Why is it that winter drags on forever, but summer passes like a flash of light? Here it is the middle of August, but it doesn’t feel like August at all. With the exception of a week at the end of July, the summer has been extremely mild. In fact, for the past week it has felt almost fall-like with our days only reaching the mid 70’s and the nights dipping into the upper 40’s and lower 50’s. It looks like this trend will continue for at least the next week. After the winter we endured last year, I can’t even bring myself to think about what’s coming next.
The highlight of July was attending the Midwest Regional Hosta Convention in Schaumburg, Illinois from July 10-12. I was excited about this Convention for a couple reasons. First was the opportunity to visit a good friend’s garden. And what an amazing garden it is! The view from the deck over looking the wooded backyard is what hosta-holics dream about. I was also looking forward to visiting Rich’s Foxwillow Pines Nursery, where the barbecue was held on Saturday evening. The last thing I was worried about was eating, with all those awesome conifers, gingkos, and unusual trees to see!
Hosta ‘King Lizard’ was one of the high dollar plants that was up for grabs in the auction. It sold for $425 and was split between a group of friends. This video (entitled Hosta Surgery) gives a taste of some of the crazy fun that goes on at hosta conventions. Have you ever seen a hosta being divided in a hotel bathroom??
The weekend following the Convention, members of the Harshbarger Hosta Society stopped for a visit. About 20-30 hosta aficionados - some familiar friends along with many new faces - toured the garden and did a little shopping before heading on to the next destination on their trip. Thank you, Harshbarger members, for visiting!
Hosta ‘Tattoo’
To wrap up the summer, we’ll be taking part in the Brucemore Garden & Art Show in Cedar Rapids on August 23. This will be a first for us, so we are excited to see what it’s all about. It is supposed to be a big event with lots of vendors, presenters, unique products, fine arts, and more. The show runs from 9 am to 4 pm on Saturday, August 23. Visit the Brucemore Garden & Art Show website for more information.
Back in June when we were in St. Louis for the National Hosta Convention, we met a business man who just happen to be staying at the same hotel. Because of this chance meeting, we are excited about a new opportunity that has presented itself. We are in the final stages of launching a brand new product! We will debut our Gardener’s Touch Hand Cream at the Brucemore Garden & Art Show and it will then be available to order from our website, as well as here at the shop. We all know the abuse our hands receive while working in the garden and you’ll want to try Gardener’s Touch Hand Cream - this is not your typical, run-of-the-mill hand cream! If you own a shop and may be interested in carrying Gardener’s Touch Hand Cream, please feel free to contact us! We are also looking for distributors.
