E-newsletter
Cut & Dried Flower Farm News
Creemore Street Planters
2015 A unique botanical experience!
July 2015
For this year’s edition of the Creemore street planters, I decided to feature a plant that I have recently fallen in love with. After a thorough testing last season at home in my own planters, I thought it was worthy of a place on the street! The plant is Papyrus King Tut and I decided to take advantage of its size and uniqueness to create some minimalistic plantings with sweet potato vine. My idea was to create some contrast to the other ‘flowery’ planters and hanging baskets on the street. So, this year there are 2 different combinations in both the box planters and the round tubs. I hope you enjoy the change!
Box planters – combo 1: (shown right above)
Talinum limon (‘Thriller’ – tall, upright lime foliage with tiny pink flowers and red seed pods)
Begonia Dragon Wing Red (‘Filler’ – glossy green leaves and bright red flowers)
Sweet Potato Vine Lime (‘Spiller’ – trailing and mounding lime green foliage)
Lobularia Snow Princess (‘Spiller’ – trailing and mounding white flowers)
Box planters – combo 2: (shown right)
Papyrus King Tut (‘Thriller’ – tall, upright specimen plant with green foliage)
Sweet Potato Vine Lime (‘Spiller’ – trailing and mounding lime green foliage)
Round planters – combo 1:
Licorice (‘Filler’ – grey, spreading foliage)
Begonia Dragon Wing Pink (‘Filler’ – glossy green leaves and salmon pink flowers)
Sweet Potato Vine Blackie (‘Spiller’ – trailing and mounding purple foliage)
Round planters – combo 2:
Licorice (‘Filler’ – grey, spreading foliage)
Begonia Dragon Wing Red (‘Filler’ – glossy green leaves and bright red flowers)
Sweet Potato Vine Lime (‘Spiller’ – trailing and mounding lime green foliage)
Lobularia Snow Princess (‘Spiller’ – trailing and mounding white flowers)
Plant varieties, as always were selected for easy maintenance and require no deadheading. With correct care and continued fertilizing, plants should remain strong and healthy and colour should last well into the fall and possibly after a frost.
Lucky Winner!
Carol Rice
June 2015
New customer Carol Rice from Stayner had a lovely surprise earlier this month when I emailed her to let her know that she was the big winner of our annual customer appreciation draw! Each year we hold a draw for $100 worth of plants.
All e news contacts are automatically entered and this spring Carol’s name was randomly selected from almost 1200 contacts! It’s our way of saying ‘Thank you’ to our core customers.
Last week, Carol visited the farm and chose a selection of Superbells Hanging Baskets. Excellent choice Carol! We look forward to seeing more of you in the future!
Our Resident Hummingbird
Marvellous little birds
June 2015
We were thrilled to discover that we have a Ruby Throated Hummingbird who has chosen to nest at our farm. The well camouflaged nest was discovered about a week ago by one of our staff members Kyle who is a keen birder. We have a regular contingent of Hummingbirds in our greenhouses all season long so we all feel very excited that one has chosen to nest here too.
The nest is well off the ground on a small branch of one of our Manitoba Maple trees. We cannot see in the nest but see the female sitting on it every day. It certainly is a sight to see and quiet, respectful visitors are welcome! We’ll keep you posted!
Ruby Throated Hummingbird Nest
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In The News
Creemore Echo Article
May 2015
Thank you to Trina Berlo of the Creemore Echo for this excellent write up in the May 15 2015 Home and Garden edition of the Creemore Echo. If you didn’t see the full article, you can check it out online at thecreemoreecho.com/pdf/05152015.pdf.
Home and Garden edition of the Creemore Echo
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Creemore Farmers Market
Visit our kids on Saturdays
May 2015
The Creemore Farmers Market is now in full swing every Saturday in the village of Creemore, 10 minutes from our farm. Drop by any Saturday morning between Victoria Day and Labour Day and you will find a huge array of produce, baked goods, meats, dairy, food to go, crafts, preserves, plants and much more, all produced and sold by local growers and producers. The market is a great place to meet friends and it is easy to spend a couple of hours there between conversation and shopping.
We have been attending the market as vendors since its formation somewhere around 15 or 16 years ago. How time flies! Back then we packed up our babies as well as our plants. Our kids grew up at the market on Saturday mornings and our customers have watched them grow. Now when you visit the market you will find our two boys, Daniel aged 15 and Ben aged 11 helping their Dad Chris with the selling tasks. On the market opening weekend this year, Rogers TV was visiting and Ben was one of the vendors selected for an interview! Each week, we sell a wide range of veggie plants, hanging baskets, planters and perennial plants. Later in the fall, Daniel will attend with his range of organic pumpkins and gourds. This year, we will be at the market until June 13. The guys look forward to seeing you!
Meet Kelly and Cathy
Ready to sell you some plants!
May 2015
Ready to sell you some plants!We have always been fortunate to have dedicated and loyal staff who care deeply about both our plants and taking care of customers. This year Angie had to reduce her hours, due to juggling two jobs and Linda has sadly had to move on, so we set out to search for a couple of newbies. In the depths of a very cold and snowy winter, we were very happy to find and welcome 2 new recruits – Kelly French and Cathy Cook into the Flower Farm family.
They started work in March and under the guidance of our experienced grower Kieron have quickly learnt about growing and caring for our crop. Kelly is a keen home gardener and busy Mom with a young family. Cathy and her husband Tom are busy at home with a large veggie garden. Be sure to ask Cathy for some of her veggie growing tips! After spending 2 months growing and nurturing our babies, Cathy and Kelly are now both eager to meet all our regular customers and send our plants off to new homes! Please introduce yourselves to them!
Meet Kelly and Cathy
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Katie’s Speaking Schedule
New and Nearly New Annuals for 2015
May 2015
I will be speaking at two local Horticultural Societies about ‘New and Nearly New Annuals for 2015’. On Tuesday 19 May I will be in Shelburne at the Shelburne Agricultural Building, 337 William St. On Thursday 21 May, I will be with the Painswick Horticultural Society who meet at St Pauls Church on the corner of Mapleview Dr and Yonge St in Barrie.
Both talks will start at 7.30 and will include a powerpoint presentation, information handouts and plants for sale. Both societies welcome new members. Great timing to learn about new annuals!
Bugs eating bugs
Biological controls work for our greenhouses
April 2015
Did you know that we successfully utilize biological methods to control insect pest populations in our greenhouses? Biological control is the practice of using beneficial living organisms to control other pest organisms. The first step involves involves monitoring our plants very closely for pests. At the first sign of damage we order natural insect pest predators from a specialist Canadian supplier.
