I love trees.
I love books. And friends and bloggers who send me books. Thanks Laurie, for all the great books you have lent and given me over these many years of treasured friendship. (The middle book above came from my dear friend Laurie several years ago. This is pertinent because it is the same author as the tree book. I knew it would be a good read when I requested that my name be put into the hat.)
I love seeds.
I love Atlas gardening gloves, and wear size small. And love the color chartreuse.
I love cool cards. I love artistic bloggers who make cool cards, like Jen of Muddy Boot Dreams. I love this card.
I love artistic bloggers who not only generously give away wonderful books with a name drawn out of a hat, twice drawn even, who send seeds that I would have picked right from the display myself, who send my favorite gardening gloves in my favorite color and in my size and draw delightful flowers on the card.
I love learning new things about the trees that I love. About the birch tree, Diana Wells says, “In both the Old World and the New, babies’ cradles were often fashioned out of birch bark, not only because it was light and waterproof but also because birch trees were magical and would help protect the infant.” Also, “They were probably the first trees to restore the bare scraped land left by the glaciers of the Ice Age.” And this was just from a random page opening. I love it.
Thank you so much, Liisa. If you are not familiar with Liisa’s lovely blog, Green Mountain Gardener, do go directly there this instant to become acquainted. If you know Liisa, go visit and tell her I sent you!
In addition, my name was drawn by Joy Brown, who so graciously sent The Modern Garden by Jane Brown all the way from across the pond. I shamefully admit that some time has passed without my thanking her properly. Please, do go visit Joy at The Modern Gardener and tell her I sent you, as well.
(The opening image is of the Japanese Maple, Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Garnet’ showing off its finery last November.)
Frances
Fairegarden 
Dear Frances, You are obviously having a very jolly time – lots of good reading material, gloves to wear and seeds to sow. Jane Brown is a writer who I admire greatly. I can thoroughly recommend her ‘Vita’s Other World’ to name but one of her many books.
Congratulations to all those lovely books, seed and other things / gittan
You lucky ducky. What wonderful reads. You have been mightly blessed.
Frances,
Thanks for bringing a smile to my face this morning. Rain and perhaps snow is on the way AGAIN. I have a wren nesting in the porch I”m building, she’ll have to go by next week 😦
An interesting but different sort of post and yes books on gardening are wonderful to have and treasure. Photos, knowledge, history, folk lore the only thing they can’t convey is smell a bit like blogging.
Wow Frances, that is quite a haul. You are obviously lucky, maybe you should go buy a lottery tocket.
Frances you are going to LOVE the Lives of the Trees book. I got it for my birthday in January from my kids and have been enjoying it soooo much. I hope to get her other two books —maybe Mother’s Day??? My husband heard Diana Wells on PBS and told me about the Tree book.
“One of the overriding characteristics of gardeners is their propensity for sharing, be it divisions, seeds, advice, opinions, information or experiences, you may start a chain reaction with your deeds.” –Maggie Oster
As you have Ms. Frances…great gifts here.
Frances, It’s lamentable that we live so far apart…We don’t get to garden together, shop for our gardens together and now, I can’t borrow any of these terrific books! You really are lucky and I agree with an earlier commenter…You might want to start buying lottery tickets. A very lovely post, btw. gail
Frances – what wonderful gestures from your friends! You’ve done a great job of displaying your treasures.
Freda
Such wonderful things. I too am a lover of books. Can’t get enough sometimes.
Willow
Neat fact about the birches! Both books sound interesting. Oh and if you start buying lottery tickets as Gail suggests, I want in on the pool! 😉
Frances, I am laughing my head off over The Financier’s Dream Home dreams…This is the first year I ever entered. I did love the home and think M could be talked into looking for a post doc in the area! Mr I might be a harder sell. Aren’t fantasies the best!
xxgail
Congratulations, Frances–what great gifts! Who knew when we started blogging all the wonderful benefits there were.
I’d like to download that first photo and use it as my wallpaper–I could look at it for hours!
Hi Fances, what a beautiful thank you “card” you have created. Brilliant! It is a blessing to be able to be thankful and you are blessed.Gloria
I love the card with the watering cans — the Japanese Maple too.
