Hello, is there anybody out there?

Soooo, six months later, and its all a blur... I've been taking flack from the guys and girls at work for not posting any pictures, so here is one from our 1st Annual Stampede Party - aren't they cute?!?!

What a challenging year at Spruce! The weather has not helped the gardeners of Calgary, but somehow we have managed to come out of the season with a decent year. The best part was getting closer to so many people - it was such a great team this year! I am thankful for everyone who I have had the honor to have known. We will be having our year end BBQ tomorrow night, and it looks like it will be the perfect event on a perfect night! I will post pictures to show you the fun had by all. New friendships, old friendships renewed, relationships that teach you a valuable lesson - that's what this year at Spruce has been about. Gosh, I sound like its over, but we still have 6 weeks of fun left in us, so come and visit us and share in our enjoyment... Happy Wednesday...

We've Had a Good Run...

That's actually what I say about my dog cause he's pretty old, but he's had a good run. With little teeth and being partially deaf, he still manages to run to the door and great me every night - I love him... It has been a great week at Spruce, albeit slightly stressful with some crazy events!! We did manage to see what seemed like a thousand trucks roll onto the lot filling us up with trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals. I have missed the life it brings to Spruce and the excitement that it creates. It's unbelievable what spring does to your perspective - it gives you rebirth, like every day is a new day, and it gives you renewed hope... Sounds hokey, I know, but it truly does give me hope. When things aren't goin so well, I take a look outside and I see life and vibrancy. I see a whole crew of people pulling together to create an atmosphere. I see comraderie, and I see friendship. Aaaah spring... it's a new beginning... Happy gardening...

Never Enough Time...

You know what I've come to realize? No matter how much you try to organize your life to prevent chaos, chaos happens... You get torn in so many directions, you try to prioritize, but something less important always seems to pull you away. Can you tell that Spruce's season is almost open us? I made the commitment to write a daily blog starting on March 1st, and now we are well into April, and this is only my second post.
Anyways, we are making headway at the store as we receive the last of our orders. Tomorrow, our shipment of Vietnamese pots lands in our lot, and it will be time to find places to put everything. The orders of giftware continue to trickle in, and our designer shows up next week to make everything fit - a job I don't envy! Suddenly our cute little store spreads out to 10 acres as we receive our green goods at the end of April. Aaaah..... Here's to a great 5th season at Spruce!

Welcome Back

Well, it has almost been 6 months since my last post... Time flies when your havin fun! I am back at the store this season as the Store Manager. People have asked me 'Why would you do that?' (sort of in a disgusted way, like they think i'm crazy). The answer is simple...I like it there. Spruce has such potential to be great and I want to be a part of it. I have been back for a month now, and I have seen positive things happening and everyone seems to be excited about the upcoming season. My son Mike was the first generation of Sprucers that went through and now my daughter Grace will have her first year at the garden centre and I couldn't be happier to see a new era... Last weekend we saw our first taste of how busy this season will be - the store was abuzz with activity - bulbs, seeds, giftware. Everyone had spring fever, and why not - the weather has been getting us in the mood. We hope to start a facebook page to further extend our presence in the virtual world, so watch for that in coming days.... Happy Wednesday...

Sign Off From Spruce

Another year at Spruce is winding down, and for me personally, it is officially over. I have totally enjoyed my job this year, the people I have gotten close to, and the new friends I have made. Don't forget to check out the Christmas store at Spruce that will be unfolding from October 8th to 11th, and being showcased at the Spruce Christmas Unveiling on November 5th. On November 5th, customers will all be able to take advantage of a 15% discount, and the evening event will commence around 6:00 (call for details) with our annual Wine and Cheese - always one of my favorite times of year...
Anyways, until we meet again...Peace Out...J

The New Spruce Gear is Here...

I think Pat is wearing every piece of new gear we got! Thanks to Dave for sprucing up our clothing line...
Can't believe it, I just wrote an article for a September newsletter and I talked about the changing colors on the trees and shrubs. Another summer season will be winding up before we know it, and then out comes the Christmas stuff.
A lot of our spruce 'kids' will be headed back to school soon, so it will just be us 'lifers' left. Thanks go out to all of our staff this year - best season ever! As they head back, I look forward to next season as I complete all of my pre-orders with our suppliers. Pat gears up her buying and receiving as she also looks towards next season. She will be headed to Philly this week to capture a wonderful order of 2010 fountains and pots that we will be showcasing in the near future. Aaah, one year just rolls into the next....
Have a fabulous Monday...

Holidays...

Penelope Trunk wrote a couple of days ago that if you love your life, there is no need to take a holiday. I guess I can appreciate her points, yet coming from someone who loves her job, it would be so nice to take a trip far away from it for a couple of weeks. As my Dad would have said - "where did the summer go?"...
I guess we all took a trip to Edmonton this past week, so that should be good for a while... It was so interesting to see how other garden centres work - the good, the bad and the ugly. It actually made me very proud of what we have built at Spruce. I mean, we can always improve on the little stuff, but I believe we are all dedicated to achieving the best we can be, and the best part is, I think we have a pretty damn nice store...
As we move towards September, we all believe that since summer was 4-5 weeks late, we will have a fabulously long fall season, which is always good for people who want to complete their outdoor projects this fall rather than waiting until spring. September and October are fabulous times to plant if the weather stays decently warm, and then maybe, just maybe, the stars will align and I will be able to take the vacation I am yearning for...