These trays aren't cheap

You know those waxed trays that hold a dozen of our geraniums? The last time we bought them they were just under a dollar each, that was 4 years ago (that would be the empty tray, with no flowers ;-) ). The next time we buy them, they will be about $1.50 per tray (this doesn't include handling or assembling them, etc.) We have always encouraged our customers to return the trays, re-use them, or use their own boxes. Lots of our customers do just that, but most of them don't. Last year we gave a discount off the price of the flowers if you used your own trays, and kind of had a deposit thing going when people brought them back. It was too complicated, so this year we're trying something different.

The price of our flowers is going to be $38.00 per dozen, including all the taxes.
Should we:
1) Charge $38.00 for each dozen, and then charge $2.00 for each of our trays? (customers could use their own trays, and wouldn't have to use ours)
or
2) Charge $40.00 for each dozen, with the tray included in the price?

What do you think? Vote on our poll.

SunPatiens

Another exciting new release for your garden this year is Sunpatiens, or to be precise SunPatiens®. It is possible you may have heard of these already, because last year they were available exclusively from a certain big box hardware store (aka Home Depot). I'm not sure if they were available in Canada, so it may have been only in the States, it doesn't matter, because they're available to all growers this year. Since this our first year to grow them, we won't have very many, but I suspect they are going to disappear in a hurry. The photo is taken by yours truely, last summer at the JVK trial gardens in St. Catherines, Ontario.

Here's our description:

Winter Hardiness: Annual
Light Requirements: Full sun - part sun

Where to plant: Large Containers or Beds
Height: 24 - 48"

Width: 18" - 48"

Spacing: 16 - 20"



They're the flower we've been waiting years for: a true sunshine impatiens. SunPatiens® are the first Impatiens to thrive in full hot sun, all summer long. Their ability withstand the heat of summer is truly extraordinary, and amazingly they also are happy in shade -even indoors! 



Garden Performance
SunPatiens® are easy to grow, and will thrive until frost. They're available in three habits: Compact, Vigorous, and Spreading, but watch out, even the 'compact' ones are big (24” - 36”) so they'll do best in the ground, or in very large containers. We have eight varieties this year, and even more coming next year.


Growing Guide
Lots of room and lots of sun! SunPatiens® are new, so we've never grown them, but it sounds like a easy flower to grow and keep in bloom.

Fertilizer: Moderate feeder, any all purpose, compost, etc


Colours and Varieties

There are three series with a total of 15 cultivars. We are growing 8 varieties in 2010 (marked as*)


Vigorous SunPatiens® Series
Garden Height: 36 - 48"
Garden Width: 36 - 48"
Container Height: 24 - 36"
Container Width: 24 - 36"
Colours: Variegated Coral*, Lavender*, Magenta*, Orange, Red, White*

Compact SunPatiens® Series
Garden Height: 24 - 36"
Garden Width: 24 - 36"
Container Height: 18 - 24"
Container Width: 18 - 24"
Colours: Blush Pink*, Deep Rose, Light Coral, Lilac*, Magenta*, Orange, White 

Spreading SunPatiens® Series
Garden Height: 36 - 48"
Garden Width: 36 - 48"
Container Height: 24 - 36"
Container Width: 24 - 36"
Colours: Variegated Salmon, Variegated White*

Further Information (links)
:
SunPatiens are developed by Sakata

Even better, there's an exclusive website: SunPatiens®

Lob-U-What?

Lobularia
Snow Princess Lobularia is a new release for 2010. I bet you've never heard of Lobularia before, and I bet you think in the picture it looks an awful lot like alyssum. You're absolutely right. Lobularia is Alyssum. Seems the botany taxonomers have decided that from now on Alyssum should be known as Lobularia, so Snow Princess is indeed an Alyssum,  and I don't mind if you call it alyssum, we won't tell the botanists. We saw it for the first time last summer where we took this picture at the Proven Winners® trial gardens.
We thought it looked pretty good, so we're growing them this year.

Our Description of Snow Princess:
Annual
Full sun - part sun

Large Containers or 
Beds

6 - 8" Tall

12" - 24" Cascade

Snow Princess is a new release from Proven Winners® for 2010, best described as a trailing alyssum. The mounding white blooms have great staying power, require little maintenance, and have a beautiful fragrance. 



Garden Performance: Snow Princess will put on a great show all season. It's more heat tolerant than regular alyssum, but watch out, it's a hearty drinker, so we don't recommend growing it in small containers. It is a vigorous grower, so be careful with your combinations, as it will outgrow its neighbours!

Flower Update Week 6

March 8th, 2010

Here we are in greenhouse #1, the second greenhouse to be filled with plants. Mostly what you can see are the seed geraniums.

Flower Update Week 5

March 1st, 2010
Our first greenhouse is open! For the past few days we have been planting up our ivy geranium hanging baskets. We've had some beautiful sunny days, just what geraniums love. The Mini-cascade geraniums are bigger than ever, we can't wait to see them in May.

Flower Update Week 04

February 22, 2010 -The photo's are on time, but it took a few weeks to get them posted on our blog, as you might have guessed it's getting busy around here!
The geraniums are looking great, and are ready to be transplanted. You can barely see the tray anymore, we have a dense forest canopy of tiny geranium trees.