We need food and water and so do plants :)

Now that your plants are in the ground, remember to water faithfully especially in this extremely warm weather. If the plants are smaller and in a somewhat large pot, every few days is fine. If the container is smaller and the plants are large, I would recommend watering everyday or at least every other if in full sun. It's a good idea to ask a family member or neighbour to water for you if you're away for more than a few days. Fertilizing is also a great way to guarantee beautiful flowers and foliage. Here at the greenhouse, we fertilize every time we water with a water soluble mix. Fill up your watering can, add a scoop or two of the powder (whatever the package says), mix and pour into containers or on flowerbeds. A really easy way to fertilize flowerbeds is to buy a Fertilizer applicator. Just fill with powdered fertilizer, screw onto the end of a hose and begin watering. The applicator syphons out the fertilizer, mixing it with water at just the right strength. Tomorrow is June 1st so to keep your plants growing beautifully all summer long, follow these simple suggestions.

Long weekend!

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend, either camping, visiting friends or working around home. The time is prime for planting! The earth has been dampened by our rain yesterday and now we've got heat. I would just speak a word of caution that when planting transplants in this unusually warm weather for May, water well and keep an eye on them for a day or two. As long as they get enough moisture and once the plants have been able to send their roots down a little, they'll be fine. Have a great holiday Monday! We're open 9-5.

This past week has been amazing! The weather has been just about perfect for planting or doing any kind of outdoor work. If you were lucky enough to get your garden planted before last night, this rain is in your favour. If not, you might just have to wait a day or two until the ground dries up a bit. There's lots you can do in the meantime though! Pots can be planted, weeding can be done, and fertilizing your perennials should be done now. Dead- heading of tulips and spring bulbs. Tender bulbs such as Dahlias and Calla Lillies can be planted. Our benches are full of colourful annuals waiting to stretch their roots! Alot of them grow wonderfully in containers and window boxes while others are perfect for flowerbeds. Tidal Wave petunias are great for a larger bed where you need a mass of colour and the portulaca grows the best in a hot corner. Impatiens or begonias prefer shade while verbena and vinca like full sun. Marigolds and geraniums are the old favourites that have stood the test of time but if you'd like to try something new, bacopa and Million Bells are a newer variety of trailing flowers. Hanging baskets and planters can be popped into an urn for instant wow. Don't forget fertilizer! A starter fertilizer is a good idea when planting new transplants. It's a plant food to promote root growth. Later on a 15-30-15 fertilizer is good to promote blooming. It's important to get the plant growing roots and foliage before it pushes out too many blooms because it will exert all it's strength into the flower. Have a great weekend everyone! We appreciate your business! Don't hesitate to contact us with any questions you might have about plants. info@huronridge.ca

kittens

Once again we have baby kittens. There were 7 to start with and we've been able to give them all away. They are adorable and fun to watch. This girl is Nala. This is Shack (don't ask me, my kids named her) There is another one that's similiar to this one but fluffier and just grey. He is called Boots. This is the two moms sleeping with most of the kittens in a box. Boots is the grey one in the bottom left corner. These are our "tree-huggers". :) It is so fun to watch the kittens play and look at how and where they sleep.

Perennials

We have a lovely array of perennials this year. For you who are new to gardening, a perennial is a plant that overwinters and keeps growing every year. The only downside to perennials is that they do not provide constant colour all season. They can be planted in a way that there is always something blooming such as some in the spring, some in the summer and in the fall. The upside is they take very little care other than some cleaning up or trimming back and perhaps dividing once in a while. Some perennials can become root bound and need to be cut apart and thinned out. They will thank you by blooming profusely the following year. There are lots of books on perennials in the library and bookstores that provide that information. Sorry that I have no pics...I'm not at work today. The weekend forecast is looking fabulous so get ready to get out in your gardens and enjoy the sun!

Ode to Mothers

A mother's love determines how

We love ourselves and others.

There is no sky we'll ever see

Not lit by that first love.

Stripped of love, the universe

Would drive us mad with pain;

But we are born into a world

That greets our cries with joy.

How much I owe you for the kiss

That told me who I was!

The greatest gift--a love of life--

Lay laughing in your eyes.

Because of you my world still has

The soft grace of your smile;

And every wind of fortune bears

The scent of your caress.

I have two amazing mother's - the wonderful woman who gave birth to me (love you Mom!)

and the one I "inherited" when I got married. I hope I can be as great a mother-in-law as she is to me. Both have taught me many things. From tying my shoes to roasting a chicken, my "mothers" are always ready with advice. "Mom, my canned tomatoes didn't seal! What did I do wrong?" "Can I borrow a cup of sugar?" ( I did this just a couple of nights ago☺) or "How much flour do I add to my chicken juice to make gravy?"

Motherhood is highly underrated! A mother wears many hats and is always giving. Any woman can be a mothering-type and I am fortunate to have many wonderful women in my life who are there for me if I need someone. My sisters, sister-in-laws, friends, church family....I am so thankful!

Have a great weekend and I encourage you to send an email or a quick note to a woman in your life who's been there for you. I'm going to!