Unfortunately this is probably only the beginning. We are watching where we source our seed for both the farm and the greenhouse - it isn't worth it. 😳

Mutant Butterflies

It's funny, the two same things surprise me every time we drive through the Kicking Horse Pass even though it's a trip we make once a year for for the last 5 or 6 years. The first being how incredibly breath-taking the landscape is. Right now the mountains are a deep pine green, shadows of fluffy clouds dotting the hillsides. Pools of water are grey-green and inviting, although the thought of swimming makes me shiver! The ditches, a rugged mix of rock, the occasional tree and dainty wildflowers - likeBob Ross put "happy little flowers" in one his paintings. The sun is shining, the truck is reading 22C before noon and yet patches of snow remains on the hills. I feel incredibly lucky to live in such a beautiful country and have this kind of playground available to us only a few hours away from home!
The second being how incredibly jealous I feel when we visit towns such as Invimere and How much effort they put into making their town so inviting and beautiful.

This post is coming from my pjs on the couch in front of the fireplace, while it sounds romantic, I just kicked the kids off to school and am finishing my first cold cup of coffee. I should just wait to make my first cup until the door closes and the boys are on their way but the caffeine calling always over rules sensibility in the morning. It's already October 3rd! I've been spending my afternoons and weekends in the hockey arena for a few weeks now. (That is NOT a complaint - just a statement, but now that the weather isn't 20 above I don't feel as guilty about it). We start the 3rd round of tryouts this weekend - my Cman goes for Pee Wee tryouts, last weekend it was Bo-Biam with Atom tryouts and before that it was AA Pee Wee tryouts. Biam made the B team - all in all I think that's pretty darn great for first year Atom :) The parents of the players on this team are great - I think it will be a great year!

I was out this morning taking cuttings of my fuchsia basket - yes in my pjs - before the weather they say was supposed to be here actually gets here. I'm considering it a second chance. They should have frozen at our first frost - but they are in a sheltered area of the yard up against the fence and made it until now and are still happily blooming away - well until this morning when I unceremoniously chopped them off at the base. The idea I have in my head is to make a fuchsia topiary - I'm going to try anyways - I may give up before I get it to what I have pictured in my head. While I'm at it I'm going to take some cuttings of my new house plants. A few (okay more than a few) followed me home the other day - I managed to get them all potted up - but I think I need a few more big ones. The cats have mercifully left them alone - so I think I'm good to go. I have a jasmine plant in bloom on my coffee table - it smells heavenly. (Like a tropical vacation - which I'm going to start thinking about more now that it is cooler :). )

I got Hubby to move my gigantic basket from my fancy pot out front. It is coming with me to the greenhouse for a few more months of enjoyment. I may bring it home when we shut the greenhouse down for winter and revive it come March - I like it so much. I've been told I need to make more baskets like it for sale next year.

I saved some corn stalks for my bucket - I will be putting them in the pot as soon as my post is finished AND published this time....

There's not too much going on in the greenhouse right now - poinsettias are coming along nicely. We have 3 colours this year - Maren Pink, Orion Dark Red and a white whose name has escaped me right now because I've had one cup of coffee.

That's all from me right now....drop me a line if you want more info about our poinsettias or baskets. I will be posting more pics on Facebook as they start to come into colour.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am thankful to have my 2 happy, healthy and hockey-crazy boys, a hubby who is too generous and donates his time to Minor Hockey to make it all happen for them and several hundred other kids, the farm, garden and greenhouse and my parents, hubby, sister and Joe who have made it all happen from scribbles on paper, the rest of the family and friends we won't see - who knows we are missing them when we are spending this weekend in the rink and not eating turkey and visiting with them. Have a great weekend, and drive safe everyone!!