The goal is to allow the predators to establish and breed in sufficient numbers to keep the pest population down. Throughout the growing season, we receive weekly shipments of ‘good bugs' which we release in the greenhouses. Right now we are using a predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis to help control a Spider Mite population and a critter called Amblyseius cucumeris to control Broad Mite. In the past we have used predators to control Fungus Gnats, Aphids and Whitefly. Every year presents new challenges, but we are proud to say that over the years, we have learnt what works and can usually be successful with this method of insect pest control.
We're on Facebook!
Check out our page
April 2015
When I was told this winter by my 16 year old daughter, Roz that we should be dragging ourselves into the age of social media, my reply was 'Go for it!!' So I have appointed Roz in charge of creating a Facebook page for the farm where she has been posting pictures and information throughout the growing season. Word has it that she will be running a small contest or draw very soon, so if you haven't already visited our page, please do so and like and share our postings. Let's spread the word that beautiful homegrown plants are available locally! We hope you enjoy our postings! Thank you!
Flower Farm Facebook Page
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Come and join our team!
We're looking for a greenhouse worker
February 2015
This year, we have an employment opening for a greenhouse worker. If you love people and plants and are looking for a part time seasonal job to keep you busy and fit this spring then why not turn your passion into a job with us?
We are searching for a Greenhouse Worker to assist in growing and selling a range of plants.
Applicants must be available to work full days, varying from 2 to 5 days a week from early March to mid June, including weekends. The successful applicant will be physically fit and energetic with gardening experience and outstanding customer service skills.
To apply, please fill out our application form on line. If you are selected for an interview I will be in touch.
Flower Farm Greenhouse
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Custom Seed Growing Service
We will germinate, transplant and grow
February 2015
For a few years now we have offered a custom seed growing service. This is a great service for customers who have a favourite flower or veggie that may be difficult to find as large plants or for gardeners who have started their own seeds in the past.
Here's how it works:
Supply us with the seed. Anytime now is preferable so that I can slot them into our production schedule, but in reality anytime in March is good. We will germinate, transplant and grow on the plants and they will be ready for you by the end of May. If this interests you, please contact me for more details and cost.
Custom Seed Growing Service
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Creemore Blooms 2014
Creemore gardeners show off their backyard beauty!
July 2014
Last weekend I was happy to be one of three volunteer assessors for the Creemore Horticultural Society’s annual ‘Creemore Blooms’ contest. The theme for the 2014 second annual event was ‘Backyard Beauty’. Participants were asked to open up their back gardens to the assessors who could arrive anytime between July 2nd and 5th. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting all the gardens – I am a firm believer that as gardeners, we are always learning and that every garden has some idea that can be ‘borrowed’! It was great to see some inspirational designs, new plants that I hadn’t seen before and innovative ideas being used.
All gardens were especially well maintained and worthy of note. However, this year, the top gardens are (in alphabetical order): 3 Elizabeth St West, 17 Elizabeth St West, 24 Elizabeth St East, 22 Francis St East, 56 George St and 7 Purple Hills Lane. Thank you to the Creemore Horticultural Society for organizing the event and to all the homeowners who participated. It is great to be part of such a keen and energetic community of gardeners! Stay tuned for future contests!
Creemore Blooms
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Creemore Street Planters
2014 Edition
July 2014
This spring, after a season off, we were delighted to once again be asked to design and grow the Creemore street planters. I always consider it a challenge to design a planter that can withstand the rigours of street life as well as a varied amount of sun, shade and care. I decided this year to resort back to the good old tried and tested Dragon Wing Begonia. Many of you will be smiling as you know how much I extol the virtues of the Dragon Wings! In the 2014 box planters are the following plants:
Talinum limon (‘Thriller’ – tall, upright lime foliage with tiny pink flowers and red seed pods)
Begonia Dragon Wing Red (‘Filler’ – glossy green leaves and bright red flowers)
Sweet Potato Vine Lime (‘Spiller’ – trailing and mounding lime green foliage)
Sweet Potato Vine Bronze (‘Spiller’ – trailing and mounding bronze foliage)
The larger round planters feature combinations of the above plants, along with additional trailing plants:
Petunia Supertunia Royal Velvet (‘Spiller’ – trailing and mounding deep purple flowers)
Vinca Vine (‘Spiller’ – small leaved, trailing variegated green and white foliage)
Plant varieties were selected for easy maintenance and require no deadheading. With correct care and continued fertilizing, plants should remain strong and healthy and colour should last well into the fall and possibly after a frost. We hope you enjoy your downtown Creemore experience!
Downtown Creemore planters
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Customer Appreciation Draw
Winner announced!
June 2014
Each year we hold a customer appreciation draw, into which all e news contacts are automatically added. It’s our way of saying ‘Thanks for supporting us!’
This year, the winner was Vivian Whyte from Wasaga Beach. Vivian and her family came by to pick up their prize of $100 worth of plants.
They chose a couple of Dwarf Lilac Miss Kim, some Superbell Hanging Baskets and a few herbs.
Thank you Vivian and all our loyal customers!
Craighurst WI ladies tour the farm
Group visits to the flower farm
May 2014
Last week, we were happy to host the ladies from the Craighurst Womens Institute who came for a tour of the greenhouses. It was a fabulous, bug free and warm evening to stroll through the greenhouses and learn about our growing season. We toured Australia, Scotland and Cuba, as well as Veggie house and Perennial house, our 5 greenhouses. There was plenty of time at the end of the night for shopping too. We have always loved educating people of all ages about horticulture. In the past few years, we have hosted visitors from several organizations, including Trinity Cooperative Playgroup, Creemore Cub Scouts, Everett Girl Guides, Banting High School horticulture students, Alliston Red Hat Ladies, Base Borden Language School students, Hummingbird Montessori School students and several Women’s Institutes. Visits can include a hands on portion where planting can occur, a tour and time for shopping. If you belong to a community group and would like to schedule a group visit and tour of the farm, please contact me.
Craighurst Womens Institute
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Rogers TV follow up
Tune in to see our second interview!
May 2014
In my last newsletter, I wrote about Rogers TV coming out for an interview. At that time in mid April, the plants were quite small and there wasn’t a lot of colour yet in the greenhouses. The piece aired last week on the show ‘Talk of the Town with Richard and Tina’. Maybe some of you saw it? Now that the plants are grown and our season is well under way, the crew returned for a follow up visit, interview and shopping! I once again spoke with Tina Dedels and the piece will air for two weeks, starting next week – May 19th on digital cable channel 65. For a full list of the airings, please visit www.rogerstv.com/bordenalliston.
Producer Mandy and Host Tina with their new plants
Speaking Schedule
Catch a talk by Katie or Linda
May 2014
Each year I usually end up with a few speaking engagements with local horticultural societies and other groups. On Tuesday May 27, I will be speaking to the Alliston Horticultural Society about ‘New and Nearly New Annuals for 2014’. It’s at 7.30 at the St John’s United Church Hall in Alliston. New members are welcome. Come out and see what the group is all about!
