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As the summer progresses, it is exciting to watch the changes. The bees' eye view just gets more colorful from now until the weather kicks us out of the gardens. The upick flowers are unfurling. The bees are buzzing, The stormy weather has held off so far... We plant with succession in mind so that new beauties arrive almost weekly. The dahlias are really beginning to flaunt their petals. The ranunculus are winding down. The sunflowers are popping. Bishop's lace, strawflowers

Join us for a fun-filled floral arrangement event at Detention Brewing in Rosalind, Alberta. August 8 at 2pm. Bring friends and plans for lotsa laughs while creating your next masterpiece. To register, please call, 403-483-9090 with your names and number of guests. http://www.ferrypointsprings.com

Grab some friends for a fun event immersed in flowers, imagination, and giggles. I'll buy your first pint of Detention Brewing craft beer to enjoy while we get creative with stunning flowers freshly selected from our gardens. $55 per person includes one drink. I provide all the flowers, containers, and instruction. Register at contact@ferrypointsprings.com or by calling Tanya at 403-483-9090. Dates: Saturday, August 8 at 2pm Thursday, August 13 at 6pm Thursday, August 27 at 6

Ferry Point Springs U-Pick Flowers and Events is OPEN. We have survived the weather, to date, with minimal casualties to flowers. We are opening later than planned due to the cool spring. What to do when you arrive: Go to the "she shed" at the entrance to the property to pick up a container, water, and snippers. The instructions for payment are also in the shed. Walk or drive over to the u-pick garden and enter by the front or side gate. We suggest walking through the garden

This life is not for everyone. The pretty pictures, cute cabin and livestock, and good weather are not guaranteed. There are very cold days, floods, droughts, bugs, and heartaches. If you don’t have a strong sense of “why” and a good dose of stubborn determination, you will probably quit before you really get started. The whole process (and quitting) can be very costly so determine your "WHY" then make realistic lists of pros and cons, finances, amenities/resources nearby, an

If you look outside today, it doesn't look much like spring, but we are doing what we can to hurry it along. Darwin is braving the snow to spread newly delivered gravel on our driveway. We have also started many seeds and tubers in anticipation of the upcoming cut-flower season. Our greenhouse heats up well in the daytime, but with night temperatures still well below zero, we will keep the seedlings inside our cabin for a few more weeks. Eventually, the sun will rise high eno

While building the first rental cabin, we lived in our camper trailer. It’s a decent 4-season trailer but the -30 to -40 Celsius weather dealt a hard blow. Tanya wrapped the outside in a cocoon of bubble-wrap insulation then Darwin and his brother encased us in a temporary plywood building wrapped in insulated tarps. We lived in near complete blackout darkness for months while howling wind brought snow and ice that built yet another layer - ice - sometimes dripping like rain

Our initial cabin is a labor of renewal and refreshing of items old and older. For the most part, our materials have been salvaged from unusable historic buildings on our property, Restore (Habitat for Humanity store), and Facebook Marketplace. Of course, there are essential items from big box stores, but we sourced as much as possible from pre-loved items. Connolly Ranch log home We kicked off the hunt for materials by looking in our back yard. Around the middle of the 20th

More work, but less stress... Life had been stressful. Between work and life events, things had spiraled into chaos. Tanya's health was failing quickly and our marriage was struggling as we tried to stay afloat. Something had to change... After a big discussion with our adult children, we packed our belongings into four shipping containers, sold our lovely house in Okotoks, and moved 3.5 hours to the middle of Alberta where we set up our 37-foot camper trailer to live in whil

Ferry Point Springs overview and vision Bird's eye view of the Upick garden as of the summer of 2025. This is the entry to our property. If you are visiting the Upick, start at this shed. A hazy day in the Battle River Valley looking north from Ferry Point Springs. Early morning view of the kitchen garden and first half of the walipini greenhouse. Rustic and beginnings. This 30x30 foot greenhouse is partially underground for geothermal heat. It is made from found items, recyc

Gather your friends and join us to meet new people amidst beautiful flowers and a lively atmosphere at Detention Brewing in Rosalind,...

We are madly laboring to finish details prior to opening for business in the U-Pick flower farm on July 30th. The rains last week were...

Throughout the winter and spring of 2025, Darwin and Tanya have been busy with construction and planting in preparation for a soft...

We went for a walk today after the spring snowstorm. A twittering sparrow landed on Darwin's head and a large group of robins took turns...

Ferry Point is part of the history of this area and the history of my husband's family. The town was founded around the ferry crossing of...