The Sustainable Flowers Podcast: Recent Episodes
Heather & Clara
A conversation about sustainable cut flower growing and designing between two passionate Canadian growers, Heather and Clara, who are trying to figure it out.
We're back for 2023, with a bit of change- mostly field notes interspersed with interviews as we have time.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing is done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
We're back for 2023, with a bit of change- mostly field notes interspersed with interviews as we have time.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing is done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
We're back for 2023, with a bit of change- mostly field notes interspersed with interviews as we have time.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing is done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
We're back for 2023, with a bit of change- mostly field notes interspersed with interviews as we have time.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing is done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
We're back for 2023, with a bit of change- mostly field notes interspersed with interviews as we have time.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing is done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
We're back for 2023, with a bit of change- mostly field notes interspersed with interviews as we have time.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing is done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
We're back for 2023, with a bit of change- mostly field notes interspersed with interviews as we have time.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing is done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
We're back for 2023, with a bit of change- mostly field notes interspersed with interviews as we have time.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing is done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
This episode is our last for a while. Time for a sabbatical to determine next directions. Thanks so much to all of our listeners for your encouragement and support these last 4 years.
Clara and Heather
Just field notes this week
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Just field notes this week
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Just field notes this week
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Just field notes this week
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Just field notes this week
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Just field notes this week
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Just field notes this week
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Just field notes this week
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Just field notes this week
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Just field notes this week
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Just field notes this week
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Our chat with cut flower growing veterans, Ralph and Jeriann of Deadhead Cut Flowers is a deep dive into growing, business and philosophy. From subsurface irrigation to weed management to balance, this was a wide ranging and oh so fun conversation!
Be sure to check out Ralph's books on growing
All Pollen No Petal
Deadhead: The Bindweed Way to Grow Flowers
And his other books
No Sage Essays from the Margin
Leaving the Bucket: Searching for the Sacred in Addiction
Loving Alice Chalmers: Essays from Agraria
Open Range: Grief Humor Music and Other Occasions
And find Jeriann's art on her website at jeriannsabin.com
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Just field notes this week!
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
This week we are chatting with Dr. Nathan Jahnke again, this time about his research on long term tulip storage! Nathan recently published a fabulous paper in Hort Science on his comprehensive study of storage of tulips and Dutch Iris. You can find the paper here:
Postharvest Handling Techniques for Long-term Storage of Cut Tulip and Dutch Iris
He published an earlier version of the results through the ASCFG, you can find that write-up here:
https://www.ascfg.org/wp-content/uploads/2019-SU-Jahnke-Tulips.pdf
During our conversation he mentions the Ball Growers Talks and a new series of Newsletters Ball's cutflower division is publishing - you can find one of them here and also links to the previously published news letters:
Ball Grower Talks Flower Newsletter
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
We're back with more critical information about pesticides in the ornamental industry, this time with the amazing Dr. Christine Bishop. Dr. Bishop is a research scientist at Environment Canada in the area of Conservation and Protection of Species At Risk, her current research focuses on cumulative stressors on Species at Risk and bird, reptiles and amphibian indicator species in riparian, wetland, and grassland ecosystems. She has published over 100 peer reviewed journal papers, and several books on wildlife toxicology, but today we will be focusing on her work on pesticide effects on hummingbirds and other songbirds.
The papers we discuss can be found below:
Temporal and spatial patterns of systemic insecticides in avian and insect pollinators and flowers in western Canada (2018, 2019)
Imidacloprid and chlorpyrifos insecticides impair migratory ability in a seed-eating songbird
Bluebirds Experience Impaired Hatching Success in Conventionally Sprayed Apple Orchard Habitats: A 31-Year Study
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Just field notes this week!
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Just field notes this week!
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Just field notes this week!
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Just field notes this week!
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Just field notes this week!
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Sorry to say, you need to worry about more than just the neonics being used in horticulture/agriculture and silvicuture/arboriculture. As fast, actually way faster, as one pesticide's use is restricted slightly several more "novel" ones are licensed for use. Add to that the horrifying number of pesticides used on plants/soils in our industry, and those related to ours, you get a fatal stew of synergistic fatal effects for our beloved insects.
This week we chat with the truly brilliant, Dr. Harry Siviter, (@harrysiviter on Twitter) who has published an astonishing number of powerful research papers so early in his career. His rigorous and extensive analyses and research has allowed him to make strong statements in top-tier scientific journals. One of his key messages:
"Therefore, while our results confirm that bans on neonicotinoid use will likely benefit wild bee populations, they will only be successful if paired with (1) changes to the agrochemical regulatory process, that ensures novel insecticides do not have a similar sub-lethal effects on non-Apis bees and (2) a reduction in intensive agriculture, and a move towards an integrated pest management approach that promotes biological control, and reduced insecticide use (Colin et al., 2020; Siviter & Muth, 2020). A failure to radically change food production, and agrochemical regulation, will result in a continued decline in bee populations that we rely on for functioning eco-systems."
Listen in to hear why.
And if you want to read more, here are the references to just a few of his impressive papers:
Siviter H, Richman SK & Muth F (2021) Field‐realistic neonicotinoid exposure has sub‐lethal effects on non‐Apis bees: A meta‐analysis. Ecology Letters, 24, 2586–2597.
