Hello Fellow Gardeners,

We have chosen the winners to the Daily Weeder Happy Holiday Contest, and boy, what a tough job it was! Most of you wrote great comments and we had a hard time choosing, but finally these couple of winners stood out from the rest! Here’s what they had to say…

Congratulations to William Widdoes who wrote…

“5 years ago, I was at a retail store’s garden department. They had a CLEARANCE section with plants that desperately needed some TLC. I found a 2″ plant for sale that was reduced to 50 cents. I loved the color of it’s leaves and decided to give it a home. I found out that it was a CARDINAL FLOWER (Lobelia cardinalis) and planted it in my small garden. …it was VERY happy! The leaves on this plant are deep reddish-purplish-bronze (like a very dark wine) and the flowers it produces is so red, that it POPS OUT at you and you can see it’s color for quite a distance (even for a SINGLE bloom!) This perennial is not like many other lobelias that stay close to the ground, it grows in tall spikes that definitely stands out. The next season, I was able to divide it out to over 12 tiny plants. Since then, I have had so many of these wonderful plants, that I started GIVING them away! Now I have divided out so many in the last 5 years that I am running out of room! (It’s a gift that keeps on giving.) This had been the BEST 50 cent investment I have ever made!!!”

Mr. Widdoes won a $50 gift certificate to Gardeners Supply Company!

Congratulations to Sharon Curran who wrote…

The DAILY WEEDER has become my favorite blog and I continue to share it with my friends and relatives. I was in Manitowoc, Wisconsin visiting my Mom in the spring of 1998. I had just started my first garden in Upper Michigan and was eager to have Mom share her garden tips. She was trimming back her prolific CREEPING PHLOX and was throwing the cuttings into a big garbage can. I asked if she’d share some clippings with me, so we went to the garbage can with a box and she filled it. It is important to know that these clippings didn’t even have roots! When I got home, I called my daughter and granddaughter and said, “HELP! Is there any chance you could help me plant some Creeping Phlox from Grandma Stephani?” They came and we put tiny plugs of greens along the border of my 100 foot long garden. I faithfully watered them the rest of the summer and they took root. When Mom visited the next spring, she said, “I can’t believe you got these plants to grow! They usually need roots to start with!” My Mom died the following spring and didn’t get to see the totally gorgeous crop of Rosy Pink Creeping Phlox in majestic bloom! I know she was looking down from heaven, smiling! I treasure this GIFT from my Mom’s garbage can more each and every year! I’ve thinned it and shared it with dozens of people, always telling the story of it’s origin!

Ms. Curran won a $25 gift certificate to Plow and Hearth!

Congratulations to Vaiza who wrote…

I love gardening the flower that sparkle imagination and that can touch the heart - “ROSES”
I have 12 rose plants of different color and shade.
I found that I can make my roses happy through good soil, good organic fertilization, enough water and then great plant neighbors. Seeing these small delicate flowers bloom takes my breath away.

Vaiza won a $25 gift certificate to David Austin Roses!

Like I said we had such a hard time choosing the winners! Because of this we decided to add two additional winners who will each receive a $15 gift certificate to Gardeners Supply Company!

Congratulations to Lisa Lagreca who wrote…

It is very hard to pick which vegetable is the best. I love them all. I grow tomatoes, cantaloupe, peppers, pole beans,scallions, carrots, zucchini, lettuce, corn and cucumbers. I have to say that my cucumbers grow the biggest and are the juiciest and my tomatoes grow in such an abundance that my family just can’t eat all of them. So I share my crop with my priest and sisters from my church. I also share with my neighbors and friends. every time I pick my vegetables I am able to feed 4-5 families. God is Good.

And finally congratulations to Dale Caldwell who wrote…

Hostas and ferns. For years I have been composting everything in sight. I’ve shredded every limb and twig from my yard (as well as several neighbors who gladly contribute) and have built up several inches of wonderful soil. The right combination of sun, shade and moisture produces a wonderful spread of ferns and hostas.

Thank you to all who entered! We loved your comments! Make sure to keep checking the Daily Weeder for more tips, tricks, ideas, and inspiration on cold climate gardening!

Happy Gardening,

Marie Suzanne

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