Over the past months, many of us have tried to find our green thumbs by learning about and creating our own home gardens. Trips to garden centers, researching of seed catalogues, buying potted plants and sourcing gardening implements have become a new hobby for many who previously shied away from getting this close to nature. This new found appreciation for gardening has made us realize, even more, the dedication, knowledge and skill required to create a beautiful garden. Discovering local flower farms was truly inspiring as these farms produce an amazing array of seasonal and heirloom, sustainably grown flowers, often organic, that provide an important habitat for our local bee, butterfly and bird populations. Many of these farms allow one to visit them, providing an opportunity to learn about their flower varieties and to purchase from their wonderful selections of field grown, hand-picked flowers. Join us, in our support of local producers, as we explore some of the flower farms of our region, which bring beauty to the landscape of Georgian Bay region and our homes. Georgian Roots Farm Along the Garden Path: 830 Concession Road 18 West, Tiny (Lafontaine) Meet the Growers: It was a true delight to catch up with Cady and Gavin McLaughlin, at their family-owned farm, in Tiny. We were met by Cady in their “Flower Yurt”, where we admired a beautiful selection of sustainably grown, heirloom, cut flower varieties, which were still available, despite a busy day at the Yurt. Cady explained that they sell flowers and greenery in a variety of sizes and also make special arrangements for events. Although she had delightful bouquets already arranged, she easily created a lovely bouquet for us that matched our preferences. We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit their gardens adjacent to the farm field, where we saw a beautiful floral display, as well as visiting butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. In addition to running their farm and equestrian centre, the McLaughlins also co-ordinate events such as weddings, with the expertise of their event planner, Jill Sutherland. You are invited to view their website for hours of operation and list of services. www.georgianrootsfarms.com ...................................................................................................................................... Purple Hill Lavender Farm Along the Garden Path: 7484 6/7 Sideroad, Nottawasaga, Creemore Meet the Growers: On a lovely, sunny Thursday morning, we made our way to the Purple Hill Lavender Farm, which is located just outside the picturesque village of Creemore. We were met by the engaging and friendly owner, Brian Greasley, who’s vision for this wondrous lavender farm was created with his two daughters, Emma and Jessica. This 50-acre family-run farm, located on the Niagara Escarpment, is a truly lovely place to visit and we were given the opportunity to view the lavender fields, learn about the making of essential oils, the features of French and English lavenders, take photos and enjoy the amazing aroma of lavender. We viewed and learned about the on-site bee hives that are an essential part of lavender cultivation, travelled through the 2.5 K trail and purchased some aromatic lavender products including lavender bouquets, culinary lavender, lavender scented votive candles and lavender essential oils. You are invited to view their website for hours of operation and visit opportunities . www.purplehilllavender.com ...................................................................................................................................... Rounds Ranch Sunflower Experience Along the Garden Path: “Sunflower Experience”1922 County Road 92, Elmvale Meet the Growers: The Sunflower Experience is an amazing way of truly appreciating the majestic beauty of the sunflower. This 7-acre field, boasts over 44 different varieties of sunflowers with an array of yellow hues and an additional 1 acre of cut flowers. This is a wonderful place to take photos, to walk along the rows of towering sunflowers and to purchase these cheerful symbols of summer. Children will enjoy the wagon ride to the field. We greatly appreciated the welcoming at the field tent, where we were provided snippers, to choose and cut our own sunflower to bring home as a remembrance of our visit. You are invited to view their website for hours of operation and visit opportunities. www.roundsranch.com ...................................................................................................................................... Bear Pen Flower Farm Along the Garden Path: 3498, 11 Line North, Coldwater Meet the Growers: Word of mouth, led us to this welcoming, seasonal, flower farm, located near Quayle’s Brewery in Oro-Medonte. This farm has been in operation for seven years, is continually growing, and now offers flower subscriptions, as well as beautiful bouquets from their “flower wagon”. We met owner Kimberley Beard on a Friday evening when we dropped by to pick up flowers for the weekend. Kim was really knowledgeable and most willing to answer any questions we had about her farm and the flowers. The garden, located beside the flower wagon, was absolutely breathtaking and we were so lucky to be allowed to take photos. You are invited to view their website to learn more about their subscription options and hours. www.bearpenflowerfarm.com ...................................................................................................................................... Fosters Family Farm Along the Garden Path: 609 County Rd. 25 (Balm Beach Rd.) Midland Meet the Growers: The Foster family have been providing fresh fruit and vegetables to the Midland area for decades. We have been fortunate enough to buy their pesticide-free produce both at their roadside stand and local