The winter of 1998/1999 changed my life forever!
Did you know what you wanted to be when you grew up? I sure didn’t. I had NO idea what I should do after graduation.
Our Church Pastor & Youth leader at the time encouraged me to sign up for a Volunteer Program that he had heard of. It was 10 months of Volunteering in another city and sounded intriguing. So for the lack of a better plan I did.
The volunteer position that I was placed in was at a Workplace Organization that provided occupational therapy for Mentally Disabled Adults. The two parts of the business were a wood shop and a greenhouse.
I think you might see where this is going…….
So here I was a fresh-faced 17-year-old, who had just graduated in June of 1998. I was off on an adventure!
I started in the wood shop in September and transitioned into the greenhouse in January 1999.
I’m not sure if you’ve ever been to a greenhouse in the dead of winter before, but there is something magical about it. The moist heat and the smell of fresh moist soil are something you just can’t beat. I’ve been known to go to a greenhouse just for aroma therapy!
I learned all about house plants and how to take cuttings. I learned about seeding annual plants, transplanting and a bit about selling. I was hooked!
Off to College!
I went from having no plan to applying to Olds College for its Greenhouse Management Program. At that time the Horticulture Program was broken into very specific niches and the greenhouse part just felt right!
I came out of Olds College with a 2-year diploma program in Greenhouse Management, but it wasn’t enough. I felt like there was so much more to learn. There had been too much focus on vegetables and not enough on all the other things you could grow. So I took an extra year and finished up with a Nursery Management Diploma.
Also at this time, Olds College was developing its Bachelor program for Horticulture. I had a couple of friends who were enrolling in this and it felt like the right fit as well. So I came right back for 1 more year of schooling and got my Bachelor’s Degree in Horticulture.
Part of this Bachelor’s program was a year of Direct Field Study. That’s just a fancy way to say you work for a year while following a “curriculum”. It gives you hands-on learning that you then present to the college for a final grade.
The Love of Perennials was Born!
The job placement for that Directed Field study was at a very large Nursery in Alberta. I had never been to such a large nursery before and it was amazing!
I was put in charge of seeding all of their perennials. I oversaw all the planting of the perennial roots that came in too. My eyes were opened to so many possibilities!
Growing up my Mom had a perennial garden, but there were so many more plants that I had never seen before. Tall ones, short ones, some for rock gardens, some for planting on the side of roadways. The list seemed endless, and I wanted them ALL!
Landscapers came in and out with huge orders and I saw so many plants grow. This nursery also sold trees and shrubs, but my main focus was in the greenhouse with the actual growing of the perennials.
All the greenhouse jobs I had held in the summers between my college years were nothing like this. Those were short-season plants. This was all about the long game in gardening.
I had a new passion! It was ALL about the perennial flower!
Fast Forward to today
Asiatic Lily Collection at my farm
So much life has happened since those 2 years I worked at that large Nursery. I fell in love, got married, had 3 babies, moved far too many times to count, started a greenhouse business but then listed that yard for sale and now am ready to open up again in the spring of 2023.
For me, it will always be about the perennial flower. I can’t be without them. I collecting them. I love watching them come up in the spring. I love seeing the different colours that bloom in the garden.
I love that they can take a little bit of frost and still shine on. I love that you can share them with your friends and family. I love that even in our harsh winters they live on under the snow.
So now you know!
That winter of 1998/1999 I was just a shy girl with no idea of what her future might hold. But that season is a season that has shaped me into who I am today.
I needed to go and be taken out of my comfort zone to find the path I was supposed to be on. Without that winter I’m not sure where or who I would be today.
So, I’m so very thankful for God’s handiwork in guiding me to the world of Horticulture.
Even though there is snow outside my window,
Happy Gardening!
Heidi Motz
