This is a place to focus on what's currently happening in the gardens. I want to share fun seasonal garden stories & events with you. Josh is going to archive the posting as seasons evolve. We're beginning with Autumn 2005. We hope you will embrace it with a fun-filled spirit.

Hard killing frost finally came to central Iowa Nov. 15th. My spirits sag with short days & long dark night hours. The only redeemer is the beauty of the November Harvest Moon. The glowing light in our bedroom makes it difficult to shut our eyes for sleep. Shadows are cast eerily over the gardens. The illuminated stillness when there is no wind can be total peace. But you know the snow & ice & cold are coming any time now.

November 30th brought first snow! It came without wind ever so quiet. The night was so still. December 1st four inches of fresh fallen snow lay glistening on the ground. It is a beautiful sight.

Time to get ready for Christmas!

As if there isn't enough to do this time of year, my daughter Annie & I volunteered to decorate the windows of Ulrich Meat Market, downtown, Pella. Marlee, my 8 year old grand-daughter helped too.

My other daughter, Robin & her husband, Carl Vos are part-owners of the business. We really had a good time working together. And when we were done; Carl loved it!

Family is what Christmas is made of.

December 5th - Marion County Master Gardeners annual holiday party.

When it's freezing cold outdoors what do real gardeners do in Iowa??? Good Question - huh! I suppose every gardener has his or her own ways of coping with not being able to actually dig in the dirt all winter-long. For me & other people who suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affect Disorder) days without sunshine are just a bummer. I fight feelings of sadness & loneliness. Each fall I consider moving to a sunshine state just ever so briefly, as my family is deeply rooted in Iowa. Ron & I use the hot tub for hydro-therapy to relax & fight winter chills. We find projects to keep us motivated so that we don't just hibernate all winter. And of course, we dream of spring & the next gardening season.

The garden catalogs that arrive in our mailbox are life savers for me. Each time a new one comes I get so excited & a bit of joy grows in my heart. I can't wait to scour it's pages. I look at them over & over studying every detail. I learn all about new plants & make long lists of plants I want to try to grow. Most of the time I end up not ever ordering them as I am so out of space but sometimes I just can't resist. I also tell myself that Sunny Slopes Nursery (one of my favorites near here) will have all the newest things in spring & I can see them before I buy them. I have had several unhappy experiences with mail order live plants over the years.

Three favorite catalogs are Plant Delights, Khlem's Song Sparrow Farm, & Shady Oaks Hostas. I love Wayside Gardens catalog also but have never actually ordered anything from them. My mom has, though, so I get her catalog when she is done with it. Some of the plants they sent to her were very small for the money. Brecks Bulbs used to put out a spectacular catalog that I always couldn't wait until it got here. And I ordered lots of stuff from them too. But in the last couple years they have gone to a less expensive catalog version which I think was a big mistake. Nothing sells like a perfect picture. A new garden friend turned me onto Oakes Daylilies last year. I love their catalog too. I didn't think I really liked daylilies that much before but now I do.

Other favorite catalogs...

Wildseed Farms - www.wildseedfarms.com
Burpee's Seed - www.Burpee.com

Nursery websites are really a wonderful oasis to visit. BUT!!! There's nothing quite like curling up in your favorite chair with a blanket and a nice cup of hot tea and escaping into beautiful gardening catalogs and books and magazines.

November 04 I joined the Knoxville Federated Garden Club. It is always a bright spot in each month for me. We hold monthly meetings & have lots of other projects on the yearly agenda. We go on lots of garden tours during the gardening season. We are a pretty relaxed group & have a really good time.

We sponsor the Bessie Spaur Butterfly Garden which is located on the south lawn of the Knoxville Area Hospital, Knoxville, Iowa. "The garden was created to honor Bessie Spaur, longtime Knoxville resident and an avid gardener. The unique natural setting combined with community-maintained garden plots provides food for both butterflies and wildlife. The 10 acre garden draws various types of butterflies and other interesting insects. A beautiful gazebo marks the edge of the garden." Many weddings are being held in the garden gazebo / patio area. It is a fun & refreshing spot to visit. I feel proud to be involved in such a worthwhile place.

