“Look!” My daughter exclaimed. “They‘re blooming.”
Sarah had just spotted a cluster of purple-and-yellow crocus flowering on the south side of our home. She saw something beautiful in the landscape and wanted to share. Sharing, that is what this column is all about.
Gardening is America’s most popular hobby. In 2010 it is estimated that 80 million households participated in gardening. This column is dedicated to the few thousand that garden in Sun City. It is my intent that this column will be a resource to novices, experienced gardeners, and everyone in between. It is meant to be a forum for time-sensitive gardening topics such as names of plants that are flowering in the community, pest problems that are prevalent, and a source of information regarding gardening activities that are occurring both in the community and in the surrounding areas. It is also meant to be an interactive forum, a place for sharing.
Want to know why your lilacs didn’t flower? Did you notice holes in the leaves on your roses? Contact me. I will either address your concerns directly or, more likely, include the information in an upcoming column. Chances are, if you have a gardening question, many others have the same question. My contact information will always be listed at the bottom of the column. Please either email or call me with any suggestions, questions, or concerns.
Although this column will often include personal anecdotes, I am reluctant to write about myself directly. I am just not that interesting. Just this once, in an effort to establish some credibility as the facilitator of The Gardener’s Forum column, I will include some background information:
I was born on a dairy farm in Huntley. My first fondest childhood memory is squishing cool cow pies between my toes by the sweet smelling bulk tank on a hot summer day. We moved off the farm and into the county seat, Woodstock. A family business, Harmony Vegetable Market, was established in 1980 to keep my brothers and I busy and out of trouble during the summer. Yes, hoeing several acres of green peppers and tomatoes will keep any teenager on the straight and narrow.
It was then and there that a strong work ethic was instilled in me. Anyone have a hoe they want to hand to my children? In 1990 I graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Agriculture Sciences and a teaching certificate. After teaching horticulture at the Chicago High School for Agriculture Science for 3 years, I entered the nursery industry.
In 1996 I opened The Growing Scene., Inc., a garden center, landscape, and farm stand. I have been blessed with the opportunity to walk through hundreds and hundreds of yards in Sun City and Edgewater. I observe, ask questions, and, if asked, make recommendations.
Am I a gardening expert? No. Can I assist you with your gardening questions and concerns? Yes. It is a fact that gardening is a feel-good activity for many. I hope that this column can be your feel-good column.
Kathleen Carr is the president of The Growing Scene, Inc, a landscape and garden center company. She can be reached through email at tgsinc12@msn.com.
