President's Letter - December 2020

Greetings, Garden Friends, 

We have enjoyed a month of glorious color, some incredibly warm and sunny days, and a little snow to remind us of what we can look forward to in the winter months. I have paperwhite bulbs to start and the amaryllis bulbs that have been resting in the dark basement, ready to plant. In a few days I’ll pick up bundles of greens I ordered from the Greens Workshop that the Provisionals planned with Amy Miller’s help. The Provisionals also decorated a tree for the Glow celebration at the Botanical Garden. You’ll find a photo of it below. Make plans to visit – they did a beautiful job handcrafting the ornaments and you’ll want to admire them up close! 

I hope that many of you watched at least part of the GCA Conservation Study Conference – they gathered an outstanding group of speakers, planned a variety of topics, and the whole experience was inspiring and informative. If you were not able to join on November 17 and 18, or if you want to see one of the presentations again, you’ll be able to find the recorded videos on the GCA website, Members Area, top row - conferences. A few standouts:  The Role of Private Conservation, Stacy Levy on Art in Landscape (Levy designed our Sky Blossoms), and a fascinating look at the potential for carbon storage using plants.

In this season of Thanksgiving I have more thanks to deliver to all of you than will fit in this newsletter. I hope that you and your families and friends are well, and stay well, and  I love the ways we are using our imaginations and employing our creative resources to celebrate the holidays and to reach out to share the joys of friendship. The next newsletter will be posted at the turn of the new year, and before then we will observe the Winter Solstice. Welcome Winter on December 21, the shortest, darkest day of the year – that’s the turning point!

Leigh