Tis the season........Yesterday, I was pruning the plantings at one of our larger clients on a crisp cold day that I would compare to any ideal summer day on a level of Mother Nature at her best. No wind, clean white snow and I was able to enjoy it while shaping up the gardens at this clients site. I did not have to wear my one piece suit, simply fleece warmups under my Carhartts and a few layers on top with the great gardening secret on my hands...What is that you ask?

When you are out working in the garden in the winter or fall, we have learned to wear nitrile or latex gloves under our work gloves. Kind of the wetsuit concept......when your hands sweat, they build up a thin layer of water between your skin and the nitrile gloves which in turn is warmed up to 98 degrees by your body and you stay warm...I have worked like that for four or five hours at a time....take a break for lunch, put on new nitrile gloves and then go back out to work.......-5 degrees this morning and on my way back out to prune where I was yesterday.....should be another great day.

My sisters passing (see previous post) has been perhaps the greatest gift I have ever recieved, as I thought I was thankful for my life, my family and my love of gardening, but now a day doesn't go by that I don't think about seeing my sister lying on her bed out in Denver and the outstanding strength she displayed during her final days. In the past I may have grumbled about having to work in 14" deep snow, but now I actually find myself excited each day to be able to do the work.....as I think my sister would perhaps give anything to be able to do what I am doing!

I am still tossing a book around in my head about gardening and life, but I need a lot more time in my favorite gardens to work through it. I can tell you that when I was pruning this fall and into the winter, I could see it as a great metaphor for life. I see the pruning as getting rid of the unnecessary things/appointments in your life to truly enjoy the important things. In pruning one thing you look for are crossing branches that are rubbing on each other and this causes the bark to be worn away and eventually the branches will die or grow weak. You then look at which branch is in the best position for future growth on the tree and remove the other branch and sometimes for the health of the tree you need to remove both branches. My father in law once asked me what was my most important asset and I was thinking cash, equipment, trucks and along that line...he told me my most important asset was time.....you can't save it up and add it to the end of your life and time is the great equalizer.....we each have so much.

So it is with that thought it mind that I now choose very carefully what, where and when and I reinforce for myself each day the importance of time with the thought of my sister who will not have the opportunity and I can only hope to have the impact that my sister has had on those around her......so this Christmas season give yourself the best present you can....the gift of time with family and friends and realize that work will be there when you return, because I can gurantee you that there are no luggage racks on hearses....you can't take anything with you........

My passion is family and sharing my passion for gardening with others and I look forward to the next 40 years of doing just that!