Linda Peacock is one of our 3 dedicated staff members who grow and sell our crop. She is a keen home gardener and a qualified Master Gardener. Linda also speaks to groups and this spring is doing a series of library talks. She has already visited Angus and Thornton libraries but you can still catch her talk on ‘A Soggy Spring and Other Gardening Challenges’ at the Wasaga Beach Library on Wednesday June 18 from 7-8pm.
Rogers TV visit
A first time for everything
May 2014
A few weeks ago we received a phone call from Mandy Webster at Rogers TV who wanted to feature the farm on the local community show ‘Talk of the Town with Richard and Tina’. Since I have never been on TV before and naturally shy away from such events, I was a little hesitant, but for the good of our business and with some encouragement from my family, we went ahead! It was an interesting and exciting experience and we even let our boys stay off school to watch the filming. I was interviewed by host Tina Dedels, and told that nothing would be cut – all would be first take! Eeek! Anyway, it went OK I think! The segment will air next week – between May 5th and 9th on digital cable channel 65. There will be 25 airings through the week. For a full list of the airings please visit www.rogerstv.com/bordenalliston
Talk of the Town with Richard and Tina on Rogers TV
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Cut and Dried Flower Farm Award, Inaugural award at Nottawasaga Pines Secondary School
June 2013
Last night Nottawasaga Pines Secondary School in Angus held their first ever commencement ceremony for their first graduating grade 12 class. As many of you know, I am quite passionate about encouraging young people to develop a knowledge and appreciation of plants so it seemed a natural step to say yes when we were asked to sponsor a prize for a graduating student. Last night, I presented William Blayney with a cheque for $100. William is graduating grade 12 and throughout his time at NPSS has shown a commitment, passion and love for learning about plants and our natural environment. William will be studying at Fleming College to become an Environmental Technician with future ambitions to be a Conservation Officer. Congratulations to William and the best of luck with your future!
WI ladies take our ‘round the world’ tour!
May 2013
On Thursday May 15th, we hosted the Avening Womens Institute for an evening tour of the farm. The group enjoyed a ‘round the world’ tour of Australia, Scotland and Cuba, as well as Veggie house and Perennial house, our 5 greenhouses. The ladies learnt about how we grow our plants and all the technical issues involved in greenhouse operations. Of course, there was plenty of time for browsing and shopping too. We have always loved educating people of all ages about horticulture and a tour is a great way to get plenty of first hand info from the source! If you belong to a community group and would like to schedule a free tour of the farm for your group, please contact me.
Birthday report
May 2013
On Sunday May 5 (a week before the snow!), the Weather Gods were kind to us as we celebrated our 20th Birthday Party on a gorgeous sunny afternoon! Yes Cut and Dried Flower Farm is 20 – it is very hard to believe! A number of you joined us for this event and enjoyed a stroll around the greenhouses to check out this year’s plant selection. We served coffee, lemonade and a fabulous cake baked and decorated by Norma and her crew at Affairs Catering in Creemore. Several lucky guests received a plant from our tableful of choices in our door prize draw. It was also a lovely surprise to see our local MP Dr. Kellie Leitch who dropped by amidst a busy Sunday schedule of events to present us with an anniversary plaque from the Government of Canada. Thanks Kellie and thanks to all for your best wishes and cards.
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Tos school garden clean up
The Green Team gets to work!
May 2013
In 2011, I had a great time helping the students at Tosorontio Central Public School renovate their front gardens. We did a complete overhaul and put in plants that are better suited to the conditions. Since then I have been meeting monthly with the students in the Green Team to work in the gardens.
Today we got into the gardens for the first time this year to complete the spring clean up. The students were keen and excited to get to work on such a beautiful day! They are getting quite handy in the gardens now and today did a really good job edging, weeding, raking the lawn and planting Violas in the planters. We found lots of worms, grubs, snails and even a beautiful Northern Leopard Frog chilling out in a shady moist corner of the garden. I really do enjoy introducing children to gardening and the joys of nature!
Tosorontio Central Public School Green Team
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Opening May 3rd!
Hello and Happy Spring
April 2013
Hello and Happy Spring to all our loyal customers and gardening friends! I hope you’ve had a great winter and are looking forward to another great season in your garden! Here at the farm we have been working in the greenhouses since the end of February and everything is looking great for our 20th season in business, starting May 3rd!
It’s been quite a winter and I’m sure you are itching to get out and get gardening! We have grown a beautiful crop of Violas, all looking for new homes! Great to brighten up your front door or deck planters until the warmer season annuals can go in.
Our Custom Container Planting Service is available again this year. If you have containers that you would like planted please drop them off ASAP and arrange for them to be planted. (Out of hours or before we open please call for an appointment.) If you are not familiar with this service, it is fantastic and we have many happy customers! Check out all the details >
Introducing Linda, our local gardening guru!
We are so happy to welcome Linda Peacock into our flower farm family! Linda is our newest staff member and has been happily working alongside Kieron and Angie since February as they plant and care for all the gorgeous plants we have for sale this year. Linda lives locally, so will be a familiar face to many, especially in the plant world! She is a dedicated Master Gardener, member of the Brentwood Horticulural Society and the Huronia Rose Society, so be sure to stop and chat with her this season and test her knowledge with plenty of gardening questions! Kieron Rupke and Angie Savoie, both into their third year with us are looking forward to seeing and helping their favourite customers once again! Maria Kean who has been with us for 5 years is taking a leave of absence this year as she tends to family affairs, but you will likely see her shopping.
Linda Peacock
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Our pumpkins are planted!
Pumpkin Patch Kids (PPK) plan a bumper crop!
June 2012
Due to the success of last year’s inaugural pumpkin harvest and sales, our kids Rosalyn, Daniel and Ben who together form the PPK are once again gearing up for a busy year.
In early June, they planted 90 pumpkin and gourd plants – in a selection of shapes, sizes and colours. With such names as Li’l Pumpkemon, Li’l Orangemon and Caveman’s Club, their gourds are sure to create curiosity! Come and see their selections starting mid September at the Creemore Farmers Market.
2012 Creemore planters
Another new look!!
June 2012
It was our pleasure to once again be asked to grow the street planters on behalf of the BIA for downtown Creemore. This was our fourth year designing and growing the planters and each year we have designed a fresh look. This year’s selection will stand up well to summer heat and drought while providing a bright and cheery colour combination. Most of the plants should survive well after the first frost into the fall.
The plant mix is as follows:
- Purple Fountain Grass
- Verbena Scarlet
- Bidens Goldilocks
- Licorice plant
- Blue Fescue Grass
- Sweet Potato Vine Raven
Check out the planters next time you are in town and let us know what you think!
