Even after a dozen years, greenhouse owner still loves coming to work

Joleen Blaeser, of Country Girl Greenhouse in Killam, is ready to start her 12th year of providing annual bedding out plants for Killam and the surrounding area, with regular customers from as far away as Kitscoty, Wainwright, Beaver County, and even Edmonton and Calgary.

Before Blaeser took over the business, her mom Joanne Lewis ran the business for 11 years.

Since taking over, Blaeser has expanded from one greenhouse to four, adding three 30′ x 80′ buildings over the years, and now has just under 10 employees who help every spring.

“There’s a lot of watering during May,” she says, with two people watering plants full time at two of the off site greenhouses, located across town, two more watering at the main location, and two in sales.

While the big day for gardeners everywhere is May 1, Blaeser’s season starts the previous September, when she places her order for the following summer.

Tens of thousands of slips and seeds get planted, some as early as December, in preparation for the big summer season.

Blaeser has a number of suppliers, including the very popular Proven Winners brand.

Proven Winners introduce a number of new stars every year, and this year’s Night Sky petunia is going to be flying out of the greenhouse, Blaeser predicts. The dark purple-blue petunia is covered with small white ‘stars’ and is a stunning flower.

She says it came out last year, but in very limited quantities, and this is the first time she’s been able to get her hands on the plant for her customers.

With 2017 being Canada’s 150th birthday, Blaeser says she also planted extra red and white, planning ahead for those who will want to celebrate.

“The Town of Killam has been very supportive,” she says, and will also be going with the red and white theme, with a splash of colour thrown in.