Happy New Year!!!

As we sink in to the post-holiday, winter doldrums, I'd thought I'd post a nice picture representing warmer days. This 'Highlight' zinnia (Zinnia hybrida 'Highlight') has a wonderful glow (like a Highlighter pen) and gives continuous bloom thru the summer. Zinnias aside, our Holiday Lights Show is almost over and unfortunately didn't get the attendance we had hoped for or needed. The weather certainly did not cooperate and we had to cancel three of the eighteen nights due to poor weather conditions. We'll start taking down the show next Monday but will leave some of the lights up around our visitors center for various rentals that have requested them. Kudos to a great group of staff and volunteers that set this event up, ran it well and ultimately, will take it down and pack it away over the next 2 months.

I'll get back to the daily blog on Jan. 5th but all gardeners should keep their sanity by reading gardening books and catalogs. Consider growing heirloom vegetables next year! Some great catalogs to acquire include Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Fedco Seeds, Territorial Seed Company and of course, get involved with the Seed Savers Exchange (Decorah, IA). I think we should all commit to sharing our gardening passion with a child. Let them plant seeds, grow vegetables, tend the garden, etc. Let's try to drag some of these kids outside in to the light!!! Nice shot below of a monarch on a surefire butterfly attracting annual; Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia).