Beckie’s Creations - Plants

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Beckie’s Creations - Plants

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Beckie’s Creations - Plants, Gardener, Bancroft Drive, about 2. 5 blocks from Kingsway/Bancroft dr Tim Hortons, Greater Sudbury, ON.

Small home business
Check out the Photo Albums and Message me with your orders
Pick up: Bancroft dr 2.5 blocks from the Kingsway/Bancroft dr Tim Hortons

Houseplants, garden plants and other plant items

09/06/2026

Luffa! Part 1 of 3: General Info and germination tips
Seeding Tips / Plant of the Day

The sponge people use in the shower is actually a gourd but did you know you could eat it too?

That’s the main reason I grew it this year. I didn’t really care about growing a sponge, I wanted to grow them to eat them. I had heard they are similar to a zucchini - which I love!😋

Something to note is that they take a long time to mature.
Start early! Days to harvest is 100-140+ for mature sponges but only 50-60 days for green culinary harvests (eating them).
People tell me they start in January…. I didn’t and can’t imaging how big they would be if I did! I started my first crop mid March.

From start to finish. Well, almost finish. I have left one to mature on the vine.

Seeding:
So they are not the easiest seeds to germinate. They require scarification. The seeds have a very hard, thick outer coating that keeps water and air out. You have to break that coating. I used a piece of sand paper and rubbed the edge until it was soft. Some of them I broke through to the gap between the embryo and shell. Germination didn’t seem to be affected by how deep I went. Just don’t damage the embryo or the radicle (the part of the embryo that the root comes from). The radicle is on the pointy end of the seed, so avoid doing anything to that end.
They also germinate better with soaking overnight, don’t soak too long as that can rot the seed.
Temperature: they require high temperatures to germinate faster. Heat mats set to 30’C are very helpful. Top shelf of my grow room is around 26’C and is still not enough for fast germination. That said some seeds will germinate in a few days while others will take weeks. Germination rates have not been great for me. I typically get 99-100% germination rates for seeds, these were closer to 60-70% 😞

Once they germinate it’s really important to have high light levels or they’ll stretch. They grow super fast in high heat and slow down in 20’C. I kept them low (cooler) in my grow room to keep them from growing fast as I have limited space in the spring. I also trimmed most of the vines once they got about a foot long, to save space and keep them from getting tangled.

Next post:
Hardening off!

I do have seeds available now and plan to start more plants next spring.
If you want a sponge, message me and I’ll make note of it so I can let you know when they are ready.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about my experiences and my tips. For more seeding tips on various kinds of plants search my page for “Seeding Tips.”
More information posts can be found by searching for “Plant of the day”/“PlantOfTheDay”

Thanks for supporting local small businesses 💜
Together, we grow! 🌱🌸🐝🍓

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09/02/2026

Bio Day!
Bio’s (good bugs) have arrived and I’ve got some extra ….

Lacewings (general predator, approx 500) $60 - one left!
Cucumeris packs (for thrips larvae) $16/ 10 packs - 3 portions left/30 packs available
Soil mites (for fungus gnats and thrips pupae) approx 2000- treats about 50 plants) $10/portion, multiples available

I’ve also got mosquito dunks for treating fungus gnats or rain barrel mosquitoes available all the time. $10/2 pucks. Instructions included

Message me to claim, pay and arrange pick up asap!
If you have questions, message me 🙂

Thanks for supporting local 💜
Together, we grow! 🌱

08/28/2026

🍓🍓🍓Strawberries!🍓🍓🍓

I’ve got 4” pots of strawberries available.

Yes, they are perennials (come back every year).
Yes, they are ever-bearing (bloom and fruit all season).
Yes, they are tasty! I picked about 2 cups from my plants yesterday😋
You can plant them in the ground or in larger pots/hanging baskets.
Overwintering is best in ground, but they overwinter surprisingly well in pots.

