This year, pickOntario hosted their very first floral design contest. Florists from all over Ontario were invited to submit a floral design that best showcased the beauty of Ontario grown flowers. In February 2010 the top ten designs were posted at pickOntario.ca and voted on by over 1000 consumers. The three designers whose arrangements had the most votes were invited to Canada Blooms on March 18, 2010 for the final round of voting. 

At Canada Blooms Kay’s Petals and Plants, Alma Florists, and XQZT Floral Design, all showcased their Ontario grown arrangements. Consumers and florists alike that visited Canada Blooms were asked to vote on their favourite design. At days end, the votes were tallied, naming XQZT Floral Design as the winner of pickOntario’s floral design contest. Honorable Mention went out to Kay’s Petals and Plants and Alma Florist for their exquisite designs and their involvement in the contest. 

Mandy, from XQZT Floral Design was overjoyed to receive her plaque, along with a one night stay at the Sheridan on the Falls, a lovely dinner package, and a limousine tour of Ontario Greenhouses. This tour will allow the florist to see exactly where her Ontario flowers and potted plants are coming from.  A special thank you to all florists who participated in this year’s contest!

The Direct Energy Center in Toronto was filled with the hum of conversation and the wonderful aroma of flowers as Canada Blooms set the stage for a wonderful floral experience.

Canada Blooms, held March 17-21, 2010, is a flower and garden festival, open to floral experts and consumers alike. pickOntario simply could not miss out on the opportunity to gather with such companies as Landscape Ontario and Home Depot, to bring about this event.

The pickOntario display showcased designs from 13 different flower growers from all over Ontario. Albert Graves created displays that best complimented each grower’s specialty flowers. All of the products used in these displays were available within the pickOntario booth for purchase.

On Thursday morning, some Ontario floral designers showed off their talent in pickOntario’s Floral Superstar show. Host, Neville MacKay, engaged the audience with his uplifting personality, as the florists each created their own masterpieces using Ontario grown flowers.

One of the many attractions at the show this year was The Magical World of Tinker Bell. This miraculous garden produced by Frankie’s Flowers and sponsored by pickOntario showcased fairies made out of flowers and plants. This garden attracted the younger audiences and children participated in face painting while learning all about flowers and plants.

Floral design shows, sponsored by pickOntario, were done daily by renowned floral designer Albert Graves. Albert got women out of their seats and onto their feet, dancing, to win one of his custom made bouquets. This year, not only did women rise for the dance challenge, but so did men in the audience. A gentleman celebrating his 92nd birthday danced his way to receive Albert’s last bouquet of the day. Albert wowed the audience with not only his design talents, but also with the knowledge of where each flower used was grown. Albert takes great pride in supporting local products, and promoted growers such as VanGeest, Pioneer Flower Farms, and Rosa Flora.

Dean Shoemaker, executive director of Flowers Canada (Ontario) Inc, commented that “We are so pleased with the turn out of this year’s Canada Blooms. Consumers are becoming more and more aware of the benefits of buying locally grown flowers and potted plants.” The reasons are clear, when you pick Ontario, you are ensured freshness, variety, and quality. pickOntario looks forward to continuing the buy local campaign for 2010.

To view more photos from Canada Blooms 2010, click here

Love Lilies

The genus Lilium are herbaceous flowering plants normally growing from bulbs. They comprise a genus of about 110 species and are important as large showy flowering garden plants.  Lilies are also Ontario’s 7th most important cut flower and the potted Easter lily is Ontario’s only indoor potted lily. Despite a sales window of a couple of weeks each year, Easter Lilies are the fourth largest potted plant crop in North America, ranking just below poinsettias, mums, and azaleas as a favorite blooming plant.

In 1919, Louis Houghton, a World War I soldier, brought a suitcase full of hybrid lily bulbs to the southern coast of Oregon and gave them to family and friends to plant.  The climate there was ideal for growing this lily, a native of the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and by 1945, over one thousand growers were producing bulbs for the commercial market.

Two of the greatest charms of the Easter Lily are form and fragrance, so pickOntario grown Easter Lilies that are aesthetically pleasing from all angles with flowers in various stages of bloom.

In the home, the lily will thrive near a window in bright, indirect natural daylight, but avoid glaring, direct sunlight.  Easter lilies prefer moderately moist, well-drained soil. Water the plant thoroughly when the soil surface feels dry to the touch, but avoid over-watering and letting the plant sit in standing water.   As the flowers mature, remove the yellow anthers before the pollen starts to shed. This extends the flower life and prevents the pollen from staining the white flowers or tablecloths.