Siviter H, Bailes EJ, Martin CD, Oliver TR, Koricheva J, Leadbeater E & Brown MJF (2021) Agrochemicals interact synergistically to increase bee mortality. Nature, 596, 389–392.
Harry Siviter, Anthony K Johnson, Felicity Muth, Bumblebees Exposed to a Neonicotinoid Pesticide Make Suboptimal Foraging Decisions, Environmental Entomology, Volume 50, Issue 6, December 2021, Pages 1299–1303.
Siviter H, Muth F. (2020) Do novel insecticides pose a threat to beneficial insects? Proc. R. Soc. B 287: 20201265. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.1265
Siviter, H., Brown, M.J.F. & Leadbeater, E. Sulfoxaflor exposure reduces bumblebee reproductive success. Nature 561, 109–112 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0430-6
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Just field notes this week...
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Just field notes this week...
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
This week is part 2 of Heather's chat with our fabulous friend, Lorna Jackson of Ninebark Farm about how the implementation of her business plan went and about the book Lorna recommended to Heather, The Day the World Stops Shopping, and what it means for their flower businesses and business in general.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Dr. Tallamy kindly agreed to chat with us again, this time on invasive plants. You may recall we did an episode on this topic a couple years ago, as use of invasives in floral design and in gardens is a serious issue in our industry. Dr. Tallamy talks about the most important reasons, and the science behind them, for not ever using invasive plants.
Please note, invasiveness varies from state to state, province to province. Please, please, please talk to your agricultural extension officers or google noxious weeds/ invasive plants for your location before buying plants. And if a plant is labelled as invasive somewhere near you, don't introduce it to your garden, choose a wonderful native plant instead! And even better, if you see invasives offered at your local garden centers tell them this is not acceptable- consumer pressure is powerful!
For our listeners in Alberta the following are some great links:
Alberta Ag Noxious Weeds List
Alberta Ag Prohibited Noxious Weeds List
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
This week is part 1 of Heather's chat with our fabulous friend, Lorna Jackson of Ninebark Farm about how the implementation of her business plan went and about the book Lorna recommended to Heather, The Day the World Stops Shopping, and what it means for their flower businesses and business in general.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
We address the feedback we received on our episode with Sharon at Xerces in this episode.
Once again please please download Xerces Buying Bee Safe Plants document and keep asking the questions of everyone you buy plants from and be sure to ask about their use through the ENTIRE supply chain.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
This week is the second part of our fun and informative conversation with the lovely Grace Lam of Fivefork Farms near Boston. Grace shares the development of her business and how she approaches staying sustainable with a 500 member CSA and an uber-successful on-farm market and u-pick operation, including why she isn't using annuals much anymore!
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
This was a bombshell of an interview for us. We were horrified and brought to tears by what we learned from Sharon in this conversation. Please please please download the two excellent guidelines for consumers and retailers about what to ask suppliers about the persistent systemic insecticides that may be present in your nursery bought plants- ESPECIALLY if you buy from big box stores.
Buying Bee Safe Plants
Offering Bee Safe Plants: Guide for Nurseries
You can also learn so much from Xerces webinars on these topics:
Buying Bee Safe Plants Webinar
Sharon's top notch webinar about pesticides, which will teach you so much can be found here:
Pesticides and Pollinators - Sharon's excellent webinar
You think you are buying plants to help the pollinators- when in fact you are luring them to a potentially toxic plant that will kill them or prevent them from multiplying. Yes, it is horrific... we all have to put pressure on the nursery industry- retail and wholesale to come clean about what they are doing.
The essential references mentioned in the conversation:
Understanding Neonicotinoids
All the other systemic insecticides the nursery and ag industries are using
And lastly, but by no means least- a timeline of the regulation (lack thereof) in Canada by the good folks at Edmonton Chapter of the Council of Canadians and Mark Stumpf-Allen of Alberta Organic Master Gardeners
Neonicotenoid Timeline Canada
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
This week is the first of two episodes containing our fun and informative conversation with the lovely Grace Lam of Fivefork Farms near Boston. Grace shares the development of her business and how she approaches staying sustainable with a 500 member CSA and an uber-successful on-farm market and u-pick operation, including why she isn't using annuals much anymore!
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
We were a little star struck this episode, having the opportunity to chat with Dr. Doug Tallamy, professor of entomology at the University of Delaware and author of several best selling books on conservation, sustainable gardening and insects
Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard
Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens
The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees
In this interview we focused on his recent paper in Nature Communications about the key trees that support 80% - yes you read that right, 80% of the lepidoptera species in North America. If you can include some of these trees in your yard, garden, farm you will be helping these critical insects immeasurably.
You can find this important paper at this link:
Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species
Narango, D.L., Tallamy, D.W. & Shropshire, K.J. Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species. Nat Commun 11, 5751 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19565-4
From this paper the top 5 genera were: Quercus (‘Oaks’, mean
score: 0.79), Salix (‘Willows’, 0.55), Prunus (‘Cherries, Plums,
Peaches, etc.’, 0.51), Pinus (‘Pines’, 0.46), and Populus (‘Poplars,
Aspens, and Cottonwoods’, 0.44).
