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Craig’s Summer Letter

Jun 26 2018/By Craig/4

Dear Fellow Gardeners,
Writing this in the first week of summer sure doesn’t seem like I am in the right season, at least today. This is one of many recent cool rainy days collecting over 4" in a week’s time. Of course, last week we had 95 degree heat and tomorrow there might be a glimmer of summer hope and sunshine. Here in the Midwestern US, we wait so long for our short summers and this year in particular, Mother Nature has been a real tease.

May Tent Event

Jun 07 2018/By Craig/5

Hello all, and thank you to everyone involved in making of our first annual Tent Event a success May 3rd thru 6th. This sale was quite the challenge long before we even opened our doors, but it was all worth it in the end.

Craig’s Spring Letter

Apr 03 2018/By Craig/3

The word ‘vernal’ seems to encapsulate my feelings of late. Definitions include “appearing or occurring in spring”, from the 16th century ‘ver’, meaning spring, and “describing something youthful or fresh”. The light, the temperature variations in a day, the bird activity with high-spirited songs each morning: All are exuberantly telling us times are changing.

Winter Letter from Craig

Jan 09 2018/By Craig/2

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.

Fall Letter from Craig

Sep 29 2017/By Craig/5

Autumn Greetings!
Being a Fall born baby, I have a real fondness for the spectacle Mother Nature shares with us this time of year. The prairie and oak savannas are ablaze with composites of all shapes, sizes, and colors. The rust, claret, and cerise tinge in the canopies overhead enforces the power and beauty of Autumn through our Fall season here in Midwestern U.S.

Summer Letter from Craig

Jul 22 2017/By Craig/3

Dear Garden Appreciative Friends,
The summer season is upon us. The weather already another quandary, with our August rains coming in July, but at least the brutal heat and humidity have been phasing in and out so far. In the Garden things seem to be growing well as long as there is proper soil drainage for this water-logged July. Roses were gorgeous in June thanks to a milder winter, but the tomatoes just don’t like the constant moisture. Our old potted Bougainvillea has never been so beautiful, and the early phlox and lilies seem almost too big for their britches.