Customer appreciation draw winner
$100 worth of plants
June 2012
Congratulations to Donna Wearing, lucky winner of our draw for $100 worth of plants. Our annual customer appreciation draw took place on May 25th and all our E newsletter contacts – over 1000 were automatically entered. Donna is a keen gardener who gardens in the wilds of Mulmur so was happy to pick a selection of Daylilies that will grow and thrive in her harsh conditions! Congratulations, Donna and thank you for your continued business.
Farm News and Visits
1st Everett Guides tour the farm
May 2012
Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting the weekly meeting for the 1st Everett Guides. The Guides and their leaders, Tina Pogor, Jen McFarlane and Jen Hunter enjoyed a sunny evening at the farm. After spending some time in the barnyard with our baby calves, the girls toured all our greenhouses and learnt how our plants are grown here. Then everyone planted surprise Mothers Day planters which we will grow on here until the weather warms up a bit. The Guides, who are working on their Gardening badge are also involved in a community planting project this spring with the Everett Legion, planting a garden around the cenotaph in the John Irwin Ball Park. For more information about our local Guide pack, please contact Jen McFarlane at 705-435-9023.
Welcome back greenhouse gals!
Meet our 2012 staff
April 2012
We are so fortunate to have such dedicated and wonderful staff to both grow and sell our plants and this year is no exception. We have three fantastic plant ladies returning this year who can’t wait to see you! Maria Kean is returning for her fifth year at the farm. Maria is a keen gardener who grows a whole range of flowers and all kinds of veggies at home. Many of you will remember Angie Savoie who was with us two years ago. She took last year to pursue other ventures but couldn’t stay away (!) and is back with us again this year. Angie’s enthusiasm, energy and customer service skills are a terrific addition to our team. Kieron Rupke, our self proclaimed ‘plant addict’ is returning also for her second season with us. She brings with her several years experience in the retail garden centre trade. We would also like you to meet our coop horticulture student from Banting Memorial High School in Alliston, Mike Petrucci. Mike is learning everything from plant names to watering techniques and is looking forward to seeing some customers soon! I must also mention and give thanks to Sandi White who after 7 years with us has retired and will not be with us this year – although I suspect that she will soon become a regular customer!!
Maria and Kieron
Mike and Angie
2012 A Season of Change at the Farm
Last year, Chris and I did a lot of thinking and discussion and after much brain storming, we have decided to ‘rebalance’ our lives. We have operated our greenhouses since 1993, 19 years now. Each year we have grown the business, with the overall result being that we are growing more plants, working longer hours, employing more staff and spending less time with our family. We think of it like a snowball rolling down a hill, getting bigger with time and we have decided that for our health and family’s sake something needs to change. We went through a similar type of restructuring in 2001 when we decided to stop growing cut flowers so to us this is a natural progression for our business. We love our work, and don’t worry – we are still here, doing what we love and we aim to be for many more years to come. We are just simplifying our farm and are committed to continuing our tradition of creating a unique family business atmosphere with quality plants and fantastic service.
So what will change in 2012?
- Opening Times: Our season will be shorter – we will be open 7 days a week from May 4th to June 10th. Our hours will remain the same – 9am to 5pm.
- Creemore Farmers Market: We love the market and do not want to give it up! We plan to be there with a smaller range of plants on Saturdays from May 19th to June 9th. Our stall will be run by our kids with help from Chris.
- Special Events: We have picked our most popular special events to focus on - Mothers Day Madness, Girlfriends Planting Party and Potcycle Day. See our special event page on our website for more information.
- Plant Selection: I have trimmed our plant selection to include only the best performers for our area. Since we are growing fewer plants and have cut out some varieties, we can focus even more heavily on quality. We are growing the usual beautiful, full hanging baskets and planters. We continue to grow a large variety of specialty annuals. Our veggie house will be full of veggies and herbs – just a slightly smaller selection. Our perennial collection is looking great and we will have our most popular shrubs and roses for sale. Think of our plant selection as ‘Katie’s favourites’!
- Custom Container Planting Service: There will be no change to this unique service which remains as popular as ever. Bring in your planters soon (or make an appointment before May 4th) to have them custom planted and grown. If you have not taken advantage of this fabulous service yet, check out our website page for more information
- Pot Your Own Planting Area: We will no longer have a designated area for this, but there are plenty of benches around for working on and potting soil for sale if this is something you cannot live without!
- Soils, Fertilizers and Mulch: We will continue to sell all these important products including the popular Nincompoop. See our page on our website for more information.
- Empty pots and hanging baskets: We will continue to sell any of the pots that we use here, but we will no longer have them on display. Just ask and we will find what you need in our shed.
- Porta Potty: Yes – we will still have this essential service! A very important addition that we made a few years back!!
- Customer Service: We aim to offer the same standard of exceptional customer service that you have come to expect over the past few years. See below to read about this year’s staff.
We know that we can count on you – our most loyal customers for your support of our new vision – please be open to suggestions if we are sold out of your choice. Thank you for your support.
2011 Creemore planters
Airy & delicate but very tough!!
July 2011
This is our third year designing, planting and growing the street planters for downtown Creemore. This year we swapped the Dragon Wing Begonias for a more delicate, airy look created with white Diamond Frost Euphorbias. All plants should stand up well to the summer heat but also tolerate cold and even light frost in the fall. Check out the planters next time you are in town! Here is the plant mix: Euphorbia Diamond Frost, Verbena Superbena Dark Blue, Bidens Peters Gold, Licorice plant and Sweet Potato Vine Lime. Let us know what you think!
Big Winner!
Marg Pilson
July 2011
Congratulations to Marg Pilson, lucky winner of our draw for $100 worth of plants. Our annual customer appreciation draw took place on June 1st and all our E newsletter contacts - over 1000 were automatically entered. Marg is a keen gardener who loves perennials so she was overjoyed to be able to pick up some of our more unusual perennials to fill in her gardens. Congratulations, Marg and thank you for your continued business!
Pumpkin Patch Kids (PPK)
Growing quality organic pumpkins since 2011!
June 2011
This fall look for the Pumpkin Patch Kids (PPK) selling a variety of pumpkins and gourds at the Creemore Farmers Market and at our road end. This is the money making venture of our 2 eldest kids, Rosalyn, aged 12 and Daniel aged 11. Since the winter, they have been planning and scheming!! They ordered seeds and planted them in the greenhouse and this past weekend planted out over 70 plants into their garden. (Our youngest child, Ben, aged 7 is being considered as an 'employee' after he writes a resume and has an interview, but for now he is 'volunteering' in the garden!) Anyway, the plants are in and there will be plenty of work before the crop is harvested. The kids plan on being at Creemore Farmers Market after Labour Day and will probably also sell with an honour box at our road end. I will keep you posted as the growing season progresses!!
Red Hat ladies glam up the farm!
