This is one of those posts I just couldn't seem to finish...I started writing this a week ago and it's still sitting as a draft. Update: The mantis have arrived and are starting to hatch, and we are less than a week away from start-up!
There is just a short time before we get back at it for the 2016 season! 13 (or so) more sleeps, depending on when the babies' flight arrives. We will be up and growing the week of March 11.
Right now we have seeds arriving, the mantis pods are on their way and I should be getting notification soon that the baby plants that we ordered are getting packed up to make their journey to us. (We start 99% of our plants from seed, we only bring in some varieties that would take too long to grow allowing us to open later, and a few varieties that are vegetative (not started from seed) to add colour and variety to our mix. To put it in perspective - we bring in approximately 1500 plants to the ~500,000 seeds we order.)
There has been a lot of doom and gloom around us lately, people being laid off, weak dollar and oil prices and recently there was "'Cauliflowergate" where prices of cauliflower (and other veggies) sky-rocketed to crazy amounts. $11 a head? No thank-you! I'll eat the broccoli and cauliflower my Momma was so nice to put away for us last summer. I'm lucky that I was brought up in a family who gardened, canned, preserved, cooked, etc. and I learned as went. Am I an expert? Nope, not even close - but I do make a mean spicy pickled bean. I am continually looking for new ways to add to my database of skills and recipes.
How did cauliflower come to cost as much as a pound of grass-fed ground beef? - The Globe and Mail
http://globalnews.ca/news/2483234/forget-cauliflower-celery-leads-pack-of-runaway-produce-prices/
I have personally heard from more than one person that they will be growing a garden this year. Hooray! I think this is a great way to alleviate some of the grocery bill. Did you know that the first grocery stores (as we would recognize them now) really didn't come about until the 1950's? This era also marks the decline of the home gardener who grew as much of their family's yearly produce as they could in their yard, canning the excess and other basic self-sufficiency skills (making bread, cooking, baking, preserving - the list is long).
Are you planning on growing any vegetables this year? Do you have the gardening bug or do you think it is a chore? Would you like to try, but have no idea where to start? Luckily we have MANY years of experience in our family and we love to share our knowledge with those who want to learn. I regularly answer questions from our customers and my son (who happens to be taking a video class at school), has been telling me for a while that I need to "get with it" and use the technology and tools available to me. If he wins this debate, you should be seeing some how-to videos from the greenhouse. I am also working on an online catalogue for the website - this may be harder to complete!
My to do list is LONG, but I can't wait to tackle it...I'm starting today by sorting seeds into greenhouse and garden boxes, cold stratifying those that need it so we are ready to roll when it's their turn to be planted and a few other little housekeeping tasks.
We are still taking pre-orders for bare-root strawberry plants. If you are interested be sure to contact one of us to get your order on our list! As always - we recycle and re-use garden and nursery pots, they can be dropped off in Strathmore with Melody or at the greenhouse.
Be watching for baby pictures next week!
There is just a short time before we get back at it for the 2016 season! 13 (or so) more sleeps, depending on when the babies' flight arrives. We will be up and growing the week of March 11.
Right now we have seeds arriving, the mantis pods are on their way and I should be getting notification soon that the baby plants that we ordered are getting packed up to make their journey to us. (We start 99% of our plants from seed, we only bring in some varieties that would take too long to grow allowing us to open later, and a few varieties that are vegetative (not started from seed) to add colour and variety to our mix. To put it in perspective - we bring in approximately 1500 plants to the ~500,000 seeds we order.)
There has been a lot of doom and gloom around us lately, people being laid off, weak dollar and oil prices and recently there was "'Cauliflowergate" where prices of cauliflower (and other veggies) sky-rocketed to crazy amounts. $11 a head? No thank-you! I'll eat the broccoli and cauliflower my Momma was so nice to put away for us last summer. I'm lucky that I was brought up in a family who gardened, canned, preserved, cooked, etc. and I learned as went. Am I an expert? Nope, not even close - but I do make a mean spicy pickled bean. I am continually looking for new ways to add to my database of skills and recipes.
How did cauliflower come to cost as much as a pound of grass-fed ground beef? - The Globe and Mail
http://globalnews.ca/news/2483234/forget-cauliflower-celery-leads-pack-of-runaway-produce-prices/
I have personally heard from more than one person that they will be growing a garden this year. Hooray! I think this is a great way to alleviate some of the grocery bill. Did you know that the first grocery stores (as we would recognize them now) really didn't come about until the 1950's? This era also marks the decline of the home gardener who grew as much of their family's yearly produce as they could in their yard, canning the excess and other basic self-sufficiency skills (making bread, cooking, baking, preserving - the list is long).
Are you planning on growing any vegetables this year? Do you have the gardening bug or do you think it is a chore? Would you like to try, but have no idea where to start? Luckily we have MANY years of experience in our family and we love to share our knowledge with those who want to learn. I regularly answer questions from our customers and my son (who happens to be taking a video class at school), has been telling me for a while that I need to "get with it" and use the technology and tools available to me. If he wins this debate, you should be seeing some how-to videos from the greenhouse. I am also working on an online catalogue for the website - this may be harder to complete!
My to do list is LONG, but I can't wait to tackle it...I'm starting today by sorting seeds into greenhouse and garden boxes, cold stratifying those that need it so we are ready to roll when it's their turn to be planted and a few other little housekeeping tasks.
We are still taking pre-orders for bare-root strawberry plants. If you are interested be sure to contact one of us to get your order on our list! As always - we recycle and re-use garden and nursery pots, they can be dropped off in Strathmore with Melody or at the greenhouse.
Be watching for baby pictures next week!
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