Fall/Winter 2012 Newsletter

What a ride the past year has been! Exactly one year ago from now, our new location was but a blueprint and a plot of graded land. No shop...no shadehouse...and the greenhouse was nothing more than a skeleton of hoops. Not a plant to be seen. More than once I wondered if our dream was a bit too ambitious! As things somehow seam to do, though, piece by piece, everything fell into place.

And we could not be more pleased with the results! Thanks to every one of you who stopped out to see our new place or ordered from us online, we have had our best season ever. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Hopefully you found our new nursery and shop much more comfortable, inviting, and fun! Isn't it awesome to be able to browse and shop in the rain, without getting wet (for the most part)?!

The season certainly was not an easy one for gardeners in the Midwest and across much of the country. The warm, snowless winter that helped our construction along, turned around and nipped a lot of gardens with frost, when everything began growing up to six weeks too early. Coupled with hardly a drop of rain all summer and fall, few gardens reached their full glory this year. Gardeners are an optimistic bunch, though, and next year has to be better...right?

Along with dragging hoses around the garden, our summer was a blur of fun and great memories. Josh's spring calendar was filled with speaking events and requests are already coming in for 2013. If you are a member of a garden group of some kind, he would love to come speak for you! We lucked out with perfect weather for both our Spring Open House in May and our Hosta & Dessert Social in June. What are the odds of that happening?!

The first Sunday in July, we were excited to be part of the Eastern Iowa Pond Society's annual pond and garden tour. What an honor it was to welcome several hundred gardeners into our garden! The following week found us in Rochester, Minnesota for the Midwest Hosta Convention. A super time reconnecting with old friends and making new friends...oh, and a little hosta talk, too! In August we were excited to once again set up a booth at the Brucemore Garden & Art Show in Cedar Rapids. What a fun, inspiring event! We definitely hope to make this a yearly ritual.

In September we made treks to two trade show markets in search of fun, new items for next season. It is so helpful for us to actually see these products in person, rather than just looking at pictures. We all know those pictures are photo shopped to look good. We think these trips were very successful and we will have a shop full of exciting garden gifts and decor in the spring.

We are so excited for spring! This past spring will be hard to top, but with your dedicated support we are aiming high. Our online catalog will be updated for 2013 in early November. We have some really fantastic plants lined up, so stay tuned!

We are also very excited to bring back our Christmas in the Country Open House this year, after taking a break the last few years. With our new, bigger, and more conveniently located shop, it would have been a shame not to fill it with Christmas cheer and the company of friends! Please join us to celebrate our first Christmas with us at our new location...

Start your holiday shopping with a personal touch from In The Country! Be sure to check out our friends in Independence for more Christmas cheer that weekend...

Connie's Hallmark

S & K Collectibles

Most of the trees have dropped their leaves now and the temperatures slip a little lower as each week passes. Our gardens will rest and replenish themselves over the next few months, and so will we. Be watching for our 2013 online catalog in the next week or so and we hope to see you all in a couple weeks for our Christmas Open House! If you aren't following us on Facebook, you will be missing out on lots of behind-the-scenes sneak peeks in the days leading up to our Open House!

http://www.facebook.com/inthecountry

Thank you so much for your support and friendship!

Sincerely,
Josh & Sue