Fall/Winter 2013 Newsletter

Dear Garden Friends,

Once again, another year is quickly drawing to a close. The gardening season seems to pass faster every year and with every season seems to come new challenges, but also new opportunities.

As seems to be the norm anymore, Mother Nature was a little cranky this year! Spring was a bit stressful, as we found voles had a nice winter feast on our hostas. Between the critters and a higher than normal winter kill, we were sickened about loosing so many plants over winter. As we talked to many of our fellow hosta maniacs, high winter losses were very common in the Midwest. As many of you know, this caused problems filling some of your orders. We hate disappointing you and appreciate your understanding. As we prepare the plants for winter, we have tweaked our wintering technique and should have much better results this winter.

Compared to much of the state, our summer weather was relatively enjoyable. With the exception of about six weeks toward the end of the season that were hot and dry, we received rain just when we needed it and the temperatures were comfortable. A huge improvement over 2012!

Our second season at our new location has been as fun and successful as the first, thanks to you! May and June were crammed full of fun events...Spring Open House, Hosta & Dessert Social, National Hosta Convention, numerous speaking events, private workshops, garden club tours, and four buses full of enthusiastic gardeners and hosta fanatics. Did I mention that three of those buses came on the same day?! Thanks to a group of very special friends and family, that crazy Saturday went by flawlessly!

Our 2014 schedule is already filling up, so if your club or group would like to visit or if you would like Josh to speak at an event, please don't hesitate to contact us soon.

The extended deluge of spring rain made the garden very lush. A welcome sight after everything was scorched last summer. As every gardener knows, a garden is never finished! We added several new display beds over the summer and have a good start at filling them up. The new beds will feature hostas, of course, but also many unique shade perennials and ornamental trees. As always, you are invited to stroll through our garden any time and watch it grow and evolve along with us!

With the garden well on its way to sleep and the morning air fresh and brisk, we are busy transforming the gift shop into a cozy Christmas cottage full of homespun gifts and decor. We invite you to join us November 8-10 for our Christmas in the Country Open House. It is a weekend filled with the warmth of friends, family, and the festive season ahead. Start your holiday season with us!

Also, we will be updating our website in November with our 2014 hosta list. We've got some really interesting plants for spring and even more exciting things coming in the not-so-distant future. Watch for it and let your spring wish list begin!

Follow along with us on Facebook to stay up-to-date with what is going on In The Country. Our Facebook page is a great way for us to share photos of what is going on in the garden and around the nursery. You never know what...or who...you might see!

http://www.facebook.com/inthecountry

Thank you so much for your support and friendship! We look forward to seeing you soon!

Sincerely,
Josh & Sue

Photo by www.kaylynhoskins.com