June 2011
Last week, the Alliston chapter of the Red Hat Society met at the farm one morning for a tour and shopping. The ladies were very elegantly dressed in their red and purple attire and the sun even shone on everyone too! The group had an informative tour of our greenhouses and learnt about our growing methods and the global horticultural industry in general. Afterwards, everyone enjoyed coffee and cookies while they shopped for plants for their gardens and balconies. If you belong to a group who would enjoy a free and informative tour of the farm, we'd be more than happy to host you - please contact us.
Young gardeners at work
Tosorontio Central Public School gardens get a renovation
June 2011
Over the past few weeks I have been working with students at our children's school to give the gardens a makeover. The school received a grant from the Metro chain of grocery stores to green up the school. I was contacted by green team leader and grade 5 teacher Jill MacAlpine and a plan was created to renovate the front gardens. Students have been involved in every stage of the project, from spring clean up, adding new triple mix topsoil, to planting and mulching. They have worked hard and enjoyed getting their hands dirty. The students have learnt lots about planting and creating a garden and along the way, we've found grubs, caterpillers and toads. Plant varieties were selected for their hardiness, drought tolerance and minimum maintenance and include Hydrangea Annabelle, Virginia Creeper, Ornamental Grass Calamagrostis Karl Foerester, Flower Carpet Rose Red, Daylily Bonanza and Daylily Summer Wine. We mulched the gardens with Nincompoop mulch. We all look forward to watching the gardens grow and letting the students participate fully in their care in the future.
Montessori students tour farm
May 2011
I always love a chance to introduce kids to nature and plants so we were excited last Thursday to welcome students, staff and parents from the Hummingbird Montessori School in Creemore to the farm. The sun was even shining that day too!! Students were given a tour of our greenhouses and learnt lots about how plants grow and how greenhouses work by checking out the flowers and veggies. (We even learnt the botanical difference between a fruit and a vegetable!) They then got their hands dirty and set to work planting a tomato seedling, pansy plant and a bean seed which they will care for at home. If you or your kids belong to a group and would like to organize a tour of the farm, please contact me and I would be happy to host your group.
Pansies for Paws
Thank you for helping raise funds for animals in need
April 2011
The weather was semi kind to us last Saturday when we held our 3rd annual fundraiser for the Alliston District Humane Society. All week long we had suffered cold, general gloom, rain and even freezing rain, so when Saturday turned out to be sunny and warm we were relieved and delighted, but as the day progressed and massive gusts of wind almost took our tents away we realized that we were not out of the woods yet!! Despite the crazy weather and holding down tents, we had a good turnout of dogs and their owners. Everyone was anxious to get some colour in their gardens after such a long winter and we sold plenty of pansies and violas along with perennials and shrubs - even a few hanging baskets!
Volunteers from the Humane Society cooked up sausages and veggie dogs and our kids sold prize draw tickets. We were pleased to donate 10% of all sales to the ADHS, which along with the proceeds from the prize draw totalled $250. Huge thanks to all the local businesses who generously donated prizes for the draw: Jodees Flowers and Gifts, Country Classics, Brian Davies Photography, Angus Borden Music, Curiosity House Bookstore, Cardboard Castles, Creemore Farmers Market and Ribbon Headz. Thanks to everyone who came out for the event - it was great to see you all after the winter!
Welcome Kieron!
A self proclaimed 'plant addict'
April 2011
We are excited to welcome our new recruit, Kieron Rupke into our farm family this year. She has been with us since February helping to grow all our babies. Kieron is a self proclaimed 'plant addict', growing up on a vegetable farm in the Holland Marsh and working for several years in a garden centre in Toronto. She now lives locally and has her own garden to play in when not working here! Sandi and Maria, now into their 7th and 4th years respectively are in great form as usual and are looking forward to seeing their favourite customers again this year! Please take the time to get to know our greenhouse staff - they are a wealth of knowledge and can't wait to help you with your gardens again this year.
2011 South Simcoe Business Excellence Awards Winner of Quality Award for Micro Business
April 2011
We are thrilled and honoured to have recently been awarded the Quality Award for Micro Business at the 14th Annual South Simcoe Business Excellence Awards. To receive this award, we were first of all nominated (thank you to whoever nominated us!), then judged on numerous aspects of our operation including customer service, community involvement, quality of product, skill development of employees and relationships with suppliers. In total 66 businesses were nominated for this award category so we really do feel proud to have won! The award ceremony took place at the Adjala Tosorontio township offices on April 7th. Presenting the award to Katie was the Honourable Jim Wilson, MPP for Simcoe Grey, the Honourable Helena Guergis, MP for Simcoe Grey and council members of the Township of Adjala Tosorontio. Thank you to all our customers for helping us create an award winning business!
Parade winners 2010!
Frosty the Snowman
April 2011
I know no one wants winter news now (sorry!), but I had to report on our annual antics at the local Santa Claus Parades. In 2010, we entered a float in both the Creemore and Lisle parades. We created a giant Frosty, complete with a carnation in his button hole! Our older 2 children, Rosalyn and Daniel and myself worked the crowds with candy canes, while Ben, our youngest accompanied Chris in the truck. It was exhausting, but a lot of fun and much to our delight we won the award for the best float at both parades!
Winner of 2 Garden Centre Awards of Excellence, Outstanding Promotional Event and Permanent Display Gardens over 500sq Feet
November 2010
We are totally thrilled to once again be honoured with not one, but two Garden Centre Awards of Excellence. The awards program is run by Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association which has a provincial membership of 2,200 companies. The 2010 winners were announced in October. Our first award was for 'Outstanding Promotional Event' for our 2nd annual ' Potcycle Day' held on June 6. The purpose of this event, as many of you know was to provide local families with a drop off point for any unwanted used plastic plant pots and trays. The containers were sorted, some for reuse by us, with others being taken to the Adjala Tosorontio Diversion Days for reuse and recycling and further diversion from landfills. All visitors received 10% off plant purchases and were entered in a draw to win a gift certificate for the farm. The event was held in partnership with Adjala Tosorontio Township, with Councillors Tom Cook and Mary Small Brett being the township liaisons. Over 40 families took advantage of the drop off. As you may remember, we have won awards in the past 2 years for other special events held at the farm, so we must be OK at them! Please check out our special events section for information on next years exciting events.
The second Award of Excellence was won for 'Permanent Display Gardens over 500sq feet' for the farm's Entrance Gardens. Since they were planted in 2008, we have received numerous compliments and we are quite proud of the gardens, so it is a real honour to be recognized by our peers in the industry. The gardens are set against a backdrop of rustic cedar rail fences and boulders collected from the farm. A framework of deciduous shrubs is interspersed with large swaths of colourful perennial plantings. It was important to us that the gardens provide year round interest and be incredibly showy, yet be low maintenance and able to tolerate hot and dry conditions at the road. All the plants in the gardens are grown at the farm and are available for sale, so if you see something you like, just ask us!!
