WELCOME
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Blue Skies Orchard is proud to support “Hands in Service”. Hands in Service is a local not for profit.
Their annual project called “Living Salads” provides container planters of mostly vegetables, herbs and marigolds, to individuals and families. These recipients are clients of local food banks, people who live with disabilities which prevents them from accessing community or other garden spaces and/or are families with children in school district #23 who have been identified as at risk of food insecurity. They hope the example of growing in a small planter may teach and encourage people to grow some of their own produce and empower them to be less dependent of other sources, as well as eat fresh healthy veggies. Many community agencies participate in this project. Last year they grew the number of planters to 500!
We are happy to supply these 500 marigolds for this initiative. The marigolds attract pollinators, act as pest control, and are pretty to look at!
https://handsinservice.ca/2020/05/06/living-salads-thank/
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Blue Skies Orchard is proud to be the home of Walter’s Hanging Baskets! Walter’s baskets have been bringing joy to Lake Country, Vernon and Kelowna customers since 1998.
Please note that photos are representative of past year's baskets. Your basket will vary in colour or shape.
Our hanging baskets are truly special, brimming with healthy plants. They have been carefully curated to provide constant blooms all season long, without the need to deadhead. We use burlap instead of moss to allow more room for soil, a wind block to prevent the soil from drying out from the wind, and a deluxe soil and fertilizer mix to retain moisture and feed the plants. Properly maintained, our baskets will dazzle right through to the first frost.
Choose a Sun Basket for a full-sun location. These full sun baskets are packed with a colourful selection of sun-loving plants that will bloom and grow all summer long, even in our Okanagan heat. These baskets need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight during the day. Our hand-planted baskets provide bright and bold flowers and greenery that overflow with vibrant hues! You will be the talk of the neighbourhood!
The Sun Baskets are available in 4 sizes. 16”, 18”, 20” and 24”. We don’t recommend hanging the 24”, but they look spectacular cascading down from the top of a wine barrel, or from a plant stand.
Please note that photos are representative of past year's baskets. Your basket will vary in colour or shape.
Choose a Shade Basket for a shaded or part-sun location. The Shade Baskets are bursting with a lovely assortment of shade plants and foliage to add colour and beauty to your summer. These baskets thrive in lower light areas that are primarily in shade, or in areas that only receive morning sun, such as a north facing position, shaded by a tree or overhang.
The Shade Baskets are available in 16”, 18”, 20” and 24”. We don’t recommend hanging the 24” basket, but they look stunning on a wine barrel or in a plant stand.
Please note that photos are representative of past year's baskets. Your basket will vary in colour or shape.
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Culinary Herb Planter
The 12.5 inch tabletop herb planter provides a fragrant selection of must-have herbs that are ready to harvest as needed. These herbs are easy to snip and add to your culinary creations all summer. These planters make great Mother’s/Father’s Day gifts!
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“Don’t Bug Me” Planter
The 12.5” “Don’t Bug Me” planter is brimming with an assortment of plants carefully chosen for their ability to repel those annoying mosquitos, flies, and spiders! Convenient to move around to keep bugs from bugging you all summer long. Makes a great hostess gift!
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Blue Skies Bloom Boost
The secret to keeping your baskets blooming profusely is feeding your plants regularly! Our fertilizer is a safe, water soluble solution that is easy to use. This fertilizer is high in phosphorus to promote budding, blooming, and root development in hanging baskets (and flower gardens, too!). 15-30-15 400g
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Heavy Duty Swivel Hangers
The heavy-duty swivel hanger holds 200 pounds and will not break from wind-bending fatigue. This hanger is recommended for 18 and 20 “ baskets.
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Blackberry Honey
Our blackberry honey is magical, hand-poured for Blue Skies orchard in Lantzville, Vancouver Island. Equally delicious spooned into tea or set out with sharp cheese and fresh fruit. A jar makes a perfect hostess gift!
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Blackberry Jam
Spread this delicious homemade blackberry jam on toast or eat it by the spoonful! Made in small batches for Blue Skies Orchard.
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Composting and Recycling
At Blue Skies Orchard, we are happy to compost and recycle your baskets! Drop them by anytime. If we’re not home and the gates are closed, please leave the baskets in the grey wagon parked outside the gate. It is marked!
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Orders for the 2024 season open January 22, 2024.
To place an order, complete the order form below.
For any questions, please call or Text Diane (250) 801-8147
or
Email blueskiesorchard@gmail.com
HOW TO ORDER:
Complete the Order Form Below and Press SEND
Once I have received your order, I will send you an email confirmation. Order early to avoid disappointment! We sold out early last year.
Baskets must be paid in full, prior to pick-up. Baskets will be ready to go to their new homes in May.
Please call ahead to set a pick-up time.
Around the end of April I will send another email with your invoice. In April, payments can be made either by e-transfer to
blueskiesorchard@gmail.com or paid by cash.
Thank you for supporting our family business.
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Keep Your Hanging Baskets Beautiful All Season
Our hanging flower baskets and planters are a beautiful and festive addition to your space. They will flourish all season if you give them what they need to grow and to stay healthy.
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❀ Location, Location, Location!
Be sure to hang your baskets in the right location.
For example, our Sun Baskets are cascading with plants that flourish in full or partial sun. The Shade Basket is planted with blooms that prefer a shady, or partially sunlit location. Hanging baskets should be protected from strong winds.
❀ Water
Having a regular watering schedule is important to the health of your baskets. Changing outdoor temperatures can change the way your basket should be watered. Early in the season, or during cool, overcast weather, your basket may only need water every couple days. In the heat of August, they may need to be watered twice a day! To check the moisture level in your hanging pots, just stick your finger in the soil in the middle of the pot. If the soil feels moist, wait to water until the soil feels dry. Eventually, you will get the hang of testing how dry a basket is by simply lifting it up a little from the bottom to gauge the weight of the basket. Over-watering can be problematic to your baskets, especially in the early season, so allowing your pots to slightly dry out between waterings will keep them free from root rot. When they are slightly dry and ready to be watered, allow the water to fill the entire pot and run out the drain holes at the bottom to ensure there is water way down at the root level.
A drip system is the optimal and carefree way to keep your basket hydrated.
❀ Fertilizer - Feed your Plants
To keep your basket blooming all summer, you should feed them with a flowering plant fertilizer designed to be mixed with water once a week. Follow the label directions carefully and use the directions for container plants. Do not make the solution stronger than the label recommends or you may burn the roots of your plants. This weekly boost will supplement the fertilizer that was added in layers when your basket was planted. For your convenience, we sell Blue Skies Bloom Boost at our Farm Shop.
❀ Keep The Plants Trim and Tidy
The majority of the plants are chosen to be self shedding so you do not need to deadhead the spent flowers to increase the blooms. However, keeping dead flowers plucked off does make the basket look nicer. Trim off straggly and broken ends to generally keep the plant full and bushy! Around July, if the length of the cascading plants looks long and leggy, you can give your basket a haircut with a clean pair of scissors or sheers to encourage new growth.
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