I’ve got 3 kinds, white flowering & bright pink flowering basket strawberries. They do best in baskets as they produce a lot of runners and fruit but they can be planted in the ground too. I also have Ozark Beauty another white flowering one that’s meant to plant in the ground. They are growing really well and I’m going to have to pot up some runners soon!

$5 each or 20 plants for $80 (that’s 2 free plants!)

I do have a few 1 gallon pots available as well for $15 each

As always message me to order, pay and arrange pickup.
Cash is accepted if picking up the same day you order…. But if you don’t show up, you lose that privilege!
Pickups scheduled 9am-6pm 7 days a week. Messages are responded to until 4pm unless you’ve pre arranged a pick up.

Thanks for supporting local 💜
Together, we grow! 🌱🌸🐝🍓

08/27/2026

Few things…
1- Last call for bio’s (good bugs that eat the bad) order goes in tomorrow (Friday morning). I may or may not have extra’s. Preordering and paying secures your buggies. See previous post for details.
2- Tomatoes (Early Girl, Black Beauty and Cherry) are still available. Message me with what you want.
3- fresh garden grown celery also available. This is cut right before you come. Nothing beats fresh celery for flavour. Grocery store celery tastes like water in comparison.
4- Don’t forget you can always find Perennials and Houseplants in the photo albums. Yes, pictures are outdated. Plants grow!
If you are interested in anything please message me and I’ll send new pictures 🙂

💥Note: Please DON’T message my personal account. I only use FB for my businesses Beckie’s Creations- Plants. I don’t get notifications or check my personal acct. anymore due to Meta’s stupid updates 😞

💥💥Another Note: due to FB’s rules I cannot initiate contact for messages. YOU have to! Go to the top of the main page. Right under the big photo of my living room is a “Message” button. Sometimes there is one at the bottom of the post beside the “like” or “comment” buttons.

💥💥💥One more Note: I have NOT booked anymore markets. They are exhausting and I want to enjoy what’s left of summer. I plan to return for the Winter market Oct-Christmas and will likely do some in September as well. I haven’t decided yet.

Thanks for supporting local small businesses 💜
Together, we grow! 🌱🌸

08/22/2026

Who’s ready for Bio’s? The good bugs that eat the bad bugs.
Got thrips? Spider mites? Fungus gnats? Aphids? Mealy bugs? Or some mystery bug attacking your houseplants??? Or your garden plants. These can be used outside as well!

I have a solution! One that’s legal and doesn’t include poison ☠️ . 100% non toxic. Safe for kids 👶, pets 🐈‍⬛ 🐕 and you 🫵!
Bio’s (biologicals)/beneficial bugs/good bugs/ your plant protector army…. Whatever you want to call them 😁

Count your plants and message me to help you figure out how many bio’s you need.

If dealing with thrips, please read my post on thrips. https://www.facebook.com/61555717072900/posts/122276454872190569/?

1: Cucumeris mites: eat thrips larvae. $16/10 packs, additional packs $1.60 each

2: Californicus mites: eat spider mites, flat mites… etc. $20/10 packs, additional packs $2 each

3: Lacewing Larvae (green): general predators: eat aphids, mealybugs, scale, spider mites, thrips, whiteflies, insect eggs and adults eat beneficial insect food. 500 $60, 1000 $96
3b: Beneficial Insect Food (Ladybug food) $22

4: Stratiolaelaps Scimitus/ soil mites: eat fungus gnat larvae and thrips pupae and other bugs that live in the soil. $10/2000 mite portion (treats about 60 plants)

5: Steinernema Feltiae/nematodes: eat fungus gnat larvae and thrips pupae in the soil. Can be used as a spray for thrips larvae as well. 2 treatments of 2.5 million nematodes $25

6: Mosquito Dunks: bacteria that kills fungus gnats and mosquito larvae. Throw into your rain barrels to stop mosquitoes from hatching or brew a tea to rid your houseplants of fungus gnats - brewing instructions are included. 2/$10

🐞 Lady Bugs: might be available now. If you want them message me and I’ll confirm availability.
Beneficial Insect Food (Ladybug food) $22

If you have questions, just ask. I’m happy to help 🙂

⭐️Order goes in next Friday morning (Aug 28th)! For delivery typically the following Wednesday (Sept 2nd).