Plant Trials
We select the best varieties for 2011
July 2010
We are already starting to gear up for the 2011 growing season - before I lock myself in the office to do the actual ordering and number crunching, we have lots of fun visiting plant trials and attending seminars and conferences where we meet suppliers and continue our plant education!! In July, Sandi, Maria and I attended the Proven Winner plant trials in Grimsby and viewed hundreds of annual and perennial plants all grown in pots outside. (It's kind of like a plant fashion show!) We all picked out our favourite plant choices and will be growing several new selections next year.
We particularly loved 2 new Superbell colours - Blackberry Punch (above) and Coralberry Punch (below). Next week we are going to trials in Bolton for more inspiration! The Canadian Greenhouse Conference and Garden Centre Expo both come up in October which Chris and I will attend. Then its back to the office with all my new found information to make some real decisions about numbers, colours, combinations, varieties, then pots, soil and tags too...So if you have any particular requests about plants for 2011, please contact me and I'd be more than happy to help.
2010 Season Wrap-Up
July 2010
We are now closed for the 2010 season. Phew...It's been a good one and has certainly flown by! 2010 was another year of hard work and improvements as we added one more special event to our calendar, greatly expanded our range of veggies and constructed our new pot it yourself area. We welcomed more customers than ever to the farm, including many 'first timers' happy to find us. Our E-newsletter now also reaches more people than ever.
Many of you have been watching the construction of our new look gardens along our driveway, wondering when I'm going to plant them! Now its time to get to work! The gardens will be mainly perennials, with a loose framework of deciduous shrubs and roses. I plan on labeling every plant in the gardens, so customers can gain some practical inspiration and really see how the plants perform. By next year they should be looking good!
Big Winner
Annual Customer Appreciation Draw
June 2010
Congratulations to Jilla Williams, lucky winner of our draw for $100 worth of plants. Our annual customer appreciation draw took place on June 1st and all our E-newsletter contacts were automatically entered. Jilla dropped by the farm and picked out some gorgeous planters to brighten up her deck. Congratulations, Jilla and thank you for your continued business!
Creemore Planters
June 2010
This is our second year designing, planting and growing the street planters for downtown Creemore. We started off in April with planters of blue and yellow Violas. These provided a cheery start to spring and stayed out until mid June when the summer planters replaced them.
The summer plant mix that I selected this year should stand up well to the summer heat but also tolerate cold and even light frost in the fall. There is also a matching hanging basket outside the Remax office. Check out the planters next time you are in town! Here is the plant mix: Purple Fountain Grass, Begonia Dragon Wing Red, Verbena Superbena Dark Blue, Bidens Peters Gold, Licorice plant and Sweet Potato Vine Lime. Let us know what you think!
Planting fun for Playgroup kids!
June 2010
As a mother and gardener, one of my passions has always been introducing children to the joys and wonders of plants and nature. For the past 11 years the farm has hosted an annual tour and hands on planting for the children and parents from the Trinity Cooperative Playgroup (formally Adjala Tosorontio Cooperative Playgroup). This year was no exception, and the children enjoyed time exploring the greenhouses, searching for butterflies and collecting flower petals! During their planting activity, the kids examined roots and handled seeds. They went home with a Pansy pot and a planted bean seed which they could watch grow at home. The photo shows the current group and as you can see there are not many of us!! If you or someone you know may be interested in joining the group, we would love to meet you! The playgroup meets every Wednesday morning at the Trinity United Church located on Highway 89, just east of Rosemont.
Please contact Jen at or (705) 424 3486 for more information. I can honestly say that belonging to this group was one of the best things I did with my preschoolers - both the kids and I have made friends for life - I will miss my playgroup days as now Ben is 6 and starts grade 1 in September...
Potcycle 2010 Report
June 2010
Despite the cold, rainy weather, our 2nd annual Potcycle day turned out to be a huge success. 51 families took advantage of the event to drop off their unwanted used plastic plant pots and trays. As an added incentive, each family dropping off pots was given 10% off their purchase that day. The pots and trays have now been sorted and we will reuse a variety of them. The rest will be taken to Adjala Tosorontio Township's Diversion Days, where they will be further reused and recycled. Huge thanks to Councillor Tom Cook for giving up his Sunday afternoon and helping sort the plastics. All families returning pots and trays were entered in a prize draw to win a $50 gift certificate to spend at the farm. Congratulations to Basil Guinane, our big winner who stopped by to pick out some beautiful Petunia hanging baskets last week! As always, we will continue to accept our own pots and trays for reuse until June 30th. Thanks for making this day a success and for keeping these plastics out of your garbage and our landfills!
Flower Friends Invitation Only Sale
Flowers & Friends = FUN!!
June 2010
For a while now, I have been trying to think up a way to hold a customer appreciation event. This year we tried a first - and over 40 shoppers took advantage of our Flower Friends invitation only sale on May 20th. The event was by e mail invite only and guests were encouraged to bring a friend not on the mailing list. We all enjoyed a lovely night of plants, music, snacks, refreshments and lots of gardening talk. The weather even cooperated for once - it was a gorgeous night, warm with no bugs. It was great to see many loyal customers again and also to welcome many new faces to the farm. Guests who brought a friend not on the mailing list were given a Strawberry plant. Many door prizes were given away and fun was had by all!
I'm dreaming of a…
White Mothers Day!
May 2010
What a crazy weekend!! Despite the weather, last weekends' annual Mothers Day Madness was a huge success. The wind and rain on Saturday, then snow on Sunday certainly didn't deter many customers! Many families showed up to take advantage of the annual sale. Kids planted Pansies for Mom and hot coffee was available for warming up. The Alliston District Humane Society held a BBQ both days and were happy with business, considering the weather! They will be back on the long weekend with more sausages for lunch. Many families make a visit to our Mothers Day Madness a family tradition every year and it was wonderful to see all the familiar faces again. Thank you for your continued support!
Pansies for Paws
A purr...fect success!
April 2010
Over 100 people and 12 dogs came out this past Sunday for our 2nd annual Pansies for Paws event. The event was a fundraiser for the Alliston District Humane Society who are currently raising funds to build a home base and shelter for animals in need. Guests enjoyed a lovely afternoon at the farm with great deals on Pansies along with refreshments and door prizes. Dogs were given a goodie bag and kids planted a Pansy to take home.
10% of our sales from the afternoon were donated to the ADHS along with the proceeds from a prize draw. In all, $333 was raised - not bad!! The winners of our prize draw were Victoria Kean, Michelle Boon, Bob Dunn and Barb Mills. Many thanks to our generous local businesses, Cardboard Castles, PJ's Pets, Curiosity House Bookstore, Susan's Grooming Salon, M&M Pet Resort, Creemore Farmers Market, Angus Borden Music and Country Classics for donating prizes for the draw. Thanks also to John and Jane Clark, volunteers from the ADHS. If you missed the event this year, be sure to make it next April as we hope to grow the event each year and welcome more dogs to the farm!
