How does one write a welcome newsletter when half the driving force is no longer here? Kathy's presence will always be in our garden. Her ashes are here in bed 2 East. We plan to continue as long as we can maintain the garden and all you wonderful folks keep returning every summer. That is, of course, and always has been, our driving force to keep it open- just for you.

We are NOT closing. Just changing how we operate the garden. Thank you, each and every one of you, for helping to make Grace Gardens one of the popular attractions in the Finger Lakes Region. Returning and new visitors make each day special. I only wish Kathy was still here as official greeter. I believe she still is.

2024 was a good garden year. Thanks to our Mennonite lady weeders, the garden looked beautiful. Garden visitors have been welcome here for 30 years. It's amazing how fast daylily gardens grow. But now that we are getting older and Kathy being not here to supervise, it is time to think about downsizing the garden a bit and with the aid of a couple eager beaver friends we look to take up btween 400 and 500 plants.

It will take some time as we sort out the ones we wish to keep and the ones that need to go.These are mostly coming from the beds alongside the ever-encroaching Norway spruce trees Kathy and I planted in 1973 and the now larger shade tree areas in the garden we planted in the 1990's. We will still have around 1600 daylilies in the display garden with a few thousand seedlings in seedling beds. This will keep Grace Gardens as one of the largest flower gardens in upstate NY.

It is important to keep adding "newer" plants to the garden to hold visitor interest in returning every year. So with that in mind, every year we obtain newer daylilies from auctions and other sources.

Daylily people are special. And I for one, am happy to have so many special friends. It was quoted not so long ago, that it isn't about flowers, daylilies are about making and keeping friends. Grace Gardens experiences prove this over and over again. Yes, it is hard work to keep the garden going but the friendship rewards are legendary.

There will be no open house in 2025 nor in future years beyond. If our existing visitors continue to come during bloom season, we will be able to maintain the garden. There are cost associated with garden maintenence. Typically, our peak bloom falls right around July 18. It is better to be on the late side of that date as most of our own daylily creations are on the later side, by design. Kathy and I both focused on hybridizing later daylilies to extend the bloom season.

The thing is, I'll be 87 before next season rolls around. And with that in mind, we decided to operate with people calling ahead for visits to be sure we will be available in the garden. Tom is not going to dedicate six hours of every day waiting for visitors as in the past. However, he will be available on call at your convience when ever possible.

So, as 2025 rolls closer our hope and prayers that you and yours will fair well in the remainder of 2024 and into 2025 and that health and prosperity will hold you high. We will never forget you and know you will do the same.

See you in the garden.

Tom