Garden gratitude, week three

When I started thinking of what I was  grateful for that's garden-related, I wondered if I could think of five things a day that I am  genuinely grateful for. I'm not quite there yet, but I  have one more day until the official day of giving thanks.

31. I saw a nice letter from Willie Nelson in today's issue of USA Today, giving gratitude for farmers. Even committed gardeners can rarely grow all the fruits and vegetables they need, not to mention stuff like wheat, sugar, rice, and so forth. Being a farmer isn't an easy life and I'm particularly grateful for those family farmers who've stuck with it.

32. I'm grateful for garden books, which, at their best, entertain us, teach us, introduce new ideas and ways of doing things, and move us forward. I don't know how  much longer books will be around in their present form, but I hope that in some form they're around for a long time.

33. In that same vein, I'm grateful for book publishers. (And their editors, too. Thanks, Billie!) They're working to find their way through a vastly changing field. I'm sure it's scary at times.

34. I'm grateful for gardening friends who, over the years, have shared knowledge, seeds, books, plants, and -- best of all -- encouragement. My life would be much different without them.

35. And, oh yes, I forgot to mention the authors of those garden books. How much I have gleaned from so many of you!

36. I think just about all gardeners have a group of like-minded people for which they're grateful. It may be a plant society, a garden club, the Master Gardeners. For me, it's the Garden Writers of America. I just don't have words to say how wonderful its members are.

37. I'm grateful that native plants and heirlooms have gained popularity not just among gardeners, who've always been fans, but with the general public. It just makes you feel good that people realize what we had almost left behind.

38. I'm grateful to all the gardeners and garden educators I've interviewed over the years. Not only have the3y been extremely nice to me, they've invariably taught me something, too.

39. I'm grateful for the software such as WordPress and Blogger, which make garden blogging easy and relatively trouble-free.

40. I'm grateful when others remind me to express gratitude for small, everyday things. The sunshine outside today, which made a final last-minute run to the grocery store more pleasant and kept me from rushing. (In a cold climate, you slow down and enjoy all the sunshine you can in winter.)

41. I'm grateful in general for the moderate weather we experienced this year. As a Southerner, I'm guilty of bad-mouthing Boston's weather, but this year wasn't bad at all -- except there was no spring. I was unhappy then, but now, going into winter -- cold and snow -- it doesn't seem as big a deal. Perspective.

42. I love holly! Any and every kind. And this time if year it cheers me up considerably to see the cherry-red berries against the dark green leaves of an American or hybrid evergreen holly shrub or tree.

43. I've noticed a lot of berry-laden bearberries and cotoneasters this year, too. I've never grown bearberry, but I'm really being tempted.

44. As an urban gardener with no "land" to speak of, I'm grateful for the wide variety and size of containers that are now available at decent prices. Even when I get back to having a real yard, I can't imagine giving up container gardening.

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