Dear Members and Friends of Canton Garden Center,

Here we are again. Another year has rolled around. It is unseasonably warm for early January, so for the first time I can remember in years, we haven't been bundled in scarves, heavy coats, long johns, gloves and hats. The shortest day of the year and the longest night of the year have past. We geared up for our holidays, which we spent reflecting about the past, celebrating the present and making plans for the future. The year 2012 has begun. Before we know it, spring will be here, and we will be working in our gardens again.

Being gardeners there are tremendous rewards that come to us from a thriving garden. The difference between a thriving garden and one full of dead plants is that the people with thriving gardens threw away their dead plants and tried again and again and again and again. Now they have beautiful gardens and show off what they have grown. Even some weeds are very pretty. The dreaded dandelion has a beautiful pure yellow color reminiscent of the sun. There are plants that will grow in many varieties of situations. Therefore, no two gardens are the same. So, instead of trying to change our gardens to get a plant to grow, find a plant that will grow where it is planted. Then grow it and show it off.

We are all very much like our gardens. No two of us are the same. We tend to look for things that fit with our personalities, abilities and interests. These should be things that in the end make us look good to others, give us the ability to help others and allow us to feel good about ourselves. We look for things that we can do well, or that we enjoy doing. Sometimes, we have to try many things before we find something that is just right for us. We often fail at some things and try again and again and again before we find that special something that is just right for us. It is the special something that we grow, and show to others.

We are like our gardens, and our gardens are like us. Our gardens grow things that we can show to our neighbors, our family and our friends. We grow flowers that we can enter in a flower show, flowers that we can sit among when we have friends over for lunch, or flowers that simply make our yards and our surroundings more beautiful. We as individuals grow and develop our talents and interests. We use our talents to entertain and to help others, and we develop our interests to make ourselves happy. Whether it is our garden or ourselves, we receive great satisfaction when we grow it and show it. "Grow It and Show It" is my theme for 2012.

I am so lucky and very honored to be serving another year as Canton Garden Center President. 2012 promises to be a rewarding year for all members. Our calendar is full of activities for everyone, which will give each of you opportunities to "Grow It and Show It" through yourself and your garden. My hope is that each of you will become more involved in the Canton Garden Center activities. You can do that by volunteering to work on any of the committees and attending our variety of events. When you find what you are interested in just give us a call, and we will sign you up as a volunteer for a committee and/or for an event of your choice. This will give you the opportunity to, "Grow It and Show It."

Linda Lawrence, President