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| 2011 News Update |
| Between celebrations, we anticipate fun times with our little granddaughters as they explore the gardens, chase butterflies and pick bouquets for Grandma! The gardens will be a playground of opportunity with peels of laughter and moments of wonderment…so much to look forward to! As the garden season commences, we wish you garden blessings of your own. Appreciate the beauty around you and don’t forget to take time to smell the flowers! |
| Proud Partners with the Sac County Barn Quilt project: Sac County Barn Quilts established in 2005 with a spirit of community cooperation and rural pride. As a county-wide approach to tourism, it combines a desire to promote tourism while preserving Iowa¹s agricultural architecture with the homespun charm of quilting. Fifty-five barn quilts now cover the county and we are proud to have the Double Aster pattern on the south end of our Sears and Roebuck barn. For more information about the SacCounty Barn Quilt project, go to: http://www.barnquilts.com. |
| Four All Seasons We continue our association with FOUR ALL SEASONS Bio-Source Natural Fertilizer. Jack has enjoyed his work in sales with the company and finds it is easy to promote a product that we know from experience works so well. It’s made in NW Iowa and 100% bio- based, great for lawns, vegetable gardens, and flowerbeds. Best of all, it's Kid Safe and Pet Safe – guaranteed GREEN for a safe, clean environment! Our flower gardens and grassy expanses have benefited from a spring and fall application for several years and the lush results tell the story. Go to: www.fourallseasons.net for additional information. |
| The Iowa Gardener’s Travel Guide is a cumulative directory to Iowa’s gardening establishments, including retail garden centers, nurseries, greenhouses and public gardens. The first of its kind, the guide assembles contact information and unbiased commentary for 106 of Iowa¹s retail horticultural establishments (including our garden). The cover shot will look familiar – it’s a photograph of the Prairie Pedlar! We are happy to be part of Kelly’s publication and encourage you to get a copy for yourself. We have them at the shop, or review the book at: http://www.lulu.com/content/3325086 |
| Go to www.odebolt.net to discover why we are proud to call Odebolt home! Grab a lunch in town and bring it to the garden, fill up for gas, or visit our community for the annual Creek Days celebration in June. You will quickly discover it is a special place to live. |
| A Tribute to My Dad - Marvin E. Whitham Read at his Celebration of Life Service on September 11th |
| Since his retirement 18 years ago Dad has spent nearly every sunny day with us at the Prairie Pedlar. There¹s surely a part of him in every corner of the garden and we will cherish his memory at every turn. We¹ll feel the warmth of his love in the sweltering summer sun. Dad liked it hot. The hotter the better. He insisted the weeds died better when the temperatures sizzled near the century mark and it was not unusual for him to be dripping wet when he finally came to the barn for a break. We¹ll see Dad's smiles and twinkling blue eyes in the faces of all the flowers because he was always happy. Dad¹s positive attitude taught us all to appreciate life and family time. He welcomed conversations with garden visitors and proudly shared the success stories of the garden. Dad cherished working along side his grandchildren at the garden and delighted in teasing the PP staff to remember to plant "green side up". We¹ll hear his hearty laugh in the sound of the tumbling waterfalls. Dad¹s laughter rolled easily from him and was contagious. His good nature and friendly demeanor made everyone who knew him feel good. We¹ll remember his roar of laughter that echoed as loudly as the clanging bell in the wedding gazebo. We¹ll sense his humor when we remember his funny stories and teasing ways. We¹ll find his rock solid faith in the massive stone boulders that edge the gardens. His love of Christ was evident in the way he lived his life and loved others. We¹ll rediscover his patience in the steady rhythm of the falling leaves. We were so lucky to be able to count on Dad¹s reliable presence, dependable assistance and unwavering encouragement on a daily basis. We¹ll appreciate Dad¹s handyman talents that are evident on all kinds of building and repair projects that he completed at the garden. |
| He was our carpenter, electrician and plumber all wrapped into one. Hard work was his trademark and we will miss his skills. We¹ll miss Dad's love for chocolate and willingness to be the first to taste-test anything homemade. His sweet tooth will make for sweet memories each time we gather for a meal. Dad was truly a daily blessing to our lives. He grew deep family roots and planted seeds of inspiration for our family business. Yes, there¹s surely a part of him in every corner of the garden. We might even find a lost pair of eye glasses or a missing tool or a rusty pocketknife. He was good at loosing things. But he never lost his zest for life. Dad found the good in all seasons, all chores and all people. If there is a garden in Heaven, I¹m sure Gramps has already sharpened his trusty hoe! |
| 2012 News Update As another growing season springs forward, we are blessed with the addition of two beautiful grandchildren to our family. Our third granddaughter was born in October and will just be ready to crawl when summer arrives. We expect the grass to tickle her fancy in the garden as she explores the boundaries of Nature. We also welcomed our first grandson in January and look forward to adventures involving wiggly worms, warty toads, and splashy mud puddles in the years to come. Each new beginning is a reminder of the miracle of life and the precious gift that grandchildren are! We’re wishing for warm spring rains to replenish the dry conditions of late last summer and to rehydrate the thirsty plants that endured Iowa’s wintery mix of thaws and freezes. The calendar is full of events at the Prairie Pedlar and we look forward to the busy schedule that keeps us weeding and watering in between hours of planting and mowing. It is during these simple chores that we daydream endlessly of new garden musings that make the Prairie Pedlar our dream come true! And we wish you a similar sense of peace and satisfaction in your own backyard as you celebrate the success that comes from hard work and a bit of imagination! |
| We look forward to the 2011 growing season with an energy and enthusiasm that is as perennial as the flowers that sprout in the garden. Spring will kick off with a fury of scurry! Greenhouse tasks mixed with retail responsibilities and building projects will fill each day to the brim. Summer weekends will be filled with weddings and we are anxious to share our gardens with the couples who have chosen to be married in our garden sanctuary. As we make ready for each celebration, we are reminded of the holiness of the occasion, and we trust that at each “I Do” moment, the hearts of each couple are “nearer to God in the garden than anywhere else on earth.” |
| NE Barn Project Straightening a barn roof is no easy task. Our son, Tyler, and son-in-law, Adam, could have been construction engineers. They made it look easy as they winched, jacked, and braced the roof back into place. Covered with steel, it will now preserve the integrity of the barn for years to come. Barn siding and pouring lots of cement are next on the agenda when time and weather permits. |
