Meadow Farm Florals
RR1 T0C0J0 Red Deer, AB, Canada

May May bring leaves, bees, green grass, that fresh, crisp smell in the mornings, migrating birds, flowers, and a healthy dose of joy. . . . It's game time. More and more cold hardy seeds go in the ground everyday. Weekly successions are wrapping and we will be sowing less and less seeds in trays every week from here on out.... . . . All 150+ dahlias have officially been potted or started. The first round of sunnies were transplanted into the greenhouse ground today. . . . Every day something else get evicted from the greenhouse to harden off. . . . If the last 14 weeks have been training... today the marathon starts. See more

Last year our lily crop failed. . . . Well, technically they didn't fail. I mean they were stunning... but they only had 1 inch stems. No kidding. If that. Some just bloomed big beautiful blooms right at the surface of the earth with no stem to speak of at all. If not for it being so sad, it actually was a bit hilarious.... . . . I don't have the slightest idea why. Last spring, deliveries were massively delayed because of... well.. the "c" word and all I can think of is that they were stressed because they sat in a warehouse for 2 months longer than they should have. Who knows. . . . I love teeny, tiny, things as much as the next person, but I'm seriously hoping these double lilies perform slightly better than last years bulbs. . . . Anyone have any ideas why we had minis last year??? . . . Swipe to the last slide to see a double lily! See more

April showers bring May flowers... but not if there aren't showers and not if your seeds aren't in the ground . Luckily we have control over one of those things, but the other we unfortunately, do not. . . . I hate to admit that I have a droughty feeling deep down in my gut this year. The river that cuts through our property is extremely low and according to the long time locals in the area who have an intimate relationship with that body of water - it's the lowest they c...an remember seeing in any recent history. . . . I'm hoping and praying that I'm wrong for all the farmers, eaters, animals, ecosystems, and the economy. I'm always attentive when I overhear people grumbling about rain when I'm in grocery store lines or in the good old days when people used to congregate just to congregate. I hear that beach plans have been cancelled or weekends at the cabins are shot. . . . I get it. I like the beach too. It's the best. . . . I didn't grow up tuned into forecasts, weather events and percipitation. But now that my life and income is firmly rooted in the natural world - well I get that side of the story too. . . . Adequate snow and rain this time of year and for the next 2 months or so is insurance. Insurance that herds won't need to be de-stocked at rock bottom prices to pay for feed for the existing herd when they would normally be grazing. Snow and rain recharges the aquifers. It ensures strong root development on annuals and proper growth on perennials, and I'm not just talking flowers. Grasses, grains, fruits, veg - the stuff of life. . . . Nothing profound to offer here, just some food for thought. As a flower grower, I can irrigate. But first and foremost on this farm, we produce grass finished beef and we certainly can't irrigate our pastures. . . . So, if the mood strikes you, do some rain dances in the coming weeks and press yourself if you catch yourself moaning about the rain or snow, because without it, we are just thirsty, hungry, broke and broken . See more

"Look for the sunshine after the rain." . . . So honored that @harrisflowerfarm included us in this positive campaign to share hope and flowery goodness across Canada. ... . . . Let's be honest, it's been a long storm. Hell, we are in the proverbial flood if you ask me. In these chaotic times, remeber the tulip. It lies deep in the darkness for month on end, but eventually makes the choice to grow towards the light, pushing through the weight of the soil ontop of it and bursting forth as a new, beautiful version of itself. . . . It is easier said than done. I know. But we are your cheerleaders, infact if you look for them, they are all around you. We are all facing adversity like we could have never imagined and in that way, we are in this together. . . . I don't know much, but here is some unsolicited advice from a farmer. See the darkness. Live in the darkness. Accept the darkness. But then, thank it and turn away from it. Every living thing needs that relationship with silence, slowness, dormancy, dark - but we also need the light. Push against the weight of the world and emerge as something stronger than you ever thought possible. . . . #farmersunite #flowerfarmersofcanada #canadiangrowers #canadianflowerfarmers #canadaflowers See more

"Sending love to anyone at the intersection of ambition and parenting" - @ashleysimpo . . . I reposted this quote on my stories yesterday after seeing in on my sister in law's page @mackenzieyoga and attached a poll. Looks like a lot of us are hanging out at that intersection together - 97% of us to be exact.... . . . So, here I am this morning, just like every morning - business ambitions running high while being tempered by playing dominos and reading comic books aloud. Spilled oatmeal and tantrums won't stop us.... they will just slow us down. They tell me that slow and steady wins the race, so I'll take all the sweet (and salty) moments and tick along as slowly as my babes need me to. . . . I have to know... all 97% of you... what are you ambitions? Be brave! Share them? Come keep me company at the intersection so I know I'm not alone. See more

