A Note From Shelley

GREETINGS FROM SHELLEY RYAN            

I wanted to take this season (and a slower time of year for most gardeners) to express my thanks to Master Gardener Volunteers, Extension Horticulture folks and Public Garden staff throughout Wisconsin for all their support of myself and The Wisconsin Gardener television series over the past many years.

We are coming up on the Garden Expo season, when I look forward to seeing many of you in person, (it’s a gardening family reunion!) but I will not be there this year and will greatly miss laughing, brainstorming and sharing with you.

As many of you know, I was originally diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008.  I retired last January, 2013 when my cancer returned with a vengeance so that I could better focus on my health.  Friends and fellow gardeners say they see me on television on The Wisconsin Gardener and are happy to see how well I look.

Ahh, the illusion of television!  Sadly the shows you see on-air are repeats.  Production of new episodes of The Wisconsin Gardener ended with my retirement.

Physically I am struggling now, my cancer has spread and I have visited the inside of the hospital more times than I’d like since retirement.  I hope to be around for a while but we have discontinued chemo and I’m enjoying the rest from that treatment for the moment.

However, it gives me a wonderful opportunity to say thanks to all of you for generously sharing your time, your ideas, and your gardens with me for the past 22 years.  Thank you so very much, all of you, for a wonderful 22 years.  Literally I couldn’t have done it without you.

With love and friendship,

Shelley Ryan