Christmas is 40 Days Away - Got Your Shopping Done Yet?

Here is the online link to this week's The List: Top Home & Garden Events on page 38 of today's print edition in the Washington Examiner. This list is a special Holiday Season Preview edition. I took this photo of a gardener hard at work during last year's Garden of Lights at Brookside.

Preparing that event list caused me to move out of my autumn bliss and into winter angst. In general, I shun the rushing of the seasons. People starting talking and prepping for them weeks/months in advance and the second they arrive, they are on to the next occasion. Of course, it happens every year at Christmas. I can't stand when people ask why my tree is still up and decorated on January 5 -- Hello! Epiphany, anyone? Christmas starts, not ends, on December 25.

The seasonal rushing that I really notice and abhor is the Memorial Day to Labor Day period -- I want to wallow in what little springtime we get in DC. Don't tell me it is summer "now" when that is actually 3 weeks away by the calendar and Farmer's Almanac. Further, do NOT tell me on Labor Day summer is over and the pools are all closing when we still have a good month of great swimming weather!

So here we are a week before Thanksgiving and we are already talking about shopping for presents and decorating with lights, if you want to get a jump on the season join me at the Holiday Open Houses at Behnkes in Beltsville tonight 6:30-9pm and at their Potomac location on Saturday from 12-4pm. Local crafters will be there along with Santa. Come by our Washington Gardener Magazine table -- we will have current and back issues on sale, holiday gift subscriptions, taking renewals, etc. Even if you are like me and are not yet ready to get into the Christmas spirit, come by to meet some fellow gardeners in a genial setting and enjoy a cup of hot cider.