In This Issue

  • Orchids and Sunflowers
  • New Annual Bidens Pretty in Pink
  • New Perennial Helleborus Spanish Flare
  • New Edible Jostaberry
  • Custom Seed Growing
  • Grow your own Avocado plant
  • Custom Containers
Happy House Plants and Bird Watching
Simple Pleasures Please!

Please join me in welcoming 2021! I hope you are well and that 2021 will bring renewal and positive change to you and your family. We are all getting through this crisis together and finding ways to cope. I am finding that connecting with nature is vital. My houseplants have never looked so good - I take pleasure in my orchids every day. We really enjoy feeding and watching the birds. Each fall, I leave my Sunflower plants standing so that the birds can eat the seeds. I love Sunflowers – they are such a happy plant and easy to grow!

Have you noticed the days are already getting longer? It’s time to start dreaming about your garden. How will it look this year? What will you change? What do you want from your garden? What are your priorities? Gardening is healthy and creative and whether you grow a few flowers on your deck or have an extensive veggie garden, we are here to help you with your gardening needs once again in the spring. We don’t know how the selling season will look for us, but we know that we are GROWING! Kelly and I are working hard ordering and finalizing plans for this year’s greenhouse goodies. We will have the 2021 Plant Listing available later in February so that you can plan as much as possible at home.
 
Soon we will start working in the greenhouses and I will continue to send updates…

I echo the words of the great garden enthusiast, Judy Sharpton
- ‘I live in the hope of a garden’.
New Annual for 2021!
Bidens Pretty in Pink

I couldn’t resist bringing in a new Bidens for 2021! Pretty in Pink adds a brand new colour tone to the other yellow and orange varieties of Bidens commonly available. This annual thrives in full sun and will delight with dainty pretty pink flowers all summer. Like its orange and yellow cousins, it will intermingle with other plants, such as Supertunias, Verbenas and Superbells creating a wispy and airy effect in combinations. I selected this plant thanks to the recommendation of a customer, Katherine who has grown it before. (Yes, we try our best to grow all requests!)
New Perennial for 2021!
Helleborus Spanish Flare

One of the earliest flowering plants in the garden, Hellebores or Lenten Rose are a true herald of spring. In my garden they flower for weeks in April and May and I just adore them! The flowers of Spanish Flare are exquisite – large 3” diameter, soft yellow with maroon centres – a real beauty. In addition to their great early flower power, Hellebores are a very versatile plant, growing in a full range of conditions, from full sun to full shade. They are deer and rabbit resistant and attractive to early pollinators.
New Edible for 2021!
Jostaberry

We are excited to be adding this new fruit plant to our collection this year! Jostaberry is a thornless cross of gooseberry and black currant, that produces abundant deep red-black fruit, ready for picking early to mid summer. Plants are large, vigorous and hardy, needing some space - maybe try on the perimeter of a veggie garden? Fruit is tangy-sweet and can be described as a mix of grape, blueberry and kiwi fruit! Great eaten fresh or cooked in jams and pies.
Custom Seed Growing
We can grow your special plants!

Are you spending time this winter browsing through seed catalogues, wishing that you could grow them all? Starting seeds at home is fun and an option for some, but not everyone has the space and environment for the plants to grow well. So, maybe we can turn your seed catalogue dreams into reality with our custom seed growing service. Each year, we have a small custom seed growing department. Just order your seeds from your favourite supplier, bring them to us by the end of February and we will grow them for you. Pick up your transplants at the end of May, ready to plant outside. Please contact me to discuss pricing and arrange.
Grow your own Avocado plant
Katie's Tips

I always credit my wonderful mother for sparking my lifelong passion for plants as a young child. One of the projects we’d always have on the go was to grow plants from fruit seeds. We tried apples, oranges and grapefruits, but one of the most rewarding fruits to grow from seed is Avocado. Our son Dan tried this last summer and now we have a lovely and interesting houseplant – see photo! This is a great project for kids or adults and is fun try at any time of the year. Here’s how to do it…
 
1. Wash the seed. Using 3 toothpicks, suspend it broad end down over a water filled glass to cover about an inch of the seed.
 
2. Put it in a warm place out of direct sunlight and replenish water as required. Roots and stem should sprout in about 2 to 6 weeks.
 
3. When the stem is 6 – 7” long, cut it back to about 3”.
 
4. When the roots are thick and the stem has leafed out again, plant it in good quality potting soil in a 10” diameter pot, leaving the seed half exposed.
 
5. Keep in a sunny location and give frequent, light waterings. Soil should be moist but not saturated. 
 
6. When the stem is 12” high, cut it back to 6” to encourage branching.
 
7. Enjoy as a houseplant. The plant can be kept outside in the summer, but remember to move it back indoors before the first frost in the fall.
Custom Containers
Spring will be here before you know it!

Thank you to all who trusted us with their container designs last year. We hope your plants performed well and brought you JOY! This year, Kelly French will again be running our ever popular custom container department. Kelly has been part of our team for 6 years. With a great eye for design and knowledge of all our plants, Kelly will work with you to design combinations that meet your taste and needs. She has already been in touch with existing custom container customers so if that is you, please continue planning with her. If you or a friend would like more information about our Custom Containers, please contact us.
Thank you for your continued business and loyalty.

Let’s live in the hope of a garden

Katie Dawson
Cut and Dried Flower Farm