Joy in All Seasons

I love my role as community leader of Horticulture. Gathering like-minded gardening souls is the best job description I've ever had! Whether I'm working to bring gardeners together on Facebook and through the pages of the magazine, or garden-product suppliers with customers in our store at GardenersHub.com, the bottom line for me is that it's all about pulling together a thriving community where we share ideas, tips, winning techniques, challenges, supplies to fuel our passion and we help one another make our way successfully through this life.

I just got back from a walk in the snow. We've gotten about six inches thus far here in our Ohio River valley, and it's still coming down. I spent the day talking to teammates in Colorado, Massachusetts, Wisconsin and NYC as we dealt with the business of the day. I met with a garden writer over the phone who is happily enjoying no snow in South Carolina and with another over FB chat who is iced in in Oklahoma. And all the while I knew I wanted to post a blog but I didn't have a topic.

It's always this way though, that my best ideas come to me when I'm walking. So I trudged up and down my road, the icy snow stinging my cheeks and I marveled at the fact that so many workdays go by during this time of year when I never spend more time outside than it takes to trot from front door to car to office and back. But during my walk I thought about all those bulbs I planted last fall under the full moon. Now they're tucked under what looks like a warm, down-filled blanket. Just knowing they are there and that come spring when all the snows have melted and the wind brings with it the promise of warmer days that they will poke their heads up through the dirt made me happy. It's that simple pleasure that reminds me that there is great joy in all seasons for we gardeners.

Peace on the garden path,

Patty