Some warmer, sunny days have finally arrived in the North Country. You really never know what to expect with the weather around here. I laugh, as I was writing our winter blog as it was a 50 degree day with the sun shining. As I write this, in April, it is 27 degrees and we just had a snowstorm last weekend. But, hey, the sun is shining, and I’m starting to see some color in the greenhouses, things are looking on up!
The greenhouse crew has been very busy. In February they started planting seeds, 288 to 512 seeds per flat, by hand. They estimate about 30% of our greenhouse products are started from seeds during February and March; the remaining 70% are started from plugs. Wayne cares for the seedlings, ensuring that they stay healthy and are ready to be transplanted in the Spring.
(a tray of seeds planted during the winter months)
(Linda & TJ planting)
As the seeds are being planted, the rest of the crew are making sure that the greenhouses are ready for the season. Linda stresses the importance of starting with an organized, clean, and sterile greenhouse. This helps prevent disease and makes for an easier work habitat.
Linda and Richard have a passion for growing. Together, with their team, they plant hundreds of thousands of seeds & plugs each season. You can sense their excitement and passion as they talk about the flower season. Linda is the mastermind behind the design of our baskets. She has been creating beautiful, colorful designs for over 20 years and she knows exactly what her customers are looking for. These are her babies; she tells me she feels like “she is sending her child off to kindergarten when she sells a basket.”
(Wayne and Steve mixing dirt - Mabel is supervising)
Every day someone needs to care for the plants, watering, fertilizing, and checking for disease. The plants are all logistically placed within a greenhouse, depending on the light and temperature of the space. A lot of time and planning goes into the greenhouses before opening them to the public.
Bob remembers when they started growing flowers, over 30 years ago. At that time, we had two tiny wooden greenhouses. Today, we plant 6 greenhouses filled with flowers and another with vegetable plants. We start our season out with an open house, the first Saturday in May so our customers can get a sneak peak and start making their wish lists.
We have been doing a little spring cleaning in our retail store, and Wendy has been busy putting a fresh coat of paint on the walls.
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(yes, she is using paint, not sour cream) ;)
Once all this snow has finally melted, we can get out in the fields to prepare for the 2014 season. We hope to see you all soon!