In recent years the club hosts a spring Garden Gala in early April. I always went to it even before I became a member. It is very nicely done, a real class act. I worked on getting the vendors for the event last year & I'm doing it again this year. That gives me lots to do on cold winter evenings.

We meet the second Tuesday evening of each month. At our November meeting a member did a project presentation on how to make a centerpiece for a holiday table. She brought the greenery & we brought wire cutters & fun decorating items of our choice. I've taken 6,000 pictures of the one I did trying to get one worth posting here. I'm still not 100% satisfied. How about you all voting on which one is the best! I think I need to take a photography class. That would help fill up my winter days too.

4-6" of snow fell again today. School was canceled. I bet all the kids went sliding as it warmed up to snow.

The main roads were cleared nicely by afternoon. I was glad as the Christmas party for my department at work was this night. It's good to laugh & have fun together outside of the work setting.

We held hands & did a prayer circle. It was really touching.

We're doing a Secret Santa-Sister thing at work each week in December too. It's getting our Christmas spirits going.

It rained & snowed, & rained & snowed, but didn't dampen the Christmas spirit today. After church programs this morning, we took time out this afternoon for Christmas tradition. Family comes first.

I believe a way to honor Jesus at Christmas time & at all times, is to remember what is really important; always put family first; show them all the love we can, any time we can.

My two daughters & my two grandkids come to Nana's house on a Sunday afternoon in December to have fun, making Christmas decorations. I select an easy Christmas craft for all of us to have fun with. I hope we are really making good memories to cherish forever.

This year Nana bought Gingerbread House kits & Gingerbread Cookie kits, almost everything included in the box to make them. I had never touched a frosting decorating bag before nor had either of my girls. Let's just say it was a learning experience. We had frosting everywhere! I think I'll be finding those little round hard candies on the floor for quite some time yet.

We played Christmas music. We laughed & drank hot tea. The kids had to have hot chocolate. Reece was the first to chomp on his gingerbread man but Marlee wasn't far behind. I just hope they didn't eat the ones I had glued back together. 4 were broken when they came out of the box.

Reece only jabbed Marlee once with the rolling pin, Marlee only cried twice cause her feelings got hurt, Annie wasn't feeling well, & Robin only threw one little temper tantrum. It was a good day!

This Tuesday was a busy day. I had put off wrapping the gift for my garden club Secret Sister. I had to make that delicious sweet potato casserole recipe I discovered at Thanksgiving time. I had to visit my mom to help put up her Christmas tree. Laundry needed done, kitchen had to be cleaned up, & I had to be ready to go by 5:30. I was looking forward to the evening except rain, and up to 8" of snow was forecasted.

Our potluck was so good. Way too much food again. We discovered who our secret sisters for the year were with the gift exchange. We laughed & talked & told jokes. We're a fun group.

The signal to go home came with rain, as soon it would be freezing rain & sleet & snow again. And the first day of winter hasn't even arrived yet.

Why do we send Christmas cards to friends & family?

"Christmas is a time of year we most often think of those who are very special to us; those we haven’t see for a while as well as those whose company we often enjoy throughout the year.

At this time, more than any other we like to let them know that we're thinking about them in the warmest way."

Some Christmas cards are just too fun not to become ornaments on the tree. Also, I add photos that come in our Christmas cards as ornaments on the tree. I just paper punch holes, tie a pretty ribbon or cord to them, then hang them on our tree.

It's over now! All the parties are over. All the Christmas card mailing is done. All the shopping is done! All the baking is done! All the house cleaning-decorating is done! All the gift-giving is done! All good holiday memories remain!

It was sort of a 'bummer' that I had to work 12 hour shifts on Christmas eve & Christmas day. (Hospitals are open 24 - 7) So my youngest daughter had our immediate family at her house Friday evening, Dec. 23rd for food & fun & gifts. The day after Christmas, 17 extended family members came to our house for more food, more fun, & a visit from Santa Claus. It was a great day.

Today the post holiday lull is setting-in. It's time to think about taking down the tree, putting away all the decorations, cleaning house again, & going on a weight loss program. Maybe it all should wait until after the New Year - 2006!