A lovely thankful post, Frances. Love the Japanese Maple photo … its a beauty!
So what the heck is wrong with wanting The Man Cave? Sheesh. This sounds like a judgment based on the reverse of this – one of those requests from my daughter – “Dad, let’s go to the Hair Store. I need some supplies.” And you guys laugh at a Man Cave, hahahahaha.
oh how lucky you are! The gift of books is the best gift of all. And I love the Atlas gloves – I can get them in small so they actually fit!
What a wealth of luck. Diana Wells writes wonderful books. I love the way the garden can take us down the paths of myth and history. I love Atlas gloves too.
I love plants of distinction co… always fun when they come in the mail!
You’ve been having some good mail days!
Here’s a book to read for the pure fun of it. Of course there is wisdom in it too: Crazy About Gardening, by Des Kennedy.
That is a beautiful Japanese Maple. I’m making a note of it!
Frances, lovely surprise to see my gift pop up on your blog! I am honoured and glad you like the book. Here’s wishing you a great spring (when it finally arrives!)
Best regards from across the pond,
Joy, The Modern Gardener
Frances,
Your Japanese Maple is heavenly. I am so glad that you are enjoying the book, as well as the other goodies. I had so much fun putting this package together for you. Your post was a delightful surprise, and such a treat to come home to after a long day. 🙂 I must confess that I went back for some more of those ‘Frosted Chocolate’ Violas… not sure that I needed a second package, but I just love them. Jen of Muddy Boot Dreams is such a talented photographer, and I have so enjoyed these cards, I’m glad that you did, too!
Frances, truly that Japanese Maple is stunning. I should have added one to my garden the very first year I moved here. Maybe this is the year that I get one.
Love those gloves, I think that I must have 20 pairs of them, after working in the nursery. But I can only find 1 pair now, go figure.
Your books look wonderful, and those seeds make me swoon. Especially the poppies.
Thank you for mentioning my cards, they are a labor of love for me. And I am so glad that Liisa sent one to you. It is my absolute fav the watering cans.
Congrats on all the wonderful goodies you have received.
Jen
What great goodies. I’m a big fan of Foxgloves. Ever tried them? I received a pair as a gift. Buttery soft and oh, so comfy. I never want to take them off. PS: Your Japanese Maple is breathtaking.
Looks like you have a nice library! Beautiful card, too. One of my favorite books about trees is called “Stickkey Trees” – it teaches you how to identify 10 of the most common trees by the leaves/needles. I wish Stickkeys would make more nature guides.
What a happy post!
Esther
Lady luck sits on your shoulder.
I really like Jen’s (muddy Boot dreams) watering can card. I’ve admired that image before, it’s a good one.
PLEASE post up about Penstemon ‘chocolate drop’ if it goes well. It looks stunning.
Gardening books never go out of style and never become dated, at least in my humble opinion.
I’ve experienced your joy through gardening-friends-gifts, Frances…when I participated in Anna’s Gardening By Letter project. It was so much fun to get each persons package ready and send it on to Anna. Then when my own pkg. came from everyone, it was like Christmas morning;) Those seeds look nice, I hope you’ll show us photos of the blooms. I had a book giveaway last year, on Hellebores. Anyway, I got an email from Joe Lampl that he’s working on getting a rain barrel for the grand prize for my sustainable living project…so I’m extending the deadline, maybe even as far as another month out. I’m hoping it will materialize, as it would really be a substantive prize. It’s the Fiskars rain barrel. Anyway, if you would tweak your old post and reference this newest project & Earth Day’s approach, you could be eligible;-) Congrats on your great win over at Lissa’s. Jen was in our Gardening By Letter project so I’ve got a card from her as well:) Enjoy your book!
Oh, my, Frances, that first photo is just stunning. Who doesn’t love the trees? (Okay, besides commerce and the government and our culture in general. We’ll just have to love them that much more to make up for their lack!)
Glad you won. 🙂 You deserved it.
How wonderful, Frances! I have the book of plant names by Diana Wells, and refer to it regularly. It’ll be exciting to see your seedlings turn into adult plants and a new part of your garden.