Pied Beauty

Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889)

Glory be to God for dappled things—
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches' wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced—fold, fallow, and plough;
And all trades, their gear and tackle and trim.

All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:

Praise him.

Monday, August 16, 2010

At the IGC Show in Chicago

I'm so excited to be back in Chicago for the 2010 Independent Garden Center Show, held every year at the Navy Pier.  Almost 7,000 people are registered to attend as I write this, and more will probably sign up at the door.  It's a great way to benchmark other garden centers, see new products, learn new techniques and get excited about the coming year.

Today I'm attending the Chicagoland Garden Center tour, stopping at six different garden centers in the area.  We'll also be treated to a special lab at Tom's Farm Market and Greenhouses, focusing on the latest in horticultural trends - food.  We'll finish the day at the Gardens at Ball.

Tomorrow, notes and pictures from today's tour.  I'll be looking for some of the many ways independents set themselves apart from big box retailers and how they integrate themselves into their own, specific communities.  Until then!
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