Meet our greenhouse staff!
They're here to help you
April 2010
We are thrilled to have a couple of new faces at the farm this year! Most of you already know Sandi White who is now into her 6th year with us and Maria Kean who is into her 3rd season here. They are both back full force and are eager to share their enthusiasm for gardening with you. Joining us this year is Angie Savoie who grew up on a farm and is now a keen home gardener with a young family. She is having fun, especially transplanting tiny baby plants and watching them grow!
We also have help from Keesie de Leeuw, a coop student from Banting High School. Keesie is completing his Specialist High Skills Major in Horticulture and is planning to study Horticulture in the future. He will be helping at the Farmers Market in Creemore as well as at the farm. All our staff start work in February, growing everything except our shrubs and roses here. This way, they are familiar with all our plants and how to care for them. We hope that you will take the time to introduce yourselves to our new staff as well as getting reacquainted with Sandi and Maria.
Parade winners!
Our Winter Greenhouse
April 2010
Some news from December - we once again entered a float in the Creemore Santa Claus Parade. This time it was an Elve's greenhouse complete with flowers in hanging baskets, pots and wheelbarrows. Watering the flowers were our Elves - Rosalyn and Daniel as well as Maria's girls, Victoria and Elizabeth. Ben was trying hard to look happy up front on his tractor!! Sandi, Maria and I worked the crowds with candy canes and Chris drove! It was a lot of fun and to top off the day, we won the award for the Best Local Float.
2009 Award of Excellence Winner
Girlfriend's Planting Party
November 2009
We are extremely proud to once again be announced the winner of a Garden Centre Award of Excellence. The award program is an initiative of Landscape Ontario - our provincial trades organization and is open to all members. Last month, we were honoured to be presented with the Award of Excellence for 'Outstanding Promotional Event' for our 'Girlfriends Planting Party' held on May 30.
If you have yet to experience a planting party, you are missing out!! The event is held each year and is open to all on an RSVP basis. Bring along your favourite pots for planting and with the help of our staff, plant your creation and leave all the mess at the farm! There is no charge for the party, you just pay for plants and compost used. If you can't make the publicized date, arrange your own private party for 8 or more guests. Anyway, thanks to all our guests at our 2009 Planting Party for helping make the stormy evening a success! It is a wonderful feeling to be recognized by our professional peers for all our hard work.
Our Plants Brighten up
Downtown Creemore
July 2009
If you are out and about over the summer, drop by the village of Creemore and check out the planter boxes on the street. This year the BIA commissioned us to design, plant and grow the containers. We used a combination of Talinum Limon, Begonia Dragon Wing Red, Verbena Superbena Burgundy, Licorice plant, Sweet Potato Vine Lime and Blackie to create a classy, eye catching, hardy show that can tolerate the rigours of street life! Let us know what you think!
Thanks for Potcycling!
June 2009
Our first ever Potcycle event held on June 7 was a great success, with over 40 families returning plastic plant pots and trays for reuse and recycling. All participating customers were given 10% off all plants and most took full advantage of the incentive! The event was held with the support of Adjala Tosorontio Township, with containers that cannot be used at the farm going to Adjala Tosorontio Diversion Days for further diversion from the landfill. Huge thanks to Councillor Tom Cook for generously giving up his Sunday afternoon to help with the sorting. Those of you who came by were probably amused by our terrific team of kid helpers all decked out in their fluorescent bibs and doing such a great job of traffic control! With such a positive response from everyone, we will certainly make our Potcycle Day an annual event in the future. As always, we are happy to continue to accept our own pots and trays back for reuse. Thank you again for helping the environment!
Creemore Farmers Market
The place to be on a Saturday morning!
June 2009
Its market season again! Every Saturday morning from 8.30am you will find us selling our plants and chatting with customers at our market stall at the Creemore Farmers Market. Each week we select a sampling of our best plants and load up our trailer for a morning at the market. Hot sellers this year are our heritage tomatoes and other veggies and herbs, but look for a selection of perennials, specialty annuals, hanging baskets and planters too. Our assistant this year is Wendy Furtado who, during the week works as a professional gardener for our sister company Complete Outdoor Services Inc. Stop by and pick our brains with any gardening query - we'll do our best to answer it!
Girlfriends Planting Party a stormy success!
June 2009
This past weekend, on yet another wet and wild evening (we don't seem to be having much success with weather and events this year!) we held our annual Girlfriends Planting Party. Over 20 girlfriends attended and despite the weather everyone had a lot of laughs and created some beautiful container plantings. Our food was almost blown away, doors were banging and the greenhouses were shaking. It was quite exciting for a while and then the sun came out! This year, in addition to our advertised date, we are also holding private parties for groups of 8 or more. We just hosted a very successful event this morning (and yes, the weather was beautiful!) If you have a group of friends and would like to arrange a date, contact me.
Banting Students Tour Farm
High school horticulture reaches new
heights with SHSM course
May 2009
Chris and I are always very excited when any young person shows an interest in a future career in Horticulture as we both entered the profession at a young age ourselves. On the 5th May, we were very pleased to welcome a group of students, parents and teachers from Banting Memorial High School in Alliston to the farm for an in depth tour of our greenhouse operation. These students, however are no ordinary kids! They form the first group of students in the area to be enrolled in the new Specialist High Skills Major course in Horticulture. This specialized course offers grade 11 and 12 students a chance to learn horticultural skills through classroom teaching, field trips, work placements and hands on activities in the school's greenhouses.
Students can take industry recognized certifications that will prepare them for either entrance to college and university or immediate entry into the horticultural work place. Banting Memorial High School was selected as one of a handful of high schools in Ontario to offer this course for students. We were very happy to be asked to show this keen group of youngsters the inner workings of our greenhouses. Good luck to all the students in their future endevours - keep those Tomato plants alive!
Mothers Day Madness was certainly mad!
May 2009
Our Mothers Day Madness event this year was almost washed away by torrential rains - on Saturday at least! This did not, however seem to deter our visitors as the brave and hardy ventured out to take advantage of our 10% discount and take shelter in our greenhouses!
Everyone had fun in the puddles and there was quite a variety of fancy wellies (rubber boots for the non Brits) on display!!
Chris even had to construct a quick bridge to get into Australia - our main greenhouse! Kids planted Pansies for Mom and everyone warmed up with coffee and cookies. Paula and her Mom (shown in the photo on the right) enjoyed themselves so much that they spent 4 hours shopping and having fun!! What a great weekend!
Creemore Skating Carnival
May 2009
In March, Cut and Dried Flower Farm was proud to sponsor a number at the Creemore Skating Club's 40th Anniversary Carnival. The theme of the Carnival was 'These are the people in our Neighbourhood' with the club asking for sponsors from local businesses. We thought it was a great opportunity to help support local children's sport and have some fun with music and costumes at the same time. The Flower Farm's number 'Roots and Shoots' by the children's singer Raffi was beautifully interpreted by these 6 young skaters shown in the photo who dazzled the audience in their gorgeous 'flower fairy' costumes!