It is very difficult to force Easter lilies into bloom a second time indoors but if planted in the garden after risk of frost, the bulb plant may bloom again in the summer or fall.  However, the bulbs are not hardy and won’t survive an Ontario winter in the ground.  Pick a site with bright light but some shelter from extreme heat and wind.  As the original plant dies back, cut the stems down to the soil surface. New growth will soon emerge. The Easter lilies, which were forced to bloom under controlled greenhouse conditions in March, may rise again naturally in the summer!

pickOntario along with the Ontario Flower Growers Auction are proud to help sponsor The Lung Association Ontario’s “Tulip Day”. Tulips are being sold in communities all across Ontario with proceeds going towards lung disease research as well as other important programs that are in place. “Help Line” answers calls from people looking for advice on different lung health issues. The lung association also has a program in place that provides continuing education for doctors on the current trends and advancements in lung disease.

Tulips are a very appropriate flower choice for promotion of lung disease research. They are a low fragrance flowers as individuals with respiratory problems often prefer lighter scents. The enjoyment of having fresh, locally grown tulips in your house is not the only benefit of supporting this program. When you buy these tulips, you are helping to save a life.

These lovely tulips can be purchased at any of the following locations
http://www.on.lung.ca/Events-and-Fundraisers/Tulip-Day/locations.php

Not only does March mean the beginning of the Spring, but also St. Patrick’s Day. Many people go all out in green to celebrate but pickOntario takes going green to a whole new level. The greenhouse industry is held to some of the highest “green” standards in the world. Greenhouse growers are under strict regulations by several agencies, including the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Environment Canada, Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) and many more.  This means that Ontario flowers and plants are some of the safest products in the world.

How does pickOntario support the reduction of energy use and water? We encourage consumers to buy locally grown flowers and potted plants.  Buying local produces fewer emissions from shipping, transporting and production to be released into the air we breathe, which is a great goal to strive towards. pickOntario centers on promoting local growers to ensure that customers realize Ontario grown products help accomplish this goal.

Ontario greenhouses are also working to preserve and enhance both the natural environment and renewable resources. Most Ontario greenhouses are state of the art and have implemented water recirculation programs. This results in increased water conservation and reduced costs to greenhouse growers. Through regulations enforced by PMRA and CFIA and best practices production techniques, greenhouse growers do not use toxic substances that cause serious long term effects on our environment. Instead, the growing process is controlled allowing for toxin free fertilizers and pesticides. Many producers are switching to integrated pest management which virtually eliminates all pesticide sprays.

Look for pickOntario labels in your local store.  By purchasing locally grown products ensures you are reducing your carbon footprint which puts you on the right track of “going green”.

The genus Lilium are herbaceous flowering plants normally growing from bulbs. They comprise a genus of about 110 species and are important as large showy flowering garden plants.  Lilies are also Ontario’s 7th most important cut flower and the potted Easter lily is Ontario’s only indoor potted lily. Despite a sales window of a couple of weeks each year, Easter Lilies are the fourth largest potted plant crop in North America, ranking just below poinsettias, mums, and azaleas as a favorite blooming plant.

In 1919, Louis Houghton, a World War I soldier, brought a suitcase full of hybrid lily bulbs to the southern coast of Oregon and gave them to family and friends to plant.  The climate there was ideal for growing this lily, a native of the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and by 1945, over one thousand growers were producing bulbs for the commercial market.

Two of the greatest charms of the Easter Lily are form and fragrance, so pickOntario grown Easter Lilies that are aesthetically pleasing from all angles with flowers in various stages of bloom. 

In the home, the lily will thrive near a window in bright, indirect natural daylight, but avoid glaring, direct sunlight.  Easter lilies prefer moderately moist, well-drained soil. Water the plant thoroughly when the soil surface feels dry to the touch, but avoid over-watering and letting the plant sit in standing water.   As the flowers mature, remove the yellow anthers before the pollen starts to shed. This extends the flower life and prevents the pollen from staining the white flowers or tablecloths. 

It is very difficult to force Easter lilies into bloom a second time indoors but if planted in the garden after risk of frost, the bulb plant may bloom again in the summer or fall.  However, the bulbs are not hardy and won’t survive an Ontario winter in the ground.  Pick a site with bright light but some shelter from extreme heat and wind.  As the original plant dies back, cut the stems down to the soil surface. New growth will soon emerge. The Easter lilies, which were forced to bloom under controlled greenhouse conditions in March, may rise again naturally in the summer!