farmer’s markets. We are delighted to see that over the past several years, they now grow and sell beautiful, freshly cut sunflowers and vibrantly coloured Gladeoli. Their roadside stand, at this time of year, is a bountiful display of local fruit, vegetables and flowers. You are invited to visit them on Facebook for hours of operation and to find out about their seasonal offerings. ...................................................................................................................................... Tiny Blooms Along the Garden Path: 1010 Brunelle Sideroad, Penetanguishene Meet the Growers: Tiny Blooms is a lovely family-run provider of freshly cut specialty flowers which can be purchased at their farmstand as well as at a few local businesses. One can also pre-order flowers through their online site. We encourage you to check their Facebook and Instagram to see the most beautiful range of flowers such as peonies, dahlias, sunflowers, gladeoli, specialty tulips and more. We first noticed their gorgeous, tastefully created bouquets while visiting Wendy B’s in Lafontaine. You are invited to view their website for hours of operation and list of services. www.tinyblooms.net ...................................................................................................................................... Bunches of Blooms Along the Garden Path: 2449 Crossland Road, Phelpston Meet the Growers: Bunches of Blooms Flower Studio is a farm that provides seasonal, cut flowers from their studio, by bouquet subscription as well as by special order for events such as weddings. The farm has an amazing range of seasonal flowers such as Snapdragons, Dahlias, Tulips, Asters and Sunflowers, just to name a few. Owner, Susanne Flury, brings great passion and knowledge to her craft having trained in Europe and continued her studies in horticulture and floral design in Canada. We are especially impressed with her giving, community-minded spirit as she started the “Kindness Project” this year, designed to bring beauty and joy to the residents and staff of a local LTC home. You are invited to view their website to learn more about their subscription options and hours. www.bunchesofblooms.ca ...................................................................................................................................... Artemesia Daylilies Along the Garden Path: 235731 Grey Road 13, near Kimberley Meet the Growers: We first met Alain Johnson and Jocelyn Bertrand while visiting apiaries for our May, 2020 blog post. In addition to creating delicious honey and offering tours & bee keeping workshops, these engaging, knowledgeable and passionate entrepreneurs also grow an amazing selection of Daylilies. We were so impressed how these two have curated their vast selection of Daylily varieties and are constantly experimenting to provide the most beautiful lilies possible in our Georgian Bay climate. You are invited to view their website to learn more about their varieties and can order either by e-mail of phone. www.Artemesiadaylilies.com ...................................................................................................................................... Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms Beautiful golden orange yellow squash blossoms are a delicacy since they are only available at your local farms for a few weeks in the summer. These delicate flowers make a beautiful garnish and are also the perfect size for stuffing. They have a soft texture and a sweet flavour reminiscent of summer squash. Ingredients For the Filling 1 cup Ricotta (approximately 250g) 1 cup finely grated Gruyere cheese 2 green onions ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper ½ teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon paprika *You may wish to substitute the nutmeg and paprika with your favourite herb or spice. For the Batter 1 cup cake or all purpose flour ¼ cup cornstarch ¼ teaspoon salt Approximately 1 to 1 ½ cups sparkling water Finishing or coarse salt Oil for frying ( vegetable oil or your preferred oil for frying) Instructions
For the Blossoms Carefully remove the stamen inside each of the blossoms and trim the end and the stem off. The flower is the only edible part. Don’t worry if you tear one of the sides because it will all come together. To remove pollen and to clean the blossoms, carefully run them under cold water, and place them on a paper towel to dry. For the Filling With a stand or hand mixer whip the ricotta cheese until light and fluffy. With a rubber spatula fold in the grated cheese and the remainder of the filling ingredients. For the Batter Sift the flour, cornstarch and salt into a medium sized bowl. Gradually whisk in sparkling water until you achieve a loose batter. Bringing it all Together Put approximately 1 to 1½ teaspoonfuls of filling (depending on the size of your blossoms) in the base of each of the blossoms. Gently twist the blossoms to close them up. Prepare all of the blossoms and set aside. Cover the bottom of a straight sided saute pan with oil. (2 cm) Heat the oil. Dip the blossoms in the batter. For a light crispy blossom, be sure to remove any excess batter. Place the prepared blossoms on a plate. Twist the end of a few blossoms at a time and place them in the hot oil. Cook them until they are golden brown on each side. If you overcrowd the pan, it will bring down the temperature of the oil. When this happens your blossoms will absorb too much oil and they will not be crisp. When golden brown, remove the blossoms from the heat and place them on a paper towel. Salt with finishing salt and enjoy them while they are hot! ......................................................................................................................................
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