of Southwestern Ontario. They understood, intimately, what Canadian plants must endure.

Yvon's Journey — and Ours

In 2002, Yvon was diagnosed with Young-Onset Parkinson's disease at the age of 48. The diagnosis forced him to retire early from a career he loved as a teacher. While Glenn continued to run a property management company in Vancouver, Yvon settled into their lakefront home in Langford, BC — finding solace, purpose, and community in the world of hostas.

Yvon did not retreat from his diagnosis. He served on the Parkinson's National Board of Directors and was a familiar presence at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, advocating for neurological research funding. His voice carried the weight of someone who understood the stakes personally.

In 2016, Yvon was approved for Deep Brain Stimulation surgery — a turning point that gave him back nine active years as a full partner in Hosta Choice Gardens. Those years were a gift. He worked alongside Glenn in the fields, connected with fellow hosta enthusiasts, and embraced the community of what he lovingly calls being a Hostaholic.

A Tribute Rooted in Love

Our hosta introduction Stolen Ability was named in honour of everyone living with Parkinson's disease — and the caregivers who walk beside them. The name speaks to what the disease takes, and to the resilience of those who refuse to be defined by the taking.

A New Chapter in Bécancour

As Parkinson's has progressed, Yvon has stepped back from the day-to-day operations of the nursery. Glenn now runs Hosta Choice Gardens while also serving as Yvon's full-time caregiver. In 2023, they made the decision to downsize the business and relocate to Bécancour, Quebec — closer to Yvon's family and the support that matters most.

The retail location in Appin is gone. What remains is something more essential: a deep knowledge of hostas, a commitment to quality that has never wavered, and a Canada-wide mail-order nursery built on the belief that every gardener deserves a plant that is exactly what it promises to be.

True to Type — In Every Sense

Our True to Type guarantee is more than a quality standard. It is a reflection of who we are. Every plant we ship has been personally verified at our Bécancour property. Every order is treated with the same care we give our mother plants. And every customer who chooses Hosta Choice Gardens becomes part of a community that Yvon helped build — one garden, one cultivar, one season at a time.

Thank you for being part of our story.

— Glenn Wilson & Yvon Trépanier, Hosta Choice Gardens | Bécancour, QC