Hello Fellow Gardeners,

There were so many wonderful entries for the Daily Weeder Father’s Day Contest, I truly had a difficult time picking out the winners– so difficult in fact that I picked three runner ups in addition to the top prize winners! Drum roll please…

Grand Prize Winner

Congratulations to Dianne Fuzek, she gets to shop till she drops with a $50 gift certificate at Gardener’s Supply!

Dianne’s entry…

“Mom passed away just last week at 90, but she still had planted her flowers and had a lovely park-like yard. Dad, who is nearly 94, is now lovingly watering and caring for her gardens (every morning at 5:00 am), talking to her and telling her everything he is doing - he says to make sure he is doing it right.”

Second Place Winner

Congratulations to Jill Oviatte, she gets some help around the garden with a large English Tip Bag!

Jill’s Entry…

“My favorite gardening moment is the same every time - when our dog Rascal respectfully walks AROUND our 8′ x 12′ backyard garden plot rather than through. He was raised on a 10 acre, commercial organic farm. It was there he acquired the patience of a farmer, waiting under a wheelbarrow (the only shade available) until his poppa was done planting. Now we live in a small ranch house with a lawn plot of vegetables, and poppa’s work takes him inside. So every time I see Rascal dutifully avoid the garden soil, I’m reminded of his puppy years on the big farm and how he’s still our good little gardener guy.”

Third Place Winner

Congratulations to Philip Salman, one of the few men who entered our Father’s Day contest! He and his granddaughters get to enjoy the wonderful Nicole rose!

Philip’s Entry…

“My favorite gardening moment is taking my granddaughters into our berry patch, they eat as many as the pick, when they finally have their buckets filled and also their stomachs, we head inside to make pancakes with fresh berries, this is our summer tradition and I hope it continues til long after their grown.”

The Runner Ups

Originally we were planning on only picking the three top winners, but these ladies entries were so heart felt that I couldn’t not pick them!

Congratulations to Cynthia Younger, Tami Burrus, and Hazel Wilcox who get to treat themselves to a little something from Gardener’s Supply with a $15 gift certificate!

Cynthia’s Entry…

“My favorite gardening moment has changed as I have changed and grown through the years.
When I was a child it was the time I spent with my parents planting, picking the vegetables and eating them.
When I was a teenager it was the time I spent alone in the garden.
As an adult it was mainly the smell of the dirt when I dug to plant.
Now as a grandmother it has come full circle just as a garden does, sharing the wonder of gardening with my four-year-old granddaughter. Watching her enjoy our time together working as she learns the joys of gardening and all it has to offer.”

Tami’s Entry…

“When my husband and I moved into our first home after being married, he woke me up the next morning to go see something growing in the field across the highway. It was a small rose bush that had 1 beautiful rose on it. The rose was dark pink, light pink and white, about as big around as my fist and had the most beautiful smell. We transplanted it in our yard next to the front door. To our amazement it ended up being huge, 7 feet tall by about 5 feet wide. Late in the spring it would put on hundreds of beautiful multi-colored roses and the smell wafting into my house was delicious. We have moved three times and have transplanted to each home. I will never leave it behind 1) My husband found it the day after our wedding 2) It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen and most important 3) From day one when people comment and admire it and ask what kind of rose it is he named it his “Tami Rose.”

Hazel’s Entry…

“My favorite gardening moment was when we went back to my hometown in Iowa to visit. Hadn’t been there since my mother and grandparents passed away, and although we knew the my grandparents old house was sold to the state, we hadn’t known that they had already torn it down to widen the highway, just the WEEK before we got there. I was so disappointed, that I made my husband pull over to see if there was anything left on the property at all. But, to my dismay, everything was buried, not a trace of the old house existed. So, I started to leave and out of the corner of my eye I see my grandfather’s peonies sticking out of the ground. Now, it is fall, and I know that I shouldn’t be digging them up and truthfully, I had no idea how to dig them, but I went to the dollar store and got some little garden shovels. I dug up what I could, but didn’t realize how much root I should have dug. I had about 12 pieces that I just hoped would make it. When I got home to Arkansas I put all the pieces in pots and prayed. At the end of the summer, all the plants looked like they had died. I was so heartbroken. It was the only chance I had! Well, they sit in the pots over the winter and this year TWO of the plants came back and I was able to plant them in the ground. I was crying I was so happy!! That has to be the best gardening moment I’ve ever had!! Now a piece of my Iowa heritage is growing in my Arkansas garden. Yeah!”

I highly encourage you to check out the comments on our Father’s Day contest, many of them are very inspirational! Although you may need a box of Kleenex for some of them– I did!

Keep watching the Daily Weeder for lots of informative articles, fantastic contests, and general gardening fun!

Happy Gardening,

Marie Suzanne

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