The True Gardener

A true gardener is never done. That's the truth. Something in them cannot turn down a new, unique plant or digging and dividing a neighbour's abundantly large perennial when asked. An empty spot can always be found, or a corner that just needs "a little something" which usually ends up being a plant. The true gardener can be found out in the gardens at any time of day snipping, rearranging, weeding, digging or singing to the flowers. Their thumb is camouflaged as the colour of their natural skin but underneath it really is green. Some prefer fancy garden gloves, others like it "oh natural" and don't mind the dirt under their fingernails. 

In honour of the True Gardener, our large selection of perennials will be on sale starting August 1. With all this moisture in the ground, it's an ideal time to find those "little" spots or create a new perennial paradise. 

For the next few weeks we are offering this savings: 
Buy 2 pots and get the 3rd one free!

Herb Cubes

Freezing fresh herbs is easy! All you need is a knife, ice cube trays and freezer bags. Here's how:

*Choose your herb, wash, drain and chop finely.

*Place about half full in ice cube trays.

*Cover with fresh water and place in the freezer until frozen.

*Pop cubes out and place in LABELED freezer bags. The reason I stress labeling bags is because I haven't always done this and not all herbs have a scent when frozen. Either that or my nose doesn't work anymore :)

*This winter when you are craving Fresh, grab some "herb cubes" from the freezer and place in a stir fry, pot of soup or stew, or even spaghetti sauce! I love adding cubes of chopped basil or oregano to my homemade canned tomato sauce when I'm cooking up spaghetti for supper. So yummy and makes it feel like summer again!

Customer Feed-back...

It's always good to hear from customers who have good results with the plants they purchase at our greenhouse.   I received this email from Gini S, who wrote:

Attached are pics of the baby eggplant grown from plants that I bought from you in May.  They survived the frost at the end of May, are growing in former "blue boxes" , are healthy and doing really well.  I picked my first one today,  sliced it thinly, fried slices in olive oil and tossed them with one of my favourite spices - Thai Coconut (not too hot).  Absolutely delicious!!!!

Thank you for all your hard work.  All my plants, vegetables and flowers are growing like crazy.  The "giant" begonias are so huge that they're crowding my walkway into the house.  I'm not complaining!

Cucumber city!

This year for the first time, we are growing greenhouse cucumbers. Both minis and long slicing ones, these veggies are a tasty treat! Great for veggie trays, dipping, salads, or just for a quick snack-to-go!
These pictures show the progress over the past 5 weeks.

Raspberry time!

If you love raspberries and have an abundance of them, here is Carol's delicious pie recipe.

Either buy or make your own pie crust
Fill pie crust 2/3 full of raspberries
Beat 2 eggs, 2/3 c.sugar, 1/2 c. milk
Pour over raspberries and sprinkle with cinnamon
Bake until custard is firm, approximately 40 min.


When freezing your freshly picked raspberries, don't wash them first. I spread them out on a tray or cookie sheet in a single layer, making sure there are no bad ones or "uninvited guests". Place in the freezer for a few hours until solid then transfer to labeled containers or freezer bags. I like containers best because raspberries tend to be fragile. Easy as pie!

Fabulous

If you've got a few little spots that just need a little burst of colour, we've got pots just for that! Marigolds, impatiens and dusty miller are great additions for only $1!

Dave - a gardener for life

Dave, who along with his wife Carol, established Huron Ridge, has always loved gardening and along with that, propagating plants from cuttings or seeds. From the time he was a little boy, who planted seeds from spruce tree cones and kept them warm behind his mother's wood cookstove, until now when he is "retired", growing plants has been both a hobby & a career.  One of the beautiful benefits of his propagation is in our backyard now, a Dorothy Perkins rose bush.

choosing a cutting in the late '80's 

About 25 years ago, he got several cuttings similar to the one shown on his hand below, from his sister Eva's plant.  He rooted them, shared a couple of started plants with friends, and planted one in our backyard.

A cutting ready to root

Our backyard Dorothy Perkins rose bush, this week.
As with a lot of the old varieties of rose bushes, this beauty only gives us colorful display for 2-4 weeks, depending on the temperature.  This weeks cooler temps will make it last longer.
Totally hidden in the centre of this plant, is a steel 6 foot tall obliques, that supports it & keeps it erect.

Information about viewing this garden along with many other private gardens in Huron & Perth Counties by visiting www.gardensofhuronperth.com