Where does the time go?  

It sure doesn't seem like we should be at Day 24 of production already!  (It also doesn't help that I have the Alberta Cup next week and I am in charge of the volunteers and scheduling.)  We have started transplanting all of the seedlings and tables are filling up fast!  At the rate we are going, we will be at full blown jungle in a just few more weeks.  :)  So far we have had outstanding germination in most of our crops and the babies are coming along nicely.

A few things to look forward to:

Petunias - 3700 seeds were planted, and now the task of transplanting them has begun.  For those of you who were out to see us last spring, we did a selection of colour mixes (Daybreak, Wild Rose, Waterfall etc.), we have a great selection of these mixes again this year, as well as some stars and picotees!  

Dahlias - We will have about 400 potted Dahlias for Spring 2013!  We will have a mix of colours and I am hoping to have them blooming by the May Long weekend.  It's no secret that I LOVE Dahlias and I am very excited to have such a great crop shaping up.  I put them all over my yard and they do really well against my white siding where most plants bake.  

Hanging Baskets and Planters - I would have to double check last year's numbers, but I am almost positive we have already made more than the total number of baskets we had last year - and we aren't done yet.  The Wave Petunia baskets look awesome!  They have started spilling over the sides of the pots and we should have them to a massive size by the time they are ready to go home to your yards.  I love the "Pretty in Pink" Calibrachoas that have started to bloom in their pots - this mix will be gorgeous!

We are planning to run a weekly Veggie Box program this summer!  I hope to have full details and sign up posted shortly, but here is a quick over view of our plans:

Sunday or Monday:  An availability list will be posted on our website or sent out via our newsletter to interested members with what we will have available for the week and price.  Members can then email or phone in their orders before Wednesday.

We will pick and pack your order for delivery for Thursday or Friday.  (We still have some kinks to work out so there may be slight changes to this - but use this as the general basis of the program.)

Disclaimers - as you all know, we can not control the weather - so if we can not pick because of it being too wet, hail etc orders may be delayed or shorted depending on your instructions.  We will do the best we can to get it done in the time frame we have set up - but we can't always work miracles!

We have started our greenhouse tomatoes and peppers already - they will still be a while before they are producing - we will let you know when they are getting close.  "IF" spring ever decides to arrive - we will be planting the garden and will update you as to how things are coming along.  :)  

Mom ordered a box of seeds that weighed over 50 lbs - and that wasn't all of it!  (The poor guy at the Post Office wasn't sure I was going to make it to my car - hahaha!)  We will have all of our usual summer favourites - potatoes, peas, green and yellow beans, snap peas, lettuce mixes, radishes etc and depending on the season - saskatoons, raspberries, and strawberries.  I am really looking forward to fresh produce!  I have good intentions to get the second garden that was put in by the greenhouse to be for cut-flowers.  Last year we did have a beautiful crop of Sweet Peas - but we weren't very good at sharing.  These will be added on to availability as they come along as an extra bonus.  (I'm thinking Sweet Peas, Sunflowers, Zinnias etc)  

If you are interested in this program - please drop us a line so we can start to figure out #s and fine-tuning the scheduling of the season as much as we can on our end.  (We can only hope that Momma Nature will co-operate.)  Click on my email address: melody@peapatch.ca to let us know.  


I think that's all I have for you today, I'm off to the airport to pick up some Dipladenia plants and then to rescue some houseplants before I head out to the greenhouse for the afternoon.  Please don't worry if you don't hear from me for the next 10 days - the hockey tournament (Alberta Cup) is next week, and players are arriving Wednesday April 23.  We have 8 teams of 20 players plus 8 staff, up to 7 scouts from each WHL team in the league, parents, siblings and grandparents of all these players, plus spectators and over 100 volunteers at the Strathmore Family Centre next week.  If you love hockey and are in the area - come out to see some FANTASTIC hockey!  On a related note, I'd like to congratulate the 6 Bantam girls from Strathmore who made it to their respective teams for the AB Challenge tournament in Medicine Hat.  Way to go!  

Mellie

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!!

The canola is blooming, which means it is July already! This Patch update is coming to you from my lawn chair , during a quiet moment before the craziness that is also known as the Lyalta 30th Annual Ball Tournament begins. Our first game is at 7:30 pm then depending on whether we win or lose, again at 2:30 or 3:45 AM. Yes you read that correctly, we are playing under the lights tonight. It should be a crazy time - it always is. :)

A huge thank you to all our new and repeat customers who came to the greenhouse or visited us at Springfest and Aggie Days. We are pleased to say that we SOLD OUT this season!! Planning for a bigger, brighter season is already underway. Feel free to send us pictures of our plants in your yards and gardens for our brag book.

We started July with our second annual Canada Day Festivities, bigger and better than last year! A big thank you to everyone who joined us - it was so great to see you all. The weather was fabulous, so Grandpa Bert built the kids, (and some of the adults) a giant Slip and Slide with some leftover greenhouse plastic. It kept the kids busy, cool and clean all weekend! Unfortunately for the tractors and Greg's truck - we cannot say the same about staying clean. Grandpa got the big tractor (Fergason)stuck in the pasture. Then, just like the Corb Lund song, the Chev got stuck, and then the small tractor (Fergie). Nearly a whole day later, some help from the neighbour and his tractor - everyone made it out. Liam spent several hours with the pressure washer cleaning the mud from Greg's truck (and I am sure he hated every minute of it). We had our first fireworks display, I have to say it was pretty darn impressive for amateurs setting them off. :) To sum up the weekend - many laughs, too much food and maybe a few too many drinks were shared - we can hardly wait for the next one! Happy Birthday Canada!

The tomatoes in the greenhouse are just starting to turn red, I've snuck a few ripe cherries on the way by, there is truly nothing better. Greenhouse cucumbers are struggling, but they are also very close. The garden is finally starting to come along, now that we have had some nicer weather. I wil send out notices to everyone when we start picking. I don't imagine it will be too long.

We have decided to do a few more small crops in the greenhouse in the meantime. I've got my supplier trying to find some Mums for the fall. We are also growing some other potted crops, and maybe some houseplants before Christmas (glitter) takes over. :) Speaking of houseplants, I bought the prettiest foliage begonia I have ever seen today. I named her ruby - her leaves are red iridescent, almost sparkly. I will see if I can't propagate her to share with the world.

That's all for now, I will let you know when picking starts! Have a safe summer!