" Let us give thanks for loving friends, who wind around us like

                 tendrils and hold us, despite out blights, wilts and witherings" 

                                                                      Reverend Max Coots

         I garden not just due to the love of plants, or the feel of the earth, or the gratification of harvest, I garden for friendship as well.  My love of nature and plants has been handed down to me from some of my best friends, my grandmother, my mother and my father. Garden friends are a special lot.  Perhaps it is because we all "grow together", sharing plants, tips, information and life's happenings. A wise women once said "No gardener is ever too poor to have something to share with others" ( Nita Waxelman )

        This last week, a fellow Master Gardener's life long family home burned totally to the ground. Fortunately, she was away on a trip and had taken her dog!! Linda has been a rock in our group, heading up the plantings for the Garden Fair, working on all the downtown planters and much much more.  So when we heard the news, we needed somehow to help.

        The construction crew is scheduled next week to bulldoze the house and Linda was very concerned about her plantings around the house. Mother Nature shined her face on us by suppling us with a mild dry day, so Carolyn hatched a plan. We all met yesterday and moved the plants.  Who would have thought that we would be able to dig and replant hundreds of plants on February 2nd.

         A nice pitch- in lunch was enjoyed by all. I cannot imagine losing everything you have collected and gathered during a lifetime, but thanks to some garden friends, she has not lost her plants. When the time comes and her house is rebuilt, I am sure we will all return to help her.

        Once again, I was reminded why I garden.

Thanks to Pam for the group picture and caption!