OLDS — There might be more opportunity next year for residents, groups and businesses to obtain surplus plants from the Olds College greenhouse program, says Daniel Chappell, the college’s manager of botanic gardens and greenhouses.
Last month, they distributed hundreds of trays of excess plants grown by students.
“We kind of had some extras at the end of the season and rather than throwing them in the compost, we felt like if people needed them, it was a better place to send them,” he said during an interview.
Plants such as pansies, petunias, geraniums, lobelia, and alyssum were distributed to the town of Olds, the Boys and Girls Club of Olds and Area and other entities as well as some town residents.
Chappell said the distribution was coordinated by a nurse at the Olds Hospital and Care Centre because she helped organize an effort to distribute Olds College plants to that facility earlier this year.
“Next year, I think I’d anticipate a bit of growth,” he said. “I know that kind of what I was doing with how much we were deciding to sell is more than the greenhouse used to do.”
“So, I think as people learn that we carry plants and that we’re a good option for people's gardening needs, then hopefully we’ll get a bit more interest next year.”
Chappell said the main reason for the distribution was that the college had more plants on hand because there were more greenhouse students growing them than in previous years.
There were about 30 students in this year’s class, up about 10 from the average figure.
Chappell was asked if COVID was a factor in the demand for plants and the amount grown.
“We kept more, because the students always grow quite a bit and I held onto more for longer with that anticipation that people might have that demand. It wasn’t as much as I thought it might be, but it was still a good amount of demand,” he said.
“I know through COVID last year, garden centres sold out early and there was really high demand.
“I think people got worried and bought early this year, so it was really hard to decide how long to keep the plants.
“But we did have those extras from the greenhouse class this year.”
Chappell said all the scorching temperatures this season made growing conditions tough.
“We had a couple of very challenging weeks keeping them alive towards the end there with that heat,” he said.