Some flowers, straight up, are hard to grow. One such variety for us has always been snapdragons. Although we have had happy, healthy snapdragons in the garden every year, we have always struggled with a high percentage damping off either in the earliest stages of growth or very suddenly once they are more established and have already been bumped up once or twice. This year, I am committed to cracking the code and have done a ton of research. Lucky for me, turns out lots of ...other growers struggle with the same problem, so if you dig around, there are some great resources to rely on for tips and tricks. From what I can tell, these can also prove to be helpful hints with other tricky varieties like eucalyptus, lisianthus, and Icelandic Poppies. -Stay away from highly fertile/nutrient dense growing mixes. The more that is present in the mix, the higher the chance bacteria/mold has to find a host which can lead to damping off. Think: soil-less mix. Nutrients will be introduced once plants are more established and have true leaves. -Surface sow into damp mix and sprinkle with vermiculite first rather than after sowing seeds. Bottom water, bottom water, bottom water. - Warmth to germinate, cool to grow and do not exclude light. Once seeds germinate, at ideally around 21C, and have true leaves, change the environment. If no germination occurs in 4 to 5 days, increase the heat by up to a degree.Once successful germination occurs, keep the lights bright but the temperature cool. Think- unheated garage or unheated basement. -At this stage, not before, seedlings need nutrients consistently since they are in a plain growing medium. Once several true leaves begin to occur, this is also when they will need to be bumped up. -Grow this way for 6 or 8 more weeks before hardening off. They will thrive in cool conditions and love to be planted out early in an unheated hoop house or cold tunnel. - Don't forget to pinch for up to twice the yield! We usually pinch half and leave half for earlier and later harvest windows. Wish me luck this year. I think this year is going to the our year for snaps. But, then again, we have said that every year! Photo: @copterch

REPOST INCLUDING PRICING (thanks to my IG friends for pointing out it didn't load ). . . If you're anything like me and everyone I know, getting your hands on a fresh garland this time of year is stiff competition . Who knew . .... . . Place an order with us and skip the lineups and wait lists. . . . Swipe through to catch all the details for ordering and pick up/delivery options. See more

If you're anything like me and everyone I know, getting your hands on a fresh garland this time of year is stiff competition . Who knew . . . . Place an order with us and skip the lineups and wait lists.... . . . Swipe through to catch all the details for ordering and pick up/delivery options. See more

Who is up for some real talk today? I certainly am. . . . But first, how about this cake designed by @sprinkle.up with our flowers? Almost too gorgeous to eat, although I'm sure all the guests were happy to see it be dismantled and find some room for it.. Yum. ... . . . If you have been following along with our stories and reels, you might have noticed that I am kind of all up in local business' grills this month. Besides the obvious, let me give you some back story as to why the overt interest. . . . About a month ago, I drove into town to take my kids for lunch. To my shock, the sweet little café that I had come to love since moving to the new farm, had been boarded up and two men were up on ladders removing signage. . . . My heart twitched, then snapped, and broke a little, and not because I really wanted one of their coffees. The business was run by a local family and although I don't know their unique story, for me, that moment stood to represent every entrepreneurial dream I've ever had or heard. A lofty dream, followed by tight savings and scrounging for financing, sacrifices of every variety, endless hours of work, all the while being fueled by the hope that neighbors and friends and friend's friends might show up and support you. Unfortunately, like far too many an entrepreneurial dream, especially with the current climate of our economy and frankly... the world... this one came to end early, and likely, tragically. . . . In that moment, I felt determined to play my part, no matter how small, to rally around anyone I can that is living out their dream to serve, create, lead, and inspire their communities through their entrepreneurial spirit. . . . I have an idea brewing... an initiative if you will, and I sincerely hope it isn't a flop - but I'll need YOU to get on board. It won't take much, I promise... and there is something in it for you... hopefully something big. More details to come. In the meantime, drop a line if you can relate, on any level, to what I'm going on and on about here. OH and SUPPORT YA LOCAL PEEPS people. - xo, Ang See more

Winter has magically turned into second fall and I feel like this gorgeous image from @ashmacleanphoto of our last wedding of the season sums up our October. Ruby, gold and green surrounded in a blanket of crisp white and icy, lacy frost. . . . Thank you to YOU (yes, YOU) for being our community, our audience, our clients, customers and support. Despite the hand that 2020 has dealt us all, you are still showing up for your local businesses, you farmers, and your community - just by reading this, you are keeping our dream moving in the forward direction....and what a big dream it is. Thanks for enabling us to do what we love. We. Appreciate. YOU.