Winter Letter from Craig

Let’s take us back to last December. The anticipation of a bleak winter forecast was actually superseded by the reality of a historic bone-chilling end to the 2013 calendar year.

Winter Letter from Craig

Dear Garden Friends,
The holiday hub bub is in full gear here at CBLD. The recent foot of snow we received stalled much holiday lighting plans until the first week of December, a cold start to winter decorating. Our recent finishing up with the new landscape work, outside and in, at the Deerpath Inn here in Lake Forest, has been a fun project, and it is so accessible for you all to enjoy. Do take a visit sometime soon!

Winter, Almost Spring, Letter from Craig

Hello folks.
I’ve been remiss in sending out my winter greetings to you and I apologize for that. This late fall and early winter has been a whirlwind for me personally with selling our old place in Michigan, health issues with the family, and on and on…

Winter Letter from Craig

During this dormant time of reflection, I have been contemplating what The Art of Fine Gardening really represents in today’s growing world. The phrase has been the mantra of our company since our inception in 1981, but in this tireless era of societal rush, I find it to be the guiding light more pertinent to my approach in the garden than before. My goal for the garden, while linking the home to the land and the plant to the place, is for elements to align and transcend to art. Collaborating with people and nature, the garden becomes an experience, a destination for both mind and body, and ultimately a source for inspiration and abandon. As we look forward towards the potential of the garden in the upcoming year, now is the time to take a moment and reflect on why we must remain mindful of tradition, history, and practice, and then maybe being more referential to the past will lead us towards following a more purposeful and sustainable life in the garden.