Northern Wildflowers
Flowers Road P0M 3E0 Whitefish, ON, Canada

This morning we spotted a very young Eastern tree frog living his best life while lounging on an also very young Canada Mayflower. @lakelaurentianca #liveyourbestlife #herpetology #frogsofinstagram #nativeplants #northernwildflowers

There will come a day when these two don’t let me put them in matching wildflower shirts...until then @theislandjar thanks for making these beauty tees- with actual wildflowers native to Manitoulin and area. They are so soft and wonderful, I will be picking myself up a mommy-sized version in the near future #outdoorkids #manitoulinisland #supportsmallbusiness #matchymatchy

I was so happy to spot these little wild lupine seedlings at the farm this weekend! Wild lupine (Lupinnus perennis) is the only native lupine in Ontario. It has amazing powdering blue flowers and blooms from late June to mid July. Wild lupine is the only host plant of the Karner blue butterfly, which used to be found in the most southern areas of Ontario. Unfortunately most of the wild growing lupines we seed filling roadsides are non-native bigleaf (Lupinnus polyphyllus) and... Russell lupine hybrids. While they may be pretty to look at, these varieties have caused the near total disappearance of wild lupine from the province, as the plant can crowd out and hybridize with the native variety. When wild lupine disappears, so does the Karner blue butterfly. To make matters worse, many large seed suppliers falsely label hybrid seed as wild lupine. It seems they are so hybridized, it is even becoming difficult for seed suppliers to tell them apart. Wild lupine is shorter, has a more consistent powdery blue colour, has 7-11 leafleats (while hybrids generally have 9-17 leaflefts) and the seed of wild lupine is generally lighter in colour. We started growing wild lupine at the farm 2 years ago, only to realize our plants had either hybridized with a nearby wild growing non-native stand, or the seeds we received in the first place were hybrids . So last fall, we got new seed from a more reputable supplier, Chase made a new bed on top of a more isolated rockcut (very "Sudbury" of us I know) and we will try again. If this little stand takes off, we are going to have the most gorgeous blue stand on this rock perch overlooking the farm! And we would be able to restock the wild lupine in our online store

You know how it is. #repost @thegardeningsoul #garden #gardenlife

Just a couple of spring beauties coming up in the forested part of the farm. Pictured: - Round- lobed hepatica (Anemone americana)- wild growing... - Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)- planted #spring #forestphotography #northernwildflowers #wildflowersofinstagram

We have a winner on Instagram! Congrats @bekahemily87 I’ll pm you for your details. We are having a contest For those of you who are last minute Mother's Day shoppers- we get you, we got you, we are you. Our online Gift Certificates upload instantly, so no one needs every know how utterly unprepared you were this year.... For all of May, for every $40 worth of Gift Certificates you purchase for mom, we are also throwing in an additional $5 Gift Certificate to gift to yourself or someone special. We are drawing for one $40 Gift Certificate on Mother's Day. To enter: 1) Like our Facebook Page 2) and/or Follow our Instagram Page 3) Tag a friend (s) for extra entries Contest closes at 7pm on May 9th. Entries open to all, but note we can only ship our products within Canada.

Hey all- a friendly reminder for any Santa's hoping to leave some native seed goodies under the tree... Our products ship via Canada Post Xpresspost, and you will want to have your orders in by these dates in order for them to arrive by Christmas: Greater Sudbury: Dec. 20... Northeastern Ontario: Dec 20 Canada-Wide: Dec 17 For our local customers in the Greater Sudbury area, we are waiving our local shipping fee for the month of December. Orders of $45 or more within a 50km radius qualify for FREE FRONT PORCH DELIVERY. Make sure you have a secure and dry spot for us to leave your package.

