Winding Down

Saturday, June 5, is the last day for placing orders in the 2010 season!! Beginning Sunday, June 6, all items will be listed as out-of-stock until our 2011 catalog is released online December 1. I want to send a big Thank You to all of our customers for making 2010 another successful season for Rosy Dawn Gardens! Now I might actually have time to post more than I have been able to for the past few months.
We have had an unseasonably warm and sunny May and it is a relief to be done. Temperatures in the greenhouses have routinely been over 100 degrees, and many of the May orders were picked in temperatures well beyond that! For those that wonder why we close our business in early June, please imagine yourself spending long workdays in that hot, steamy environment seven days a week! Coleus like warmth, but since we grow ours in plugs even they don't do so well after a certain point and need to be planted in pots. Beyond those tangible reasons for calling it quits in June, there is our mental health to consider. We have not had a day off since January 1 and that gets a little old - even for workaholics like us! We have missed birthdays of our children and grandchildren. Easter, Mother's Day, and Memorial Day are non-existant in our home as they are all days we pack coleus to ship the next morning. Our youngest son is graduating from high school next week and we are happy to say that since we are ceasing shipping at this point we can actually attend!
Now for the gratitude portion of this post...
We so appreciate our customers and our business! We have made so many great friends and, despite the heat, we really enjoy the beautiful coleus and working with them every day. Our customers are so great and many send pictures of their coleus and their gardens and share important details of their lives with us. At this point in the year we also have the opportunity to support local organizations with donations of coleus for their fundraising. Since we are so busy most of the year it is good to be able to give back to the community in some small way.
Have a great summer in your gardens, patios, decks, balconies, and indoor light gardens!