The Best Gift
For our family Christmas card this year, I went through and shared our favorite moments and highlights from 2024.
Over the course of 365 days filled with the day-to-day responsibilities of life—school, work, shopping, cleaning, hard decisions, studying, surgeries, funerals—I narrowed it down to a few highlights. Like the adorable way our daughter Ruth loves to dress up in fancy dresses, our first ski trip with our girls, a weekend getaway to Cedar Point, a birthday dinner, simple moments around the farm like fishing or Russ and the girls shooting their bows and the girls’ spring dance recital. There were some bigger moments and some really simple and sweet memories that I’m thankful for and hope will never fade.
For this last email newsletter of 2024, I planned to do something similar with a few highlights for the business. I remember the smell of the soil when the greenhouses start back up in January, watching the greenhouses fill up all winter and the amazing colors when everything is in full bloom in May. Or watching landscape after landscape be transformed with fresh plants, custom patios, and boulder walls by our Landscape Team, simple conversations in the store with many of you and seeing how much your kids or grandkids have grown since last year. The laughter of our staff at an early morning staff meeting because they love what they do stands out, as does celebrating summer with our Team and their significant others, children and grandchildren at our annual summer party, or the inspiration and growth of our Team members after attending industry events—I could go on. There are so many of these moments, big and small, I want to remember and savor with gratitude. However, when I really thought about what I’m most thankful for and proud of, it’s the gift of the community and how we flourish together.
Our core purpose or mission is Nurturing Growth. I’m most thankful for the evidence of this growth. This is why we do what we do. We set out in pursuit of excellence, and we work really hard to create the fruits of our labor for you. So hearing comments like this is incredibly gratifying:
“Bedner’s Greenhouse is my happy place full of promise and beautiful flowers. Whenever I need a pick me up or inspiration for a positive day, Bedner’s is my favorite place to be! Thank you to your wonderful staff and organization.” Kathie K.
“This was the first time for my little granddaughter to come flower shopping with her mom and me! It was so fun keeping the traditions of shopping at your store for our flowers! One of the men who works there picked her a little flower that we put behind her ear! It was so cute! Thank you for such a great day!” Rose O.
“All your employees are some of the friendliest people. [They] always greet me, smile while working and deliver excellent customer service every time.” Doreen L.
There are so many more like this, complimenting the quality of our plants and landscape work and the friendliness of our Team. Then there are the ones where you or a staff member let us know how our plants, products, services, experiences, or workplace affect you and make your life better. What an honor. You’re creating good memories here, you find rest and relaxation as you grow (literally or figuratively) at the garden center, in our u-pick fields, listening to music in the Wine Garden, tending to your plants at home, or enjoying a freshly planted landscape we designed.
Thank you for sharing and growing with us. And thank you to our talented and dedicated Team who makes us who we are. Reflecting on this growth and the memories made in 2024 is the best gift this holiday. Wishing you a very happy holiday season, and we would be honored to grow with you in 2025.
Cheers!
Melanie has been with the family garden center business since 1999, gaining hands-on experience in nearly every aspect–from cashiering and greenhouse production to bookkeeping, perennial buying, marketing, and store management. Now serving as Finance and Marketing Director, she combines her expertise with a passion for growing the business. She and her husband, Russ, have loved seeing how plants, gardening, and beautiful landscapes bring joy to our community.
