Spring Fever

Marsh Marigolds

Yesterday was the perfect spring day. Sunny but with a cool breeze. I think we had 3 seasons so far this week...on Monday we had summer, Tuesday was Autumn and Wednesday was Spring again! Thank goodness we skipped Winter!

I encourage you to get out and take a walk in our spring wonderland. Take note of the symphony of sounds...birds, wind in the trees, babbling brooks, crunch or squish :) beneath your feet.

It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! ~Mark Twain

Spring Hours

Starting May 3, our hours change for the month of May. We will be open longer hours so you can shop at your convenience.

Monday - Friday 9-8

Saturday 9-5

Sunday 1-5

There will be staff here to assist you if you require help or have questions.

Don't forget about our openhouse this coming weekend May 2, 9-5 and May 3, 1-5 pm.

Planting Hundreds of Geraniums

Here's a video we put together for you to watch. It was a couple weeks ago but you can still watch as our team plants lots of geraniums. The potting machine that you hear clicking and popping, dispenses the pots, fills and levels them with soil, and drills a hole for the plant to be planted. The conveyor belt carries the plants along after they're planted and labeled. At the end of the line, one person takes them off with our "fork". It keeps the pots a uniform distance apart and instead of setting down one pot at a time, it can handle nine.

Lots of our various pots are planted this way. From our vegetables and herbs to our Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers. The machine can dispense a few different sizes of pots and some have to be hand-fed to the machine. This is alot better and faster then filling the many thousands of pots we plant by hand!

Enjoy!

"Celebrate Spring" Openhouse

Mark your calenders for our "Celebrate Spring" Openhouse coming up on May 2 from 9-5 and May 3 from 1-5.

We'll have Ernie our Earth guy showing you to our new eco-friendly containers.

You can enjoy refreshments while you browse through our retail area viewing new and old varieties. We'll have our perennials out in the garden centre as long as the weather cooperates. Right now they are growing inside and are tender.

We do custom planting which means you bring your containers, we pot them with plants that you order, and we look after them here until you are ready to get them or by May 22. This allows your plants to get a good start and grow strong roots in the warmth of our greenhouses. Bringing your pots in can be done anytime that works for you, not just on this one weekend. We've already taken some orders.

Gardening workshops

Once again I'm going to advocate our Garden workshops that are being held right here at Huron Ridge. Traditional Methods- Thursday April 30 @ 7 p.m. Containers and Limited Spaces- Thursday May 7 @ 7 p.m. If you'd like to get your kids excited about gardening, we're also having a Saturday morning workshop for them on May 30 at 10 a.m. There is no cost other than we ask that you bring a non-perishable food item for Blessing Food Bank in Zurich. If you'd like more information, contact us at 519-565-2122 or email at info@huronridge.ca

He is risen!

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend. The weather was beautiful and great for being out and

about. We enjoyed breakfast at our church (http://www.kingsfieldcommon.ca/) and the morning worship service. In the afternoon, the kids enjoyed hunting for eggs in the backyard at Grandma's. We had a scrumptious supper of ham, scalloped potatoes, peas, sweet potatoes, coleslaw, garden and ceasar salad, rolls and homemade mustard. The grandkids all put on a talent show in the basement. This is a ritual every holiday that we get together. It's especially nice if the weather is not conducive to being outdoors. Keeps them busy most of the afternoon, planning and practicing. :)

I'm enjoying a lovely easter lily at home. I've noticed it seems to be much more fragrant in the evening.

We are keeping busy this week planting hanging baskets and potting various plants. I think today it's violas.

Just a reminder to read the letter concerning the pesticide ban going into effect on April 22. Those products will be coming off our shelves at the end of that day.

The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and opportunity

to start over no matter what my circumstances.

-Robert Flatt

Pesticide Ban

Here is a copy of an email that Carol sent out to many of our customers. To our Gardening Friends, Many of you may have heard about the ban on pesticides for cosmetic use that the Ontario Ministry of the Environment is putting into effect on April 22, 2009. A number of products you used in the past to keep your plants healthy and pest free will not be available after that date. We will be removing a number of products from our shelves on April 22 but are in the process of finding products that will be offered in place of these. It will be a time of learning for all of us, as the alternatives will need to be applied more diligently. Looking forward with you to spring and getting out into our gardens. Sincerely, Carol Steckle Huron Ridge Acres Inc.

Vegetable Garden Workshops

For those of you who are interested in planting a vegetable garden and caring for it over the summer, growing vegetables in containers, or just getting more info about veggie gardening will be happy to know that Dave and Carol will be leading 2 workshops on vegetable gardening. The first date is Thursday April 30 at 7:00 pm. This night will be Vegetable Gardening with Traditional Methods. The second date is Thursday, May 7 at 7 pm. Container and Limited Spaces Gardening will be the topic of the evening. If you have a small space or don't have the proper tools for a traditional garden, this is the workshop for you. We're hearing more and more that homeowners are desiring to get back to basics by growing their own food. It's healthier, more economical and very rewarding! There's nothing like planting a potato and in a few months digging up your own fresh baby potatoes! Or picking a juicy tomato or crispy cucumber right off the vine. Fresh corn on the cob, salad greens and peppers. If you want quantity, plant a zucchini plant. You'll have enough for you and your neighbour! Are you excited yet? You must understand that it is not all joy and bliss but the end result is what you look forward to. It's a lot of fun giving fresh veggies to a friend because you have too many.Along the way the bugs must be kept under control (try companion planting) and the weeds pulled. This is my least favourite part unless you have a tiller or kids and then it's not so bad. ;) It's called persuasion..."we'll go to the beach, after the garden is weeded." My kids groan when I say that but I figure that they eat the potatoes too and we can all work together to get it done and then go have fun!

Due to being more eco-friendly, during the workshop Dave and Carol will be addressing ways to grow vegetables without chemicals or by using environmentally safe products. They will talk about soil preparation, where and how to plant, insects, and more.

A third workshop has been added and is on May 30 at 10 am. This is a workshop for you and your children. We want your family to have a great time "growing together". I'm not sure what all Carol and Dave have planned for this event but I do know that each child will receive a "Budding Gardener Growing Kit" and of course a plant. If you are interested in any of these workshops and would like to sign up, email us at info@huronridge.ca and label your subject as workshop.

A Game of Hide and Seek

I think we're all wondering is it Easter or Christmas? What an incredible change in the weather! Yesterday the wind was cool but it was a beautiful sunny day. I was glad I hadn't put away the kids' winter boots and coats!For anyone who has pansies outside under the snow, they will be ok but might take a few days to recover. This slushy snow will most likely break the flowers, however, they will bloom again! :)

Go to work, visit a friend or clean your house and be glad you're inside today!

O wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?

Percy Bysshe Shelley