Just a Hello

20 years ago

So...Hello! :o)

I'm usually at the Canadian Gardening forum when I check in (it's been a baaaaaad year), and I just learned about this True North Strong And Freezing forum and wanted to hop in for a minute.

I've recently written a couple of long posts at CG (ALL my posts are long, this will be a record for shortness), so if you'd like a longer intro....well, that's me. Zone 3a (actually more like 3: I'm north of Edmonton, just enough to make it colder), had a lousy summer, and now have 30+ heirloom tomato seed-types to package (that's it for my tomatoes: seed only) PLUS what I managed to save from the garden (I can't even SEE half those teeny seeds!!!)

I think I'll give up sleeping in days ending in "Y".

It would be nice to hear from fellow cold-place gardeners, and especially great to find neighbors. I mean that literally: since I started dropping in here, I've met (face to face, I mean) a half-dozen other people whose passion is gardening. All of them live less than 10 minutes away from me.

It's not a small world...it's one big city. With suburbs. ;OD

So hello, nice to meet you, and I DO hope your year was better than mine!

Cheers,

- Merri

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

marciaz3 Tropical 3 Northwestern Ontario
20 years ago
Welcome, Merri! You'll find a few neighbours here. I'm not one of them - sorry! LOL But there's a great group of knowledgeable people here, and you'll learn lots from them. I know i have!

It's been a little quiet here lately, but i'm hoping things will liven up a bit pretty soon.

We had a pretty good summer here in Northwestern Ontario - if you like heat! No complaints here - the alternative is January!
FrozeBudd_z3/4
20 years ago
Hi Merri, I'll soon be a neighbor of yours. I'm relocating to Muir Lake, just north of Stony Plain. For the time being I'm 75 miles nw of Edmonton. Indeed it was one BAD summer in these parts! Talk about a COOL WET and disappointing season! We had received like four or five real warm days and that's about it!

I'm into all sorts of perennials, evergreens, shrubs, trees, roses, hardy waterlilies, clematis ... ETC! With living near to Hole's, my collection is only sure to GROW!

Terry
Related Professionals
Hopkinsville Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Louisville Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Fort Dodge Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Mankato Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Saint George Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Bozeman Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Vidalia Landscape Contractors · Amherst Landscape Contractors · Clearlake Landscape Contractors · Sebring Basement Remodeling · Tallahassee Basement Remodeling · Athens Basement Remodeling · Oneonta Basement Remodeling · Saint George Basement Remodeling · Elko Basement Remodeling
merricat
Original Author
20 years ago
Hello, Marcia and Terry :)

Terry, I know what you mean. I lived in St. Albert for a while, and Holes was my second home. I could never afford a lot, but Lois was an absolute angel...over a decade ago she literally took me in hand (she had a way of grabbing hold and walking-and-talking away with you) and showed me the absolute basics of tomato planting, and we took it from there.

I miss her so much. Every so often I STILL catch myself thinking "I've got to ask Lois about this"...then I realize I'll never be able to do that again.

I still go to Holes every so often (they're about a half-hour drive for me), but it's just not the same. And I always end up with an extra greenhouse worth of plants just from my yearly seedings (no exaggeration: my folks bought me a home greenhouse for my 40th, and it runneth over), so I guess I don't really "need" to go there any more. I just really WANT to!

Hmm....they should have their end-of-season herbs on for a buck or two now...

*ok, see what you started?! We need a bigger house!* :-)
luv2gro
20 years ago
Hi Merri,

I've read your posts over on CG and wondered when you were going to come over here and join us. I live in Edmonton and there are quite a few of us here. We're a great bunch in this forum and lots of fun, although I do agree with Marcia that it has been very quiet lately. Yes, guilty as charged. I haven't posted in what seems like weeks but I was away from my computer for about three weeks attending family. I've missed everyone.

Southern Albertans got it so bad this year. But the Edmonton area has not had the usual nice summers for two years now. Actually, a few more than that, if you count the drought and then the recovery. I really hope we get a nice one next year.

I go to Holes once or twice during the season, but I really love going to the rural greenhouses just outside of Edmonton. I have a run that I take to the south, one to the east and one to the northeast of Edmonton. This year I discovered a few that I didn't know about west of the city. And I can always find something a little different or rare in each one. Plus, I have my "grow-op" in the basement - all legal, of course.

Welcome to the Far North forum, Merri and Terry.

Shauna
FrozeBudd_z3/4
20 years ago
Hi Shauna,

Yes, there's many excellent greenhouses in and around the Edmonton area! Of course, Hole's is the good ole standby bringing in all sorts of interesting and unusual plants, trees and shrubs etc. Greenland is also a favorite and so is Wellingtons, which I had only discovered this past summer ... gotta LOVE their huge selection and fantastic display gardens, I had felt as if I was in one of the top nurseries in British Columbia! Nature's Everblooming Garden Center has a vast array of evergreens and such! Then of course, thereÂs Kuhlman's and Salisbury Greenhouses! West of the city The Big Greenhouse (at Spruce Grove) often has some very good prices on trees and shrubs! Forget Me Not offers an excellent selection of high quality bedding plants. The list just goes on ... just too bad the pocket book does not!

Here's to HOPING 2006 will at least bring Alberta a REAL summer!
Terry