Penner - Native Plants for the Short Season Yard

A book isnt something that just magically puts itself together. There are a lot of people involved. I am grateful to the publisher, the editors, the team that lays out the photoseveryone who works so hard at taking my manuscript and polishing it and turning it into something beautiful and useful. Thank you very much! I couldnt do it without you. Thank you in particular to Vanessa, who continues to make writing a book an enjoyable process even when the process isnt enjoyable.

Next I would like to thank my family. I should be more specific and say I would like to thank all of the various families to which I belong. My nephews, my sisters, my grandparents, my parents, and my cousins Lynsey and Matt comprise the first half. Then there are the families that have adopted me. The Lamberts (in particular, Lisa, Esther, Caden, Tom, Jennifer and especially Scott) have been exceedingly generous and kind to me, and I am so grateful. I dont know where I would be without you guys. In Calgary, Dan and Carol Huber have adopted me and lavished great care upon me, for which I am immensely thankful. Mary Lynn and Andy Hogg along with Krista, Kurtis and Ozzy have absorbed me as one of their own for some reason and actually like my weird sense of humor and like having me in the house. You guys always make me feel welcome and important at your house, and I never laugh and smile as much as I do when I am with you. Thank you for encouraging me in my writing.

Thank you to my CBC family, both the staff and the listeners. I am so proud and so honoured to be associated with all of you who work so hard to be Canadas voice and to be our national broadcaster. You do such a tremendous job, and I wish everyone could see how hard you work behind the scenes to make radio so enjoyable. The CBC listening audience has been overwhelmingly supportive of my work, and I am so thankful to all of you who take the time to send me your comments, who come up to me at conferences and say how much you love listening to my columnmy career would never have been what it is if not for CBC radio. I couldnt have done it without you, the listeners.

I would also like to thank my Waterton familyspending time in our most beautiful national park as a wildflower advocate and guide has been one of the great joys of my life. I want to thank Beth and Andy Towe, Mary Anne and Barney Reeves, and Holly and Tim Lauscher in particular. Id also like to thank Charlie and John Russell, both of whom have so generously shared their time, their knowledge and their experiences not just with me but with so many, and we are all better for it.

I am blessed with a wide assortment of friends in all shapes and sizes and ages and races and colours and creeds and nationalities. Thank you to all of you who encourage me, spend time with me, call me, check on me, feed me, bring me plants, ask me for plants, think about me and generally keep me on the right track. You all know who you are, and I know I dont need to name specific names, but there are a few people who deserve some special recognition this time around for the creation of this book in particular.

Cheryl Lindberg, I really wish I could convey to you how much you inspire me and how much I adore you.

Esther Bresch, you and I have been friends for nearly 20 years and you have always encouraged me, always cared about me, and always been a good friend. Thank you for the book of poetry. I know that one morning I will get a call telling me youve gone, and I will miss you very much when that time comes. I will always remember how much fun we had in the garden or just sitting at your table drinking coffee and talking about orchids.

Jamie Gervais, I will never find someone who adores pugs and stars and purple as much as you do. You are so funny and beautiful and smart and generous and important. Thank you for being on this journey with me. I cant believe that you arent featured as some sort of significant attraction in all of Vancouvers tourism guides.

Ian Wilson and Jacinthe Lavoie must be thanked because without them, I would never have seen the glacier poppy or the Joness columbine. I can only try to convey how thrilling both of those experiences were and I hope we get to do stuff like that again in the future. (Incidentally, there are some gentians I would like to see, and also at least one species of ladys slipper that I havent yet come across. Ha ha.)

The Medicine Hat Horticultural Society has been especially supportive, and I would like to thank each member personally, but they only give me so much space here to write my thanks, but you know who you are. Thank you also to Jeanette Malak, who always provides me with coffee and a place to stay when Im in town.