Dr. Tallamy has several excellent youtube videos, a recent one on keystone plants is:
Native Keystone Plants for Wildlife - Doug Tallamy You Tube
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Back in September 2021 Dr. Hammett published a series of comprehensive instagram posts about taking cuttings from dahlias. We just had to follow up with him and, as always, he was so generous about chatting with us about his methods.
His series of posts on instagram are an absolute must if you are interested in taking dahlia cuttings - his first post on this was September 7, 2021 and proceeded through the fall. Find them all here: Dr. Hammett's Instagram
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
This week we caught up with Jen Gruninger the vibrant woman behind Farm Fresh Florals, a successful u-pick flower farm and intimate event venue located just SW of the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Jen generously shares details of her journey developing her farm and business and the things she's learned along the way.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Talking about our most profitable flowers in 2021 this week.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
oops-- glitch in schedule-- only field notes this week
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
This week we had the opportunity to talk with Heather's physiotherapist and yoga teacher, Angela Plaquin of Elevation Health (physiotherapy) and Merge with Ang (yoga). Ang has such a deep, thoughtful approach to physicality and we had a delightful, thought provoking conversation about how to approach our physical sustainability.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Heather shares a comprehensive summary of her fall ranunculus procedure and results.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
We were delighted to finally catch up with Nick Maycher, a wonderful young peony enthusiast and hybridizer, based right here in Edmonton, Alberta! In what we hope is the first of many discussions, this week we learn about how Nick was bit by the peony bug, a little bit about hybridizing and hardiness and some of his favorite varieties.
Nick shared a bunch of excellent references too, here they are
International Peony Registry - https://americanpeonysociety.org/cultivars/peony-registry/
Hybridizing resources. A primer and helpful overview on breeding basics, flower anatomy, and the document that lists peonies and their parents that we discussed can be accessed towards the bottom of this page in the "Additional Resources" section. It turns out Buckeye Belle's parentage is a species peony mom (P. officinalis) and an unknown lactiflora dad contributed the pollen, to answer Heather's question!
https://americanpeonysociety.org/learn/hybridizing/
Canadian Peony Society website - https://peony.ca/
Nick's CPS Floral Design Demo - https://youtu.be/RVMQ6oRkS3s
2021 Bloom Season Highlights- https://youtu.be/ZNTtD4BZqqA
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
We are delighted to catch up with Dr. Lien Luong, professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta, to get an update on her research on slugs and on "the Ecology of Fear" and how diverse farming systems might enhance this natural pest control phenomenon.
In the episode we mention Dr. Luong's research paper and she linked us up with several more- here are the references:
Koprivnikar J, Weinstein SB, Luong LT and Buck JC (2021) Editorial: Ecology and Evolution of Non-Consumptive Effects in Host-Parasite Interactions. Front. Ecol. Evol. 9:779102. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2021.779102/full
Horn, C.J., Mierzejewski M.K., Elahi M.E., Luong, L.T. (2020) Extending the ecology of fear: Parasite-mediated sexual selection drives host
response to parasites. Physiology and Behaviour.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113041
Mierzejewski MK, Horn CJ, Luong LT (2019). Ecology of fear: environment dependent parasite avoidance among ovipositing Drosophila. Parasitology 146, 1564–1570. https://doi.org/10.1017/
S0031182019000854
Horn CJ, Luong LT (2018). Proximity to parasites reduces host fitness independent of infection in a Drosophila–Macrocheles system. Parasitology 145, 1564–1569. https://doi.org/10.1017/
S0031182018000379
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
We can hardly believe we are entering our 4th season! To kick it off we share our list of favorite "new to us" plants, cultivars, and/or varieties that we trialed this year.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
pH is one of the most important soil quality parameters to know about one of the most critical components of your farm/garden- your soil. And while it is one of the most important parameters, it is one of those things that you really shouldn't try to "manage" on your own. This week we are discussing why you need to understand a little about your soil's pH.
Washington State University Extension has some great resources on soil and soil acidity, here are a couple:
Introduction to pH
Effects of soil pH on soil microorganisms
In Utah, they have issues with high soil alkalinity- and Utah State has a good extension publication on this issue - the link can be found here:
Soil pH (Utah State)
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing is done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Another local company propelling the horticultural industry into new realms! G2V Optics, an Edmonton, Canada based company "Engineers the Sun" by developing and building the most advanced commercial lighting on the market. AND Dr. Michael Taschuk, founder and Chief Technical Officer of G2V, agreed to help us understand more about horticultural lighting!
We cover so much in this fabulous conversation, but to learn more about lighting you must peruse G2V's fantastic "Knowledge Base" pages. Some of the best, most understandable information on lighting we have encountered.
The article in Greenhouse Canada we refer to in the conversation can be found here:
Choosing the Right Grow Light to Maximize Output and ROI
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing is done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
This week we are chatting a bit about lilies, at the request of one of our dear listeners!
For a deeper dive into other lily topics check out our previous podcast episodes on Martagon Lilies with Dr. Evans, and on the Lily Beetle with Dr. Ken Fry.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing is done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
This week we are delighted to have Lorna, of Ninebark Farm, back to tell us about her year-long deep dive into analyzing and improving her business with a coach, and her subsequent pursuit of grants for farm upgrades to make her operation more sustainable for her. She so graciously and generously shares the details of this process, including the painful parts, and left us once again, inspired and informed, and in awe of our amazing friend.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
How do you get organic certification for your flower farm? Cody Sander, Certification Coordinator for Saskatoon, Canada based certifying body, Pro-Cert answers all of our questions. And he helps us understand the similarities and differences between organic and regenerative certification. If you are interested in being certified you won't want to miss this one!
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Crown gall is one of those plant diseases you hope to never see in your garden, but it turns out it is not uncommon. This week we were so fortunate to chat with Melodie Putnam, Director of the Oregon State University Plant Clinic about crown gall, and what we can do about it if we find it.
Melodie has published a bunch of scientific papers on a range of plant diseases, but she has also authored an excellent article on crown gall that makes it understandable for those of us who are not experts- you can find that article here:
Crown Gall Still Confounding Scientists and Growers Alike.
In our conversation we briefly talk about leafy gall, which is sometimes confused with crown gall. Melodie has another excellent article about that disease and you can find that one here:
The Lowdown on Leafy Gall
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
An innovative company right here in Alberta has answered our prayers, Biocomposites Group out of Drayton Valley Alberta, has developed hemp-based, peat-free, growing media! Their Terrafibre growing media products include growing mats and cubes that replace peat and rock wool, both of which are mined products, by using the products and by-products of Canadian hemp production! We were so delighted to chat with Dan and Cris about their process and products.
And guess what? For our listeners they have graciously offered a 15% discount on their products! Just enter the promo code "sustainable flowers" !
I know.... a lot of exclamation points in this announcement... but that's how happy we are!
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Managing insect damage without using harmful pesticides is a key skill for anyone concerned about farming or gardening sustainably. We were so grateful to have the opportunity to chat with Scott Hoffman Black, Executive Director of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, on the puts and takes of conventional biological controls and the conservation biological control approach.
This wide ranging conversation helped us understand the issues around introducing lady beetles for aphid control (won't ever do that again!) to other biological controls and key methods for conservation biological control in our farms/gardens. If you care about creating a healthy environment for all the residents of your farm/garden don't miss this interview!
Paper and book referred to in the episode:
Temporal Resource (Dis)continuity for Conservation Biological Control: From Field to Landscape Scales
Farming with Native Beneficial Insects. The Xerces Society Guide.
And absolutely everything in the amazing Xerces Publication Library is required reading for people who care about invertebrates, planetary health and what we can all do to help.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Just field notes this week.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
So fun to talk to Karl, famously known as "The Stick Man" , owner of Green Park Nurseries in Niagara, Ontario. Karl and his family and crew specialize in decorative cut branches as well as cut flowers on their farm(s). For those of you who follow Karl on social media you will see what an impressive operation he runs, and how his amazing energy imbues everyone! We so appreciated him taking time out of his busy family and business life to talk to us specifically about hydrangeas! We cover all kinds of ground from growing to harvesting to drying.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Chloe Roy of Floramama Ecological Flower Farm in Quebec is our delightful guest this week. Chloe and her all female team have been producing fabulous blooms with a focus on ecological practices, for a huge range of markets since 2014. We had a lovely chat with Chloe about how she got started and her current operation in Frelighsburg, in the Brome-Missisquoi region, one hour south of Montreal.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Peony storage is one of those skills any cut flower grower who produces these beauties will try to master. We were so fortunate to chat with Dr. Nathan Jahnke, about his fabulous recent paper on this topic!
In this episode we refer to his recent scientific paper and his webinare which can be found at the following links
Peony Post Harvest Handling Webinare
Jahnke, N.,J.M. Dole, B.A. Bergman, G.Ma, P.Perkins-Veazie. 2020. Extending Cut Paeonia Lactiflora Pall. Storage Duration Using Sub-Zero Storage Temperatures. Agronomy 2020, 10, 1694; doi:10.3390/agronomy10111694.
North Carolina State University has a great resource page on peony production here: NCSU Cut Peonies Page
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
We are more than delighted that Dr. Hammett once again joined us to chat, this time to answer our questions about cordon training and to talk more about his interspecific breeding explorations with a range of Lathyrus species!
All our burning questions about seed supply are answered this week, by the lovely Hillary Alger, Product Manager of Herbs and Flowers at Johnny's Selected Seeds. In addition, Hillary straightens out several of the misconceptions Clara had about back-orders and timing of seed ordering. We can hardly wait to have Hillary back to chat more about seeds and varieties!
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Stone Meadow Gardens is a glorious flower farm located in the Kootenays of SE British Columbia. This week we had the opportunity to chat with owners Sarah and Carl, about how they grew their farm with sustainability and stewardship as their guiding principles. Such an inspiring conversation with two farmers who are very intentional about how they farm and how they have grown their farm.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Due to a bungle by Clara, we are only running field notes this week. Sorry! Back with a full episode next week.
One of the most reliable perennials for our zones, and one no one should be without, is the delphinium! Generally pest and disease free, hardy, fabulous fresh and dried, and in that most elusive of flower colours- true blue. But that's not the only colour these beauties come in, thanks to the breeding efforts of the Dowdeswells in New Zealand.
