LESSONS FROM A SIBLING/DAUGHTER


Our annual calendar is peppered with occasions for celebration. Christmas, Easter, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Canada Day, your birthday…. And of course, Valentines Day. Each provides the perfect excuse to drop the usual day-to-day stuff and break out of our box for a moment.

Ben has a sister (and Mark a daughter), named Lynn, whose favourite day of the year is Valentines Day. We asked her why she loves this one so much, even more than her birthday and she replied, “It’s a good time of year to just celebrate something that does not involve all the fuss of Christmas (or any other high pressure holiday). Everyone is blue! It’s just such a good pick-me-up in an otherwise bleak time of year.”


There you have it.


Lynn makes the point that the lovey-dovey stuff of Valentines is fine but there is no reason to believe that “sweetheart” messaging has a lock on the occasion.


Stats Canada reports that there are over 4 million Canadians who live alone. 15% of our population, which is the biggest cohort of all the demographics surveyed. Who among them would enjoy being remembered on Valentines Day?


Taking a moment to reflect on leveraging Valentines into a feel-good opportunity outside individual spheres is a good investment. After all, we are burdened with a lot of serious news if we follow the day-to-day stuff that fills “newspapers” or our computers.


A feel-good moment. What is the value in that? According to Lynn, the benefits accrue not just to the recipients but to the giver as well. After all, is there a moment in your life when you feel better than that moment when you make someone smile? When you surprise them with good news, in the form of a flower or plant?

What to Give.

We often use plants and flowers to mark special occasions. Poinsettias and amaryllis for Christmas (and a tree), lilies for Easter, Mothers day is typically the biggest day for flower and plant sales in Canada and the list goes on.


Valentines = long stem red roses. Though, our sources in the flower industry tell us that is changing. A broader assortment of flowers have greater appeal than in the past. Perhaps there is an awakening to the cost and short life of cut roses.


We have contended for some time that one of the attractions of fresh cut flowers is that they DON’T last long: fragrant and beautiful for a short period of time, but the message is “you are worth it”.


If you are thinking about the widower next door, or some other person that you might reach out to Feb. 14th, we encourage you to think about giving something other than long stem red roses (the message there might not be appropriate anyway). There are many flowering bulbs in retailers now. A pot of tulips, daffodils, or crocus not only provides a shot of colour during a dull time of year, when kept in a sunny window out of bloom the leaves will convert the energy of the sun into food for the bulbs beneath the soil.

Planted in the garden after the spring thaw those bulbs will put on a show NEXT spring, 2026, reminding the recipient once again that they are thought of.


An orchid has become a standard gift plant, usually Canadian grown, long lasting. It will keep on giving when it reblooms each year in a sunny window.

The list of flowering plants that perform well in Canadian homes is long: cyclamen (long lasting), mums, azalea (a bit fussy, but worth the trouble), hyacinths for fragrance and bamboo, while not flowering, for “good luck”.

And of course if you are so lucky as to have someone in your life, we encourage you to be extra nice to your sweetheart this Valentines Day.


Us? We have learned something important here: Mark is learning important life-lessons from his adult daughter and Ben may be a bit surprised by what he can learn from a sibling.

This Valentines, Lynn is going to have a day that she will remember. We’ll make sure of it.


With love and hugs all round,

Mark and Ben Cullen

Merchants of beauty and beans.

www.markcullen.com

www.cullensfoods.com

www.foodandsheltergoods.com

www.treesforlife.ca

THINGS TO DO THIS MONTH

- Feed the birds. Use a quality seed mix so that it does not get wasted and you attract quality birds.

- Enjoy your amaryllis. As the blooms finish, cut them off, stem included. But keep the long, strap-like leaves intact as they are the 'food factory' of the bulb, converting energy in the sun into plant sugars that beef up the bulb so that it will bloom again next winter.

- Buy seeds. Whether you choose to shop the seed catalogues (of which we have many. Ontario Seed and Veseys in PEI are our favourites) or peruse the seed racks at your local garden centre, be sure to do it soon.

First, you are only going to get busier as the gardening season approaches and this job does not get easier when you are time-stressed.

Secondly, the selection is at its best. Don't be disappointed.

- Read, listen and digest. What a great time of year to pick up some gardening magazines, read online blogs, listen to podcasts and you name it. This is your best chance of the year to gather ideas, inspiration and facts. Like squirrels gathering nuts in autumn, this is our time. You won't regret the mind-expanding exercise of all of this.

- Buy some flowers. Bring some spring-time colour and fragrance inside your home with a pot full of flowering bulbs. Tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinths.

They lift your spirits, brighten any room and stimulate your olfactory system -that part of your brain that responds to natural, sweet scents.


BIRDS IN FOCUS:

Join Participants Around the World for the Great Backyard Bird Count

By Jody Allair

 

If you've ever wanted to try birding, the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) from February 14-17, 2025, is the perfect time to start! This global event offers a simple, fun, and meaningful way to connect with nature and contribute to bird conservation efforts worldwide.

 

Participating is easy: spend at least 15 minutes observing birds anywhere—your backyard, a park, or even a balcony—and report what you see using the Merlin Bird ID app or eBird. Just download and login to either app to have your checklist automatically included in the GBBC!

There will be two live events to learn more about how to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Join experts from Birds Canada, Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as they share tips and tricks for participating. Pick from one of two times to join the fun. Register here!

 

  • Thursday, February 6th at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
  • Wednesday, February 12th at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT

 

Brush up on your bird ID skills in advance of the GBBC! Learn about helpful tools, how to start identifying birds, and where to go birding with the free Birding for Beginners Course from Birds Canada!

Mark your calendar for February 14-17, 2025, and encourage friends and family to join you. The GBBC is for everyone, new birders to pros! 

 

For full event information visit our website


Good Birding!


Jody Allair

Director, Communications

Birds Canada

Connect with me on Bluesky and Instagram at: @JodyAllair.


Harrowsmith’s FEATURE RECIPE

Zero-Waste Weekend Free-Ttata


Here is an effective way to use up every bit of the tired veggies, cuttings, and miscellaneous bits that lurk in the crevices of your fridge, and turn them into a hearty breakfast that is gratifying on so many levels.

https://www.harrowsmithmag.com/52686/zero-waste-weekend-free-ttata


BONUS OFFER: As a subscriber to this newsletter, you can get a one year subscription to Harrowsmith for a special price of $29.95. Click here to learn more.

Facebook