⭐️MESSAGE ME, Let me know what you want, how many you want and I’ll send you a total.
⭐️⭐️Pre-payment required, I may not have extra’s.
⭐️⭐️Payment due Thursday 4pm. Please order early if you can
💥💥Note: my prices are my prices, no additional tax!

Thank you for supporting my small business 💜
Together, we grow! 🌱🌿🪴🌺😁

08/21/2026

I must say, I love the pictures people send me of their plants, flowers, veggies and fruit! 🥰

I may have started them, or helped you start them, but you guys have done a lot of the hard work!

I’m happy to help with my information posts or specific questions.
I want to see you succeed!

If you havent grown your own, or they aren’t ready yet I do have a surplus of tomatoes 🍅🍅🍅 (early girl🍅, black beauty and cherry) that are available for purchase. Get them before they are gone! I only have a couple black beauties and early girls left on my plants. I pick as soon as they start to blush and they ripen in my basement - to keep the critters from munching on them!

I also have a wide variety of hot peppers 🌶️. So many sizes, shapes, colours and flavours! 😋 Nothing incredibly spicy. I’ve been using about 15 peppers in my stir-fry’s. That’s 2 meals worth for me. Yes it has some kick, yes I have a higher than normal tolerance, but they don’t even make me sweat. It’s about the flavour, not the heat.

If you want to lower the heat level without compromising the flavour simply remove the pith. That whitish stuff that the seeds are attached to is the hottest part.

Message me with your wishes and we will make it a reality 😋

08/19/2026

🌿 Plant of the Day: Milkweed 🌿
If you want to help Monarch butterflies, planting milkweed is one of the most important things you can do — and Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is a beautiful, garden-friendly choice.
🦋 Why milkweed matters so much to Monarchs
Milkweed is the only food source for Monarch caterpillars. Adult Monarchs can drink nectar from many different flowers, but females must lay their eggs on milkweed because newly hatched caterpillars cannot survive without it.
Despite the name, it doesn’t need to grow in a swamp! Swamp Milkweed prefers moist, well-drained soil and does especially well in sunny areas that stay a little damp, but established plants can tolerate ordinary garden conditions too. It’s really not that picky. My yard is clay, it floods in the spring and is dry in the summer. It does just fine!
If you are ready to purchase, check out the last photo for an example of what’s currently available. Please message me to order, pay and arrange pickup at the house.
If you want to learn more, keep reading! 😁
🦋 Why grow it?
• Native Swamp Milkweed is an essential host plant for Monarch butterfly caterpillars
• Produces clusters of beautiful pink to rose-purple flowers
• Flowers are highly attractive to bees, butterflies and other pollinators
• Usually grows about 3–5 feet tall
• Prefers full sun
• Blooms in mid to late summer
• Hardy perennial that returns year after year
• Can self-seed, but grows in a clump rather than spreading aggressively by underground rhizomes.
Over the last couple decades there has been a considerable decline in the monarch population 😞.
But there’s good news! The last few years there has been significant (65ish %) increase in populations!
I‘m doing my part. I seed thousands of milkweed seeds every year and sell quite a few pots. My patch has grown from a few plants to a 4x4’ patch as well as a few smaller patches. The pots I sell are also food for monarchs. Some of this years seedlings were nearly wiped out from one “little” monarch caterpillar! Yesterday I noticed they were stripped of all their leaves.😲 The monarch caterpillar was so big it broke the branch of milkweed it was trying to eat🤣. I relocated it to my patch but it didn’t want to let go of the old leaf. It took about an hour for it to get the courage to grasp the new leaf and start chowing down!🥰

Last year I tried to take and root cuttings, it didn’t go well as took them too late in the season. This year’s cuttings are starting to root. When I took them I thought I saw some eggs. Turns out I was right!
I got 2 baby caterpillars eating my cuttings 🥰. If you look closely you can see the praying mantis baby has left the monarch caterpillar alone while the cuttings rooted in a closed propagation bin. I relocated the caterpillars to the patch as well.