This week we chatted with Katrina Hindmarsh, plant breeder and owner of our favorite supplier of delphinium seed, Dowdeswell's Delphiniums. Dowdeswell's was recently rechristened as New Zealand Delphiniums, as Katrina picked up the reins of the operations from the founders, Terry and Janice Dowdeswell. Our conversation with Katrina covered a lot of territory including her plant breeding focii, new cultivars in the pipe, and how to successfully grow these beauties from seed, which you can also see on Katrina's youtube channel New Zealand Delphiniums Seed Germination Tips.
Don't forget to send Katrina your requests for delphinium characteristics to help her with her breeding program Katrina's Contact!
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Back in the fall we published the first part of our conversation with Dr. Hammett about dahlia breeding and genetics. This week, part 2 of our wide-ranging conversation!
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
We were so fortunate to chat today with Toby Malloy, Alberta farmer, social worker, therapist and a representative on the Women's Advisory Committee of the National Farmers Union.
Toby explains the challenges faced by farmers from a completely novel (to us) perspective and provides nourishing advice on how to care for ourselves and others. We can't wait to talk to her again!
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Bit of a slow start to 2021 with just field notes this week. Back to full episodes next week.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
This week we are chatting with Miriam Goldberger, founder and co-owner of Wildflower Farm in Coldwater, Ontario, Canada. Miriam and her husband have been flower farming on their land since 1988 and proceeded to develop it from a conventional flower farm (with a lot of focus on everlastings!) to one focused on wildflowers, growing and selling seed for many native Canadian plants. She is also an author, of the book Taming Wildflowers where she explains how to grow many types of native species, and how to use them as cuts. We had a great conversation with her about her adventures!
Miriam has been very generous with her knowledge on her website, where you can find all kinds of helpful information on growing wildflowers (including her "speed dial" method for perennials !) and starting a meadow.
This week we are chatting with Dr. Ken Fry of Old's College in Alberta about his work developing a biological control for Lily Beetle, an introduced pest that is devastating to lily growers in Canada.
Check out information on the lily beetle at Olds College Lily Beetle Page
You can follow Dr. Fry on his twitter feed @frythebugguy
And please participate in the community science initiative by entering your observations of lily beetle (although we sure hope you don't see them!) at the Lily Beetle Tracker *note Dr. Naomi Cappucino at Carleton runs the tracker and was on sabbatical in 2020 which is why it is not showing an update, but she is planning on updating it on her return!
This week we discuss which crops were most profitable for us in 2020.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
A bit of a hiccup with podcast hosting memory exceedances has meant only field notes this week... back with full episode next week.
This week we are delighted to have Linda D'Arco of Little Farmhouse Flowers back to have a conversation about "Flower Sharing" a concept commercialized in the US by Bloomerent. We discuss what it is, how it affects/could affect us as small flower farmer/florists, and issues around sustainability.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Such a great chat this week with Dr. Stephanie Frischie from the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation ! Stephanie is an agronomist and native plant specialist and so generously and clearly talks us through types of pollinators we didn't know about and how to enhance habitat on our farms.
The great book by Xerces that Clara refers to early on in the conversation is:
Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. 2014. Farming with Native Beneficial Insects. Ecological Pest Control Solutions. Storey Publishing. 257 pp.
The resources Stephanie mentions in this episode are as follows (thanks so much for these great links Stephanie!)
Bumble Bee Watch – Community Science project to observe bumble bees and bumble bee nests and upload photos for ID verification and to add to our understanding of where these insects are, when they are there and what habitat resources they are using.
Bee City Canada - Bee City Canada's mission is to inspire cities, towns, First Nations, schools, businesses and other organizations to take action to protect pollinators. We offer programs that recognize communities and organizations that are taking steps or are committed to future initiatives to help pollinators. A school or a First Nation that is engaged in such activities can apply to be designated as a Bee School or Bee City. These programs are free.
Skinner Native Seeds (John Skinner) in Robin MB has been our primary native seed partner with the Cheerios habitat work and offers a pollinator seed mix for the Canadian Prairies.
Cheerios-Xerces Pollinator Habitat Program (available in SK and MB) – contact me at stephanie.frischie@xerces.org or 219-208-5879
Xerces publications, relevant to our conversation:
Maintaining Diverse Stands of Wildflowers Planted for Pollinators
Interseeding Wildflowers to Diversify Grasslands for Pollinators
On-farm habitat for beneficial insects provides multiple benefits (Aug 2020 blog, including beetle banks)
And Stephanie mentions Budburst Project as another community science initiative that we can get involved in!
We are delighted that Dr. Keith Hammett, dahlia and sweet pea breeder extraordinaire, joins us again to answer our questions about dahlia genetics and the history of breeding these fabulous blooms. It is always a fascinating, and wide ranging discussion when we chat with Dr. Hammett, so we have divided our conversation into 2 episodes, this being Part 1.
Last season we had a fabulous chat with Dr. Lien Luong, Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta, about her fascinating research into the ecology and possible controls of slugs! She is our hero!
