The time is nearly here. In mid-summer we made an announcement that we would be retiring this year after 42 years in the greenhouse business and had one last weekend to close out plant sales at our greenhouse. At the time we planned to operate the greens business into the fall until production started to wane from the cold and reduced sun. We are now approaching that time. Our last week of deliveries will be the week of November 10.

The post I did at that time I think summed up our thoughts about this experience and I really can’t improve upon it so I am quoting it here;

“

“… Memories they can’t be boughten

They can’t be won at carnivals for free

Well it took me years to get those souvenirs

And I don’t know how they slipped away from me”

John Prine

This has been the ring tone for my phone all this spring. As we close down the garden centre for the last time it has now become especially bittersweet.

Many many people have made up those memories and our success over the years and it is an understatement to say they could be as rich as they are without them. This is my attempt to come up with that list….Thank you!

Brenda, Abbey, Patti, Joanna, Jordane, Adrienne, Sylvia, Breanna, Helena, Charlyn, Olivia, Alexa, Gerry, Adele, Jason, Stu, Andrew, Jake, Debra, Rick, Pauline, Allanah, Blaine, Kevin, Cassidy, Garth, John, Janet, Kate, Norm , Margaret, Spencer, Marissa, April, Kelsey, Jansene, Lynda, Tracey, Rianna, Frank , Bronwyn, Jonathon, Teresa, Duncan, Maryse, Colleen, Cody, Anna, Harris, Jeff , Lyndsey, Garret, Bjorn, Elwin, Craig, Monica, Melanie, Dale, Donna, Jennifer, Heidi, Jen, Anita, Stephanie, Kristen, Kathleen, Theresa, Samantha, Philina, Cathy, Clark, Amy, Mitch, Lois, Ann, Howard, Tiffany, Alexis, Sarah, Alana, Shawn , Luke, Damien, Ryan, Heather, Alisha, Charlie, Marilyn, Krista, Hal , Rose, Barb, Lyle, Nora, Kurt, Karla, Adam, Edward, Lydia, Burry, Carolyn, Rich, Mary, Linda, Nancy, Myra, Pat, Geraldine, Delores, Shauna, Brett, Erin, Emmy, Laura, Norma, Hannah, Max, Michelle, Joli, Stacey, Cynthia, Suzy, Robbie, Jamie , Jay, Tim, Lora, Judith, Jordan, Ellen, Ashley, Emilenne, Joanne, Maurice, Nadine, Tyler, Eve, Jacqueline, Allana, Jane, Maddy, Chelsea, Rachel, Jill, Danby, Eva, Randy, Zinta, Monisha, Starr, Grant, Alicia, Hayden, Diana, Leda, Aida, Hallie, Bev, Chris, Patricia, Danny, Brittany, Liz, Kally, Lindy, Herman, Pablo, Stephen, Wendy, Claire, Allison, Dagmar, Kari, Mariah, Shandi, Vicki, Darcie, Josh, Alec, Doug, Garrett, Aimee, Shelagh, Sally, Russel, Willa, Scott, Paul, Alex, Scot , Devon, Dan, Will, Dana, Laurie, Bethany, Ken, Elicia, Sean, Murray, Carl, Bobby, Steve, Helen , Matt, Ron, Nathalie, David, Alan, Brian, Emma-Lee, Dirk, Geoff, Leona, Naomi, Cornel, Mike, Bruce, Tara, Caitlyn, Kristin, Pareza, Alexandra, Justin, Cale, Daniella, Lily, Roger, Justine, Nicole, Julie, Trina, Hanna, Pattie, Kaitlin, Jeffrey, Trevor, Christine, Colin, Sharry, Ben, Janna, Terry, Patrick, Kim, Kelly, Manpreet, Peter, Mikalya, Michael, Melody, Jed, Edge, Harriet, Derik, Kathy, Ashlegh, Cam, Larissa, Jasmine, Lindsay, Penny, Evelyn, Madeline, Nathaniel, Basia, Fernando, Mackenzie, Maxwell, Riliegh , Clarke, Gerald , Courtney, Alyssa, Oli, Trish, Nyree-Dawn, Lia, Ted, Darko, Eileen, Emily, Mark, Debbie, Thelma, Patrice, Ruth, Elaine, Ian, Jessica, Joe, Emma, Harvey, Chandra, Roanne, Tom, Amanda, Charlotte, Rob , Lesley, Esther, Danielle, Christina, Louise, Gord, Arthur, Sandra, Annie, Jackie, Bernie, Talia, Cam, Rosemary, Edwin, Shawna, Gladys, Susan, Dora, Gillian, Jenny, Flora, Lisa, Jim, Eugene, Karen, Kat, Irene, Zorba, Shari, Jacintha, Olivea, Meredeth, Cory, Raissa, Rudy, Diane, Thomas, Larry, Hans, Colette, Lucy, Katie, Julia, Cassandra, Francine, Andrea, Kathie, Natalie, Anja, Brent, Graham, Ayla, Bernard, Shane, Bhawani, Beverly, Blair, William, Sara, Brad, Caitlin, Dean, Deborah, Dianna, Eugenie, Ellena, Eric, Evan, Billy, Marc, Derick, Gail, Norah, Jeanine, Iris, Amber, Jan, Leslie, Lianne, Randal, Rena, Tina, “

We will be looking for buyers to come in and resume production so if you are feeling ambitious and would like to devote yourself to the local food movement or make the world a bit softer by helping people to plant a garden and connect more deeply with the natural environment give us a call! 

Brian and Ruth

Some of you may realize things have been a bit different in the big wide world over the course of the last six weeks. For some it may be hard to remember exactly  what it was like before that time. In some ways it seems years ago or at least a paradigm shift ago!

For us here the result has been a profound effect on our business and how we approach every day. It has been a whirlwind of changing landscapes.

 There are two sides to our business, vegetable production and sales, and spring plant production and sales. 6 weeks ago our vegetable business was about 40% restaurants. Overnight the restaurants dropped off the map leaving us worried for  their long term viability and our short term sales. Also overnight our retailers picked up the slack and have continued to do so. At the same time we have had a steady increase in individual retail customers wanting to support local production and  put fresh safe food on their table. 

Shortly after the pandemic was declared the Ontario Government announced that only essential businesses would be allowed to operate. Those sands have been shifting and continue to do so for all the businesses operating in Ontario (and elsewhere). Because of those announcements we started down the road of putting our  product online and developing processes at our greenhouses to ensure we could take those orders and fulfill them in a safe and timely manner for both our staff and our customers. That task is mountainous and still ongoing.

So back to the personal. Our employees and us have been struggling with trying to remain focused on the job in front of them. Remarkably we have all been able to do that!  (Brian here switching to first person 🙂 I am a hockey fan and some of you may remember Wayne Gretzky.  I remember him being interviewed and being asked about the key to performance during high pressure situations. His answer was that you had to keep from getting too low from the failures as well as getting too high from the successes. (….back to third person!). We have all been trying to do that with varying degrees of success. It is very easy to drop into despair but the plants still have to be watered and the greens still have to be cut and so it happens and maybe it helps to dampen the despair to have those tasks. The successes are real and building even when it is hard to see them but they also seem fleeting so maybe Waynes advice is not so necessary on the high  side! 

And to the personal on the readers side. The context for us all during this time is stress and for us here at times overload. We are having extraordinary demands placed upon us on all levels including physical and emotional. We know that all we can do is our best and we have to be content with that. So if we forget to respond to an email, voicemail, text or social media request please be patient with us. Our best is simply that and we know it is not perfect. Please don’t take it personally!