I don’t know how many I’ve found this year or how many were there that I didn’t see, but I love finding them! I love seeing the butterflies soaring through the air feasting on my garden!

If you want to support Monarchs and other pollinators without planting a milkweed that wants to wander across the garden, Swamp Milkweed is an excellent choice. 🌸🦋
As always, message me to order
Thanks for supporting local small businesses 💜
Together, we grow! 🌱🌸🐛🍿🦋

08/18/2026

A couple people messaged me with their luffa pictures!
Thanks Milana and Codie! I appreciate you sharing them with me!

I know it took a few days for me to get them posted, but here they are!

The last 2 pics were taken a few days ago to show how much space they’ve taken up in my greenhouse. I have 1 plant and I’ve trimmed it several times.
The leaves are massive and it’s flowering up a storm right now. I hope to get fruit soon!

Thanks again for sharing!
If anyone else wants to share theirs, message me pictures 🙂 FB doesn’t allow you to post on public pages.

08/17/2026

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Sudbury Horticultural Society’s Flower and Vegetable show yesterday!

I brought some cherry tomatoes, but after seeing the massive double cluster that someone else brought, I left mine in my box! 🤣
I probably should have displayed them anyways and tried for 2nd or 3rd place … oh well. Next year!

Here’s some pics I snapped…. Enjoy! 🥰
I didn’t get pictures of everything and I really thought I took more 🤷‍♀️🤣

At the end are close ups of some of my arrangements. What can I say, I’m a little biased 😜
The very last picture is of a perennial that I’ve never seen before. Garth gets all the credit for that one! Bear’s breeches, Acanthus Spinosus/ Mollus, commonly called Oyster plant. It’s described as porcupine like as it’s got spikes! Very cool! It gets 3-4’ tall and likes fertile & well drained soil…. So it probably won’t survive in my backyard due to the spring flooding and lack of nutrition 😞

The last time I entered (2 years ago) I won the most points in the floral arrangement section. I got a trophy that I got to keep for the year. Truthfully, I didn’t do it for the trophy, I did it because I haven’t really been creative the past number of years. Growing plants has consumed my life!

I’ve recently started making some stained glass patterns so that I can get back into it. I used to make all kinds of things, but when I started working at the greenhouse I was so tired at night and my hands always hurt from holding hoses/moving plants that I just couldn’t draw patterns, cut, grind, foil, soldier and polish the glass.

I’ve started cleaning up my stained glass workspace and hope to devote a couple hours a night on making stained glass flowers, bee’s, and anything plant or garden related.
I have a million and one idea’s/patterns, now I need to focus on what I want to make!

‘Beckie’s Creations’ originated (15 years ago or so) with me selling my stained glass. I like to let me creativity flow, not get restricted with custom orders. It’s also really hard to let go of custom pieces when they turn out so well! I don’t want to sell them! 😂

08/16/2026

Today (Sunday Aug 16th) is the Sudbury Horticultural Society’s August Flower and Vegetable show and here’s a sneak peak at some of my floral arrangements.

If you want to enter anything there’s still some time.
Set up is today starting at 11, judging at 12 and the general meeting is at 2pm.
See link below for more details, categories etc... I do not run the event, I’m just attending.

https://sudburyhorticulturalsociety.ca/event/august-general-members-meeting-flower-and-vegetable-show/

Hope to see you there! 🌱😁

Address

Bancroft Drive, About 2. 5 Blocks From Kingsway/Bancroft Dr Tim Hortons
Greater Sudbury, ON

Website

http://Beckiescreations.com/

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