Dr. Luong agreed to talk with us again to report on her first round of results for this project which were recently published in the Journal of Nematology. As usual she explains the results so clearly, but if you want to drill into the science even further, check out her team's open access paper:
Brophy,T; D.K. Howe, D.R. Denver, L.T. Luong. 2020. First report of a gastropod parasitic nematode Phasmarhabditis
californica (Nematoda: Rhabditidae) in Alberta, Canada. Journal of Nematology. e2020-92 vol 52. DOI: 10.21307/jofnem-2020-092
To launch Season 3, Heather is divulging all of her hard won learnings about growing those astounding ranunculus you have seen on her social media feeds!
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum, and the challenging job of audio editing done by the uber-talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
This week Heather answers questions she has received about flower CSA's.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.
This week our "field notes" conversation pivoted around George Floyd's brutal murder and some of our reactions in the context of our industry.
Links mentioned in the episode are below
https://blacklivesmatter.com/
https://onbeing.org/programs/resmaa-menakem-notice-the-rage-notice-the-silence/
https://www.vox.com/2020/6/5/21279530/ta-nehisi-coates-ezra-klein-show-george-floyd-police-brutality-trump-biden
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-8392483/David-Oyelowo-tearfully-discusses-racism-family-faced-impassioned-video.html
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy growing and market season. However, we will post our "field notes", giving you an update on what's going on around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.
As a flower farmer who may be thinking of expanding into weddings, you couldn't find a more generous and knowledgable teacher than Tobey Nelson of Tobey Nelson Events and Weddings. She is a pioneer and expert in sustainable floristry and events, and we both had the great opportunity to attend a workshop on these topics, given by Tobey in Calgary in 2019. Her dynamic generous instruction and the meaty, in-depth course content she provided was such an eye-opener and so valuable to us. She genuinely wants us all to succeed.
We were delighted, but not surprised that she agreed to talk to us and share her hard-won knowledge about wedding pricing on this episode. She is just that generous! You won't want to miss it if you are interested in doing weddings as it is full of tips and Tobey's compelling thinking about value and so much more.
In the episode Tobey mentions that she can send you her pdf on basic pricing if you email her at tobey@tobeynelson.com.
Follow her amazing wedding and event work on her instagram account: Tobey's Instagram and her broad ranging and tireless efforts promoting sustainable floristry on her sustainable floral design webpage and sustainablefloraldesign instagram page too.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.
We can't believe our lucky stars! Raymond Evison, the pre-eminent clematis breeder and grower in the world, more than graciously agreed to chat with us about his passion, the wonderful clematis genus. We cover SO much in this interview from his amazing horticultural background in England, his plant explorations in China, the clematis breeding process how to grow and prune them as well as all kinds of species and varieties that are suitable for those of us in more northerly zones.
Raymond was so generous in sharing his knowledge and such gracious guest, we are sure you will love this interview as much as we did, we can hardly wait to have him back! His website also has great tips for growing and pruning Raymond's Webpage - Growing Guides
Raymond provided us this list of clematis varieties to try for our Zones (Hardy to Zone 4- but I know I will be testing some of these here in my Zone 2a - in known microclimates), we can hardly wait for more of his new releases!
The viticella hybrids,
Abundance
Alba Luxurians
Etiole Violette
Kermesina
Royal Velours
Polish Spirit
There are others ,but these are the most popular ones .
C. integrifolia
C. X eriostemon
C. jackmanii
C. jackmanii Superba
C. henryii
C. Marie Boisselot
Raymond also suggested that we try the following as they are new ones rated to Zone 4, but may be hardier, he can't guarantee they will be but I know I am going to give them a try! And we hope the Devon ( U of A) Botanic Garden does too!
Bernadine
Sally
Samaritan Jo
Chevalier
Sacha
Zara
Tranquilite
Corinne
Parisienne
Nubia
Olympia
Vicki
Corinne
Pettit Faucon (also good as a cut)
Sally
And lastly the alpina species C. alpina and C. macropetala ( the species ) and their cultivars. (just an aside- Clara has been growing an alpina in Zone 2a for 5 years!, even through -40 spells)
The varieties Raymond recommends as particularly good as cuts are:
Marie Boisselot ( Mme Le Coulter )
Prinz Hendrik
W E Gladstone
X Durrandii* *
Beauty of Richmond
And possibly Lord Neville and Lady Caroline Neville
You should also try C .integrifolia and it’s pink and white forms, and C. tubilosa, these have strong thick stems and work well .
Both the * ones were used for many years in the Dutch Flower Markets in Holland,it is likely the only one available now would be X Durrandii. Of the others, only Marie Boisselot is probably available
Raymond has won 30 Chelsea Gold Medals at the Chelsea Flower Show in England. Check out a short video of one of his dsiplays here: Raymond Evison at Chelsea Flower Show . He provided the following advice for his cutting and conditioning steps for his cut flower arrangements at the show (note he also has alot of potted clematis at the Chelsea show as well):
"What I (Raymond) did with these varieties when we used them as cut flowers for the Chelsea Flower Show Exhibits was as follows:
- Cut the stems about 45-50cm long in the early morning and then removed all the leaves and put the stems into a bucket of cold water for 24 hrs to condition them .
- But before putting the stems in water I would dip the base of each stem in boiling hot water for 25 seconds .