The woman power runs strong here This is Avery, she’s a part-time student on our team. Avery just went through every step of cleaning these Cutleaf Coneflower seeds by herself. This multi-step process requires an understanding of principles in math, biology and engineering and operating and tinkering with multiple pieces of machinery. Some of our machines require a great deal of technical experience to operate, they can be also be finicky and intimidating-I’m so proud of h...er. Through the many jobs I had as a student, as a girl and a pretty timid one at the time, I was never given the chance to do these types of things. I never got to drive the boat, tinker with the equipment or generally to be at the helm of what I was working on- and I bloody knew how! It was assumed I couldn’t or didn’t want to do it and was too scared to impose. Best part, my daughter Danica watches it all. She thinks Avery is pretty cool too. #betterrolemodels #strongwomen #girlsinscience

PRAIRIE SMOKE IS COMING! This totally unique prairie native is coming to our collection very soon. Seed is cleaned (thanks Chase) and just needs to get packaged up (thanks Avery). Stay tuned.

I have so many goals for Northern Wildflowers in 2021 (one of which is taking better social media pics...but I mean one thing at a time folks). In 2021, what I am most excited about are our SUSTAINABILITY GOALS. Over the next few weeks I wanted to share a bit of these stories with you all. Some of the things we are already doing, some stuff we are rolling out and some problems we have yet to solve. ... First up I wanted to chat about our retail seed envelopes. It took me a REALLY long time to find a printer that could offer some of the greener options I wanted- and this was important because as a retailer, packaging is such an important part of our environmental footprint. Our retail seed packs are printed on recycled paper, and wait for it...in the teeniest, tiniest text you will see that they are printed in soy-based ink. Soy-based ink is, well made from soybeans, along with other natural compounds like resins and waxes. Less ink is required and paper printed with soy-based ink is also easier to recycle. Soy-based ink is a greener option in comparison to traditional petroleum-based inks, which contain high amount of VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, including toluene, benzene and xylene. These compounds can be very harmful to the environment, wildlife and people. For example, benzene is a common carcinogen. Lastly, to reduce on shipping related greenhouse gas emissions, we print our packaging as close to home as possible, at a specialty printer in Southern Ontario.

I just added some PURPLE PRAIRIE CLOVER to our online store. I love this flower. It is all the good things. Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea) is both beautiful and practical. The plant is very easy to grow, drought tolerant and grows well in a variety of soil conditions including rock gardens. A member of the clover family, purple prairie clover fixes nitrogen, hence enhancing the soil for other neighbouring plants. The unique bright purple flowers and the plants clump ...forming habit make for a beautiful addition to the garden. https://northernwildflowers.ca/produ/purple-prairie-clover

My relationship with indoor plants. #ikillferns #ikillsucculents #ikillspiderplants

Our monthly email newsletter has your first look at our new products and a special exclusive promo code. We have a nice little line up of new varieties coming in January, so if you aren’t already signed up- you’ve got a few more days to do so. Click our landing page www.northernwildflowers.ca and scroll down to the sign up bar. #enewsletter #northernwildflowers #january2021

Repost @clickfork If you’re in Northeastern Ontario and looking for some gorgeous holiday gift baskets- packed with LOCAL GOODNESS check out these beauties from our friends @clickfork They also have a great selection of our seed varieties available too! Baskets are ready for mid December with option of community pickup or home delivery in many locations. Clickfork.ca... #xmasgifts #shoplocal #northernontario #knowyourfarmer #giftideas

We have a tradition of creating a small batch of a fun, new wildflower mix every November. We call it our 'Festivus Mix'- its my quirky, Seinfeld-loving way of celebrating the holidays and the wrap up of another seed harvesting season. 2020 has been so many things- I really had to think long and hard about what this tradition would mean this year. So I created a simple mix of wildflower varieties that would bring colours to the garden that remind me of love and hope- as we... look toward a better 2021. Our 2020 Festivus Mix includes an assortment of short wildflower varieties that will provide beautiful yellow, orange and red blooms for many years to come. Inside you'll find perennial blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata), annual blanketflower (Gaillardia pulchella), black-eyed susans (Rudbeckia hirta) and prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera). We only have about 900 seed packs of this one made up. For this year, we added discounted 5 and 10 seed pack quantities for anyone with stockings to stuff Let me know what you think! https://northernwildflowers.ca/products/2020-festivus-mix

