It is Thanksgiving week  and I gather from all the Facebook postings ,tweets and blogs that it is mandatory to post a lists of what you are thankful for in your little corner of the world.  Ok, I’m on it.

First, in a very serious way, I am thankful that I have a finanancial backer in this enterprise called “Garden” that makes it possible for me to plant to my heart’s content, take as many classes as I want, and who even bankrolled my adventure in speaking via his purchase of shiny new laptop and projector. His generosity astounds, especially given my carping and whining.

Less seriously I think he has ulterior motives: namely to get me out of his hair .But that is ok, motive in this case does not matter. So Thank You # 1 goes to Bill. Thanks Bill.

The rest of the list ,in no particular order

I am thankful I garden where there are  4 seasons. Ever changing weather, ever changing interest in the garden, and a nice long winter break to curl up and read beautiful plant catalogues and picture books.

Picture books are on the list too! I lam thankful for  fancy photography books, garden primers, design books, and gardening magazines. Being that I was born in the wrong country ( and frankly the wrong year as well), my favorite publications are Gardens Illustrated and The English Garden. By golly I will have Sissinghurst here if it kills me, I just gotta get Bill to finance some castle wall building 🙂

My favorite discovery this year is an annual publication called International Garden Photographer of the Year, I have been checking out all the back issues of this glorious book from the library, but the results can be seen online as well. Ah-mazing!

I am thankful that our new neighbor has a rabbit hunting outdoor cat..I am sure it will soon go the way of the other outdoor cats who have hunted here before as this is coyote territory, so I must be thankful quickly while there is still time.

I am extremely thankful, and grateful to all the knowledgeable, generous, and kind gardeners I have met in the Master Gardener group I belong to, at events when I am speaking, and on the web. I have learned so much from interacting with you, reading your books and blogs, and gardening side by side with you.

I am thankful for pie. This has zilch to do with gardening, but to me Thanksgiving is about the pie. Most years I skip the turkey altogether , I can have that any old day. Just name another day on which sideboard in the dinning room is heavliy laden with pies of so very many varieties…you can’t…there is no other such day. So pie gets on the list.

I am thankful I am lucky enough to have something as beautiful as a rose in my garden . Sometimes a rose is all you need to make you feel everything is right with the world.

and on other non- gardening fronts, I am of course thankful for my family and the blessing that surrounds Faith Anne. I hope you all have a very loooong list of your own to ponder this holiday.

Peace and Happy Thanksgiving