Pansies For Paws
Fundraiser Update
May 2009
Last Sunday afternoon, we held our 1st Annual 'Pansies for Paws' Fundraiser for the Alliston District Humane Society. Despite the weather (about 6 degrees C and light rain!), we welcomed approximately 50 hardy visitors to the farm as well as volunteers from the ADHS. The weather did not dampen anyone's spirits, however and visitors (human and canine) enjoyed the warmth of the greenhouses as well as coffee, hot chocolate and treats. We gave away some door prizes and sold raffle tickets. 10% of all sales from the afternoon event were donated to the ADHS and we were very pleased to raise a total of $161. The Society is working hard to raise funds to build a permanent shelter for rescued animals as currently, animals are housed in foster homes. We are already planning next year's event and will put in a request for better weather!
Parade winners!
Kids in Flower Pots
April 2009
I know Christmas is now long past, but I do have to mention our big news at the time! Last December, we braved the cold and layered up to create a float for the Creemore Santa Claus Parade. Our 3 kids, Rosalyn, Daniel and Benjamin were dressed as colourful flowers in big pots and were 'watered' by Sarah, Victoria and Elizabeth (our greenhouse ladies' kids). I was perched with the kids amongst the flowers while our greenhouse ladies, Sandi, Maria and Darlene worked the crowds with candy canes! It was a lot of fun and to top off the day, we won the Best Commercial Float and tied for the most points overall! (I have a feeling this may now become an annual event!!)
Award of Excellence Winner!
We win big award for:
'Outstanding Promotional Event'
We are extremely proud and honoured to have recently won a prestigious provincial garden centre award. The Garden Centre Awards of Excellence competition is an initiative of Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association, which has a provincial membership of 2,200. Cut and Dried Flower Farm won the 2008 Award of Excellence for 'Outstanding Promotional Event'. Our '15th Birthday Celebration' was chosen as one of three winners announced during an awards ceremony at the Toronto Congress Centre on October 20. A huge Thank You to all of you who were present in April 2008 when we held our open house celebration. Over 200 friends and customers were welcomed to our farm and shared a sunny afternoon of fun, refreshments, giveaways and beautiful plants. Thanks for supporting us and helping us become winners!
Biodegradable Pot Report
Jiffy vs Coir
Our trials this year of two types of biodegradable pots is our own small attempt at reducing waste and bringing attention to the high reliance on plastics by the horticulture industry as a whole. We trialled both a Jiffy pot, made of recycled newsprint and peat and a Coir pot made of Coconut fibre. We grew a wide range of plants in them, including vegetables, flowering and foliage plants. Compared to plastic pots, plants grew equally well in both types of biodegradable pots. The Coir pots were easy to handle in the greenhouse, the Jiffy pots less so as they started to break down earlier. Both types of biodegradable pots showed advantages at planting time, as the whole pot could be planted in the ground, with no root disturbance. We will continue to monitor growth of plants in the ground and containers over the summer before we make a decision in the fall as to whether to use more biodegradable pots in the future.
Let us know what you think
How did your plants do in biodegradable pots and would you be willing to pay more for plants grown in these pots? Email us and let us know your thoughts on this topic. (Unfortunately, the pots do cost more than the plastic alternatives right now). Also, please remember that we will accept all our own pots and trays back for reuse. We have always had this policy and will continue to do this in the future. However, it is important that all returned pots and trays be our own and not purchased elsewhere. Thanks for helping the environment!
Creemore Farmers Market
Have you experienced it yet?
June 5, 2008
The market season has now officially begun and every Saturday morning, rain or shine until the end of June you will find us at our booth at the Creemore Farmers Market. We bring a sampling of our best plants every week, including annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, hanging baskets planters and Roses. Our kids are usually hanging out too and are useful for carrying plants to cars! The market itself is into its 11th season and runs from 8.30 - 12.30 every Saturday until Thanksgiving. The long weekend was the Season Opener and over 100 Basil and Marigold plants were given away as well as free copies of Gardening Life. There are all sorts of vendors and lots of produce later in the season. The market sticks by a strict policy that all items are home produced, locally. We are definitely not a 'flea market'! If you haven't experienced the market yet, be sure to drop by soon and chat with Katie, Chris, our assistant Nicolle and our kids.
Enderlein Roses
Locally Grown Roses Now Available
May 22, 2008
News just in!! Just this morning, we received a large shipment of Roses from Enderleins Nursery. Enderleins are established Rose growers and are located just down the road in Lisle. We are pleased to now offer you a varied selection of Climbers, David Austin, Hybrid Tea and Shrub Roses in addition to our own Explorer and Ground Cover Roses. Enderleins were looking for a local location to sell their Roses as they are continually asked to sell retail, but are strictly a wholesale operation. So drop by and check out our selection of locally grown high quality gorgeous Roses! Very hard to resist!!
Meet our Greenhouse Gals!
May 2008
Most of you already know Darlene McKever who has been with us 9 years and Sandi White who is now into her 4th season. This year, with our increased planter and hanging basket production and our container planting service that is growing in popularity, we are thrilled to welcome Maria Kean to our team. Maria lives locally and is a long time home gardener with some great knowledge to share. Along with Chris and myself, we strive to offer you friendly service, advice and of course a crop of plants that we are all proud of!
15th Birthday Celebrations
April 2008
Thank you to everyone who came out for our 15th Birthday Celebrations on Sunday 27th April. Over 200 customers and friends enjoyed a beautiful afternoon in the sun. Every family received a complimentary Stargazer Lily and regular draws were held for Pansy bowls and gift certificates. The Martin children had their pets on display and held a fund raiser for the Barrie S.P.C.A., raising $102. Kids were treated to free face painting and crafts. Refreshments were served and the unique 'flower' cupcakes shown in the photo were a huge hit, with most guests indulging in one or two! Mayor Tom Walsh of Adjala - Tosorontio Township presented Katie, Chris and children Rosalyn, Daniel and Ben with a congratulatory certificate. Phew! What a fantastic day!!
15 years and still growing!
New greenhouse
March 2008
As I type this, our new greenhouse number 6 is slowly taking shape! Over the past few years, our Custom Container Planting Service has really taken off and it became fairly obvious that we could use more space!! We are planning on using the new space for custom containers and wholesale orders, so it will not contain plants for sale. With the pressure relieved in the other houses we are growing more Hanging Baskets, Planters and Vegetables. In fact, this year we are doubling our production of ready made Planters - available in single variety and mixes. All our greenhouses have names and we are pleased to name our new greenhouse 'Newfoundland' in memory of Betty Jennings who worked here for several years and passed away last year.
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