We remember and we honour. While these defining conflicts for our country move further and further into the past, it is so important to make sure we honour and remember these terrible events and all the mostly young lives that were lost. There are some great online resources through the Canadian War Museum to help educate your little ones. This short video was a great resource. The Royal Canadian Legion is also streaming a Remembrance Day service on their Facebook page today.... https://www.warmuseum.ca/remember/#close https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fV9IaGm9xQ https://m.facebook.com/CanadianLegion/

Our number one email, telephone and social media inquiry at present- "is it too late to plant my fall seeds?" Good news-you still have a bit of time. Basically fall planting should be done after the first frost (check), up until the ground is unworkable- whether it's frozen stiff or covered in snow. Around here (in Northern Ontario) that means mid-November, but in milder parts of our country you can hold off until as late as end of December.

New data to support something that maybe we already kind of knew- in that same way we know that getting dirty is good for kids?! New study shows garden areas improved the immune systems of daycare children in only a month The Finn study measured what happened when children planted and tended crops in planter boxes, and played on lawns that were added to paved, tiled, or gravel-coated yard areas at daycare centers. The study showed that repeated contact with nature-like el...ements five times a week diversified the body’s microbes which offered protection against diseases transmitted through the immune system in daycare children. https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/children-had-improved-immu/

Do you know which native grass is also the host plant of several butterfly species? More on this in our most recent blog post 5 Unlikely Butterfly Host Plants. https://northernwildflowers.ca/blogs/our-blog... #blog #nativeplants #savethebutterflies #greenliving #northernwildflowers #gardentips #dyk

Repost from our friends at Click Fork. Check out all of the beautiful locally produced Northeastern Ontario products.

We get by with a little help from our friends We have a growing network of collectors across the country that allow us to a offer even more native seed varieties. Bunchberry from Chip Lake AB, showy milkweed from Brandon MB, Jack in the pulpit from Lindsay ON, red banneberry from Sault Ste. Marie ON and staghorn sumac from North Bay ON- to name a few.... We walk our collectors through a positive ID of target species, sustainable wild collection practices and when the seed is ripe they collect and ship our way. We clean and weigh the seed and compensate accordingly. We are currently looking for seed from healthy wild stands of bottle gentian, turtlehead, jack in the pulpit and wild geranium. PM us if you can help! #dyk #northernwildflowers #teamworkmakesthedreamwork #wildcollection #nativeplants

Throwback to that time this summer when I taught my kiddos that garden pansies were edible. Little ones are so good at this stuff- they remembered how to ID them all summer

Wishing a very happy thanksgiving to our fellow Canadian followers. We are thankful for our family, our health, our community and of course beautiful fall days like this one. #grateful #gratitude #givethanks #northernwildflowers #2020 #thanksgiving

Happy Ontario Agriculture Week! Which Ontario growers and producers do you like to support? Some of my favourites are @theuglybarnfarm @notsohollowfarm @threeforksfarms @dalewfarms @dare2dreamalpacafarm @herbertfisheries @kiplingridgefarms @heartwoodmushrooms ... #supportlocal #ontarioagricultureweek #smallfarm #familyfarm #eatlocal

I may just have a new favourite wildflower. Introducing dotted mint. A cousin to wild bergamot, dotted mint is edible and incredibly aromatic. It’s brilliant row of mini orchid-like flowers and colourful rows of floral bracts make for a completely unique addition to the garden. Dotted mint is also a favourite food source of the endangered Karner Blue Butterfly. Available in individual seed packs, 1 gram quantities and as part of our brand new Wild Tea Collection. More coming on that last one soon... #northernwildflowers #endangeredspecies #wildflowers #newproductalert #supportlocal #northernontario #canadiangrowers

What I have for you today is a cinematic masterpiece... ok maybe not that incredible but still pretty cool. I have been trying for the last 4 years to catch a bumble bee fighting it's way out of a bottle gentian flower and I finally got it! The bottle gentian flower remains tightly closed (like a bottle...) and bumble bees are the only pollinators with the strength to get in and out.. mind you the struggle is real.