- note: It is always best to cut the flowers just after the flower bud had opened and not when the flower was fully open "
And since we know you are heading out to find more clematis to add to your collections, the suppliers of Raymond Evison Clematis in Canada are:
- BTN Valleybrook Gardens, Ontario
- Brookdale Treeland (or BTN), Ontario
- Sheridan Nurseries, Ontario.
We can't thank Raymond enough for so generously sharing all of his knowledge and enthusiasm, we look forward to talking to him again in the future to hear about more of his plant hunting and clematis breeding adventures.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.
We're starting to transition to our summer field season format.
Like last field season, we are taking a break from full episodes during the crazy busy field and market season. However we will post these field notes, giving you an update on what's going on around around our flower farms each week through this busy season.
Hope you enjoy them.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the lovely Laura Eccleston.
Mental health is as critical as physical health. This week we have a frank discussion with Lesley Kelly of Do More Ag, a not-for profit organization "championing the mental wellbeing of all Canadian producers".
Check out their website https://www.domore.ag/ for great resources, links, and blog to help you and your family tend this critical part of your personal and collective wellbeing.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.
This week we are chatting about the various components we try to optimize to get the healthiest seedlings possible.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.
This week we had the great privilege to chat with Suzanne Wainwright-Evans, "Buglady Suzanne", a horticulture entomologist with 20 years of experience helping horticultural growers of all kinds and sizes with integrated pest management programs, with a focus on biological controls through her company Buglady Consulting.
Clara had the opportunity to attend a workshop Suzanne gave up here in Canada a couple of years ago- and learned SO much. Suzanne is incredibly knowledgeable and generously shares many insights for biological controls for floriculture in this interview, including managing thrips, broadmites and mealy bugs in your blooms. You won't want to miss this one!
Suzanne refers to the great id tool that Sarah Jandricic at OMAFRA has published- here are the links
Which thrips are in your flower crops Pt.1
"Which thrips are in your flower crops Pt. 2"
Simple key to important thrips pests of Canadian greenhouses
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.
This week Heather runs the show providing everything you wanted to know about 4 types of poppies that are grown for fresh cuts or dried, including the "to sear or not to sear" issue.
As we mention in the episode Louise, of Unicorn Blooms, has fabulous instructions on germinating Colibri Icelandic poppies, you can find her growing resources here:
Unicorn Blooms Poppy Growing Instructions and Tips
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.
This week we are chatting about planning for Q2.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.
Controlling disease and pests in hoophouses can be challenging. We had noticed that recently some flower farmers in the U.S. have adopted "in-ground soil steaming" to tackle this challenge. In the course of investigating in-ground steaming further, we came across research into a new technology that works with soil organisms to achieve pest and disease control, rather than sterilizing the soil. The technology is called Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation (ASD).
One of the first and most helpful resources we encountered during our research was a series of 2 webinares put on by Dr. Francesco Di Gioia of Penn State. We were beyond delighted when we reached out to Dr. Di Gioia and he agreed to chat with us AND he persuaded his research colleague, Dr. Erin Rosskopf, Research Microbiologist with the USDA, to join in on the conversation.
In this episode Dr. Di Gioia and Dr. Rosskopf explain the history and science behind soil steaming and anaerobic soil disinfestation.
Dr. Di Gioia's two webinares on ASD can be found here:
A Fresh Start: Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation in High Tunnel Systems, Part 1
A Fresh Start: Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation in High Tunnel Systems, Part 2
The excellent paper mentioned by Dr. Di Gioia that includes calculations for ASD can be found here Implementation of Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation in Florida Tomato Production.
The link to the University of Florida's Center for Sustainable and Organic Food Systems webpage on ASD, that Dr. Rosskopf mentioned can be found here U of Florida ASD webpage
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.
Soil blocking is a cornerstone of our flower operations. We both start the majority of our seeds in soil blocks. In this episode we discuss a bit of the history, why we use soil blocks, basic recipes and the various resources we have used.
The soil blocking resource booklet Heather mentioned can be found here: https://izwa.org.za/02SoilblockBooklet.pdf
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.
Well, this week we are venturing into the "hot button" topic of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The technology for genetic engineering is developing in leaps and bounds. In fact, how rapidly it is developing completely blind sided us. So we thought a little bit of a discussion about GMOs in the floriculture industry was in order. You can already buy genetically engineered carnations (Moon Series) and a genetically engineered rose (Applause). In this episode we explain (very briefly) some of the technologies, and discuss implications, and our opinions of course;)
We looked at a lot of papers and articles- some of the best are listed below- warning some of what you may read may seriously upset you.
Baranski, R. , Magdalena Klimek-Chodacka, Aneta Lukasiewicz. 2019. Approved genetically modified (GM) horticultural plants: A 25-year perspective. Folia Hort. 31(1), 2019, 3-49.
Kishi-Kaboshi M.; Ryutaro Aida, Katsutomo Sasaki. 2018. Genome engineering in ornamental plants: Current status and future prospects. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2018.03.015 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 131 (47-52)
MIT Technology Review article: The Next Great GMO Debate
Nordberg A, Minssen T, Holm S, Horst M, Mortensen K, Møller BL. 2018. Cutting edges and weaving threads in the gene editing revolution: reconciling scientific progress with legal, ethical, and social concerns. J Law Biosci. 2018;5(1):35–83. Published 2018 Jan 18. doi:10.1093/jlb/lsx043.
