Hits & Misses: Cool tools & misting lines
Question of the Week: Does saffron come from crocus flowers?
The Business: Moose mother and calf
The Path to Enjoy 2009: Complementary
Last week was the peak week for shipments of cuttings, with 58,500 assorted varieties arriving at the greenhouses in one day. The cuttings were shipped from several countries, including Guatemala, Mexico, Costa Rica, Israel and the U.S. Once they arrived at our doors, we then began the tedious process of sticking each cutting into a special mix that encourages rapid rooting. It’s a remarkable amount of work, but what’s even more remarkable is that our crew of 18 people stuck all 58,500 in ONE day. Let me tell you, it takes dexterity, determination and a steady hand to stick that many cuttings (some of which are ridiculously small!) in that amount of time. Hats off to the crew!
Hits & Misses
Hit: Cool Tools
Who says shovels can’t be pretty? The Radius line of tools we’re carrying are undoubtedly the prettiest I have ever seen. The shovels have stainless steel shanks and a lime green, circular, haute couture-like handle that not only looks great but is ergonomically correct, too. Who would have thought that a shovel could make the neighbours envious?
Miss: Misting Lines
In the Note to Self File, I will endeavour to remember to flush out old misting lines before I install misting nozzles. Last week, I reactivated some long-dormant misting lines and was treated to a smell from the nozzles that was, as a friend of mine would say, “enough to knock a buzzard off a gut wagon!” The odour is pretty much gone now, thank goodness, but I won’t soon forget the flush first then mist strategy.
Question of the Week
Is it true that saffron comes from crocus flowers?
It sure does. In ancient times, saffron was obtained by drying the bright-orange stigmas of the autumn-flowering Crocus sativus over a fire. It was considered an invaluable medicine in ancient Egypt and has also been used as a dye. Today, 80 percent of the saffron produced comes from Spain. It is field grown and typically harvested during the month of November. The bright-orange stigmas are plucked by hand from each flower and quickly dried. Not surprisingly, it’s one of the world’s most expensive spices.
The stigmas of 150,000 Crocus sativus are needed to
produce a kilogram of saffron.
The Business
Moose Mother and Calf
This past Saturday afternoon, Bill’s wife,Valerie, was once again in the office working on what seems like an endless amount of paper when she looked up from her desk and saw a mother moose and her calf walking right by the window. Close behind was St. Albert’s Peace Officer. He’d been following them since 7:30 a.m. and was near the point of calling Fish and Wildlife to tranquilize and move the animals—that is until he saw the mother and calf move over the bank. Back on the river they’d be able to move out of the city, so it appeared that the problem was solved. Well, not so. There was still the fence around our property to contend with. The mother was able to leap over it, but the calf couldn’t. Neither was thrilled, but they moved along the fence together until the mother found herself in the backyards of several homes with no way of getting her calf over the fence. The exasperated Peace Officer was ready to call Fish and Wildlife, but Valerie thought to call Bill, and he was able to open the fence. In no time, the calf discovered the escape route and rejoined her mother….darn kids.
The Path to Enjoy 2009
Complementary
“Crystals in the landscape” is how Paul Schaefer from ONPA described how our greenhouses could be integrated into the landscape at our new location. “Imagine four greenhouse structures emerging from the rolling site with an amorphous-shaped building connecting everything.” Even though we aren’t near a final concept for our new lifestyle centre, Paul’s description of his and Ernst’s thoughts do excite us. It truly feels complementary to our vision and the unique features of the site.
Did You Know?
Trees can choke the life out of themselves with their own roots. The life-threatening roots are called girdling roots, and they tend to form on trees that have been grown in pots for too long. The roots wind around the inside of the pot, and unless they are cut off at transplanting, will eventually squeeze the life out of the tree.
“Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are that morning yawn.”
–Lewis Grizzard