This moody Sunday calls for wild bergamot and blueberry tea Wild bergamot is both delicious and has soothing and antimicrobial properties. It has been used to treat colds, indigestion and nausea. I really like it dried and added to any fruity tea- hot or cold. #edibleplants #herbal #wildmedicine #northernwildflowers #fallvibes #herbgarden

*** congrats to our winner Tracey Lee-Ann. Take a peak for my PM and send me your shipping address.*** It’s been a while since we had a contest! We are going to draw for our brand new ‘Monarch Butterfly Seed Collection’- share the love and tag a gardening friend too! How to enter:... - LIKE our Facebook or Instagram PAGES for a chance to win. This full sun collection is curated with 5 wildflower varieties that are beneficial to monarch butterflies. Common, Butterfly, Showy and Swamp Milkweed are the host plant of the monarch butterfly caterpillar, while Dense Blazingstar is a favourite nectar source for adult butterflies. Showy milkweed is a rare variety, which we have available this year in very limited quantities. Draw will take place Tuesday October 6th at 5pm. Note- prize can only be shipped to Canadian addresses. #contest #northernwildflowers #fridaymood #garden #monarchbutterfly

Finally a nice day to get out and collect some Canada Goldenrod and White Aster seed. These species are more popular with our commercial clients, often making their way into seed mixes used to restore challenging sites. Both do well in poor soil conditions, so we particularly like to include them in mixes for mine reclamation projects. These seed are bound for an orphaned mine project in the far north. #mining #canadianmining #reclamation #regreening #wildflowers #northernwildflowers

We have gotten so many inquiries in the last few days about where to get our seeds. Luckily there are lots of different options: 1) Secure online Canada-wide ordering through our website northernwildflowers.ca Remember orders of $45 or more get $5 flat rate shipping and orders of $100 or more ship for free. We are also currently offering a local delivery option for qualifying orders within Greater Sudbury.... 2) @clickfork an absolutely lovely online farmers market, carries a large range of our products and offers delivery and weekly pickup throughout Greater Sudbury, North Bay and West Nipissing. 3) @newnorthgreenhouses a first class garden center in Sault Ste. Marie carries our full line of products and is open for in-store shopping or curbside pickup. 3) @nickelrefillery an amazing zero waste shop in Sudbury has a nice assortment of our varieties and is open for in-store shopping or curbside pickup. We are working with a number of other retailers looking to carry our goodies this spring. In which other cities would you like to see our products? Let us know in the comments! #shoplocal #retailtherapy #fallgarden #wildflowers #northernwildflowers

We made the news Thanks CTV News for braving the rain to come out and chat! https://www.google.ca//northern-o/2020/9/28/1_5124009.html

How’s about a little plant trivia?! Do you recognize this seed? It is the seed of a familiar perennial, that most grow from bulbs. None of its varieties are native to North America, despite the orange variety you may see growing on roadsides. All parts of this plant are edible. What plant do these seeds belong to?... #trivia #gardening #northernwildflowers #dyk #perennials

Another new addition to our collection is our Easy To Grow Wildflower Seed Mix. The nice thing about this mix is you can plant it in the fall or spring and it contains many varieties that will flower in their first year. The mix contains 11 low maintenance varieties like lanceleaf coreopsis, purple prairie clover, dotted mint, Canada tick trefoil and more. Choose to mix according to the area you want to cover- from 100 to 1,000 square feet.... https://northernwildflowers.ca//easy-to-grow-wildflower-se