I do not know how I missed this post of August 24, 2011, other than having more than one minor crisis in my life at the same time. Now in addition I see the New Direction post from Jason with comments from many of the regular contributors to Tinkers Gardens.

And so it is sadly we see Tinkers Gardens changing once again. Please be assured that you have served the gardening community here very well through times that we all know were very difficult for you. It seems this has been a forum for sharing much more than gardening and our beloved daylily. There were many frightful periods of weather that took gardens and homes, illnesses that took loved ones, trials of lifetimes that we shared and received support from fellow gardeners who understood our love of the garden and how those trials affected our lives and gardens.

There are now so many venues for social networking and some are very complicated, while Tinkers was very user friendly and dedicated to the daylily and any other plant we wished you to make a cyberspot to discuss. The changes in technologies has to add to the challenges you face.

I remember when Tinkers was really the only place the backyard gardener-going-commercial dared to make that appearance. Donald and Jason, you made a lot of things happen when you opened your doors. I can remember bus trips with members of the AHS years before the Society had an online database or Portal. They were well aware and concerned that daylily growers were flocking to Tinkers to discuss the daylily and hybridizing. You opened their eyes to what they needed to do for the AHS. It took them years to catch up. I applaud you for the selfless work you did, and the open garden you gave us to visit in cyberspace.

Thank you for your contribution to the advancement of the daylily, and for helping so many who otherwise would never have made connections with other daylily growers, gardeners and friends without Tinkers Gardens.

Judy Ann

Wishing you both the best.

John Hric
Cleveland Oh