Oh- and I just found this one on bees- published at the end of February GMO bees article
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.
Local tulips in Alberta in February? You bet, Jaq and Trudie of The Tulip Farm, Red Deer have been growing hydroponic tulips for over a decade for the local market here! We got to spend a fabulous hour chatting with Jaq about their operation and how they are able to bring truly local tulips to market in Alberta in February!
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.
This week Heather and Clara have a conversation about no-till growing. Both of us use no, or minimal till methods. We talk about the general principles, but focus on how and why we use no-till methods and specifically on various considerations for small scale growers in northern latitudes that are not always discussed.
Books referred to:
Brown, G. 2018. Dirt to Soil. One Family's Journey Into Regenerative Agriculture. Chelsea Green Publishing.
Mefferd, A. 2019. Organic No-Till Farming Revolution: High-Production Methods for Small-Scale Farmers. New Society Publishers
No-till market gardening podcast: https://www.notillgrowers.com/podcast
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.
Managing pests and disease in when you are growing in a hoop house or greenhouse can be challenging. These high value spaces need to be in production as much as possible to get return on investment, and sometimes it is hard to sort out crop rotation. This combined with the artificially warm and humid conditions can make for disease and pest nightmares.
Which is why we were keen to talk to Andrew Mans, of Mans Organics in southern Alberta. Andrew doesn't grow cut flowers for market, his family's specialties are certified organic field and greenhouse vegetables, but he does grow a lot of flowers! He grows them inside his greenhouses as part of his integrated pest management program to control pests and diseases organically through cover cropping, interplanting and attracting and maintaining beneficial organisms in his covered growing spaces.
We had heard of Andrew's fabulous system and were so happy he was willing to share his experiences and enthusiasm for regenerative agriculture not only in his fields but also in his greenhouse! Because we deal with similar pest and disease issues in greenhouses/hoops, we know you will come away from this interview inspired by Andrew, who is making this work at a commercial scale.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.
Bearded irises (Iris germanica) are some of Clara's favorite blooms. But are they really a decent cut flower? According to Dole et. al. 2017 , likely not for large scale production, but for the smaller grower looking for some blooms that add total WOW factor in the early summer, especially for weddings, these do belong in your perennial collection. The new varieties with lots of branching and many "sockets" provide a good week's worth of flowering in a vase, and they are hardy up here on the northern prairies to boot!
This week we had the great pleasure to have an in depth chat with Bob and Ann of Trails End Iris Gardens in Ontario, about the in's and out's of the beautiful bearded iris. We talk about types, the long season of bloom possible if you mix and match types, how to grow them successfully, as well as some of their recommendations for cuts. Bob and Ann's passion for, and knowledge of, these amazing flowers is evident and will no doubt have you out looking for a few (or many) new bearded irises for your garden.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.
This week we are having a great discussion with two Sustainable Floristry Network Ambassadors, and leaders in raising awareness around all these un-natural and wholly environmentally unfriendly modifications to florals:
Becky Feasby of https://www.prairiegirlflowers.com/ right here in Alberta and Linda D'Arco of Little Farmhouse Flowers in New York https://www.littlefarmhouseflowers.com/.
If you haven't yet, you must read Linda's thoughtful articles on bleached florals and spray painted florals.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.
Martagon lilies are a true northern gem which we hope will become a huge cut flower trend. In this episode we have a wonderful conversation about these flowers with the "Martagon King", Dr. Ieuan Evans, one of our most prolific plant breeders on the prairies, about these lovely flowers.
Dr. Evans is the originator of the fabulous Evans Cherry, but did you know he also breeds lilies (asiatics and martagons) lilacs, irises and a whole range of vegetables specifically for our northern prairie climates? His martagon "Jennifer Evans" was shortlisted for Plant of the Year at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2014, his martagon "Megan Evans" recently won Best Lily in the Show ( of ALL the lilies) at the 2017 North American Lily Society Show and he was recently profiled by the Royal Horticultural Society!
This episode is chock-full of insights about martagons, the thriving lily breeding community on the prairies, potential as a cut flower (especially newly developed sterile varieties) and how to propagate martagons. And I challenge you to resist going out and buying his award winning "Megan Evans"!
Dr. Evans mentions the following resources:
Alberta Regional Lily Society
Dr. Evans' youtube video about propagating martagons
You can contact Dr. Evans to receive the catalogue of martagons he has for sale. His email address is dr.irevans (at) gmail.com.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.
Planning is a year-round activity for flower farmers, so we decided to talk about what we do by quarter. This episode finds us discussing Q1 - planning during the January to March window.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.
Pricing of blooms for market is one of those issues that is the source of much hair pulling, especially for new growers. In this week's episode we are chatting about how we think through prices for retail sales. We will have another episode in the future on pricing for bouquets, weddings.
The references we cite in this episode are as follows:
Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers
USDA Boston Ornamental Terminal Prices
Charlotte Smith - The Profitable Mindset podcast and blog AKA 3 Cow Marketing-
Growing for Market
"The Lean Farm" book by Ben Hartman
"The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook" by Richard Wiswall
Our theme music was composed and performed by Heather's son Callum and audio editing was completed by the uber talented Laura Eccleston.