Last Chance Today: Read this story of hope now!

Enjoy this preview of the Winter 2022-23 issue of GreenPrints. You’ll love this story! [GreenPrints]( December 10, 2022  [HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL IN THE GARDEN!]( We all have that one gardening friend (it could be you!) who goes above and beyond the call of gardening duty to make sure what’s been planted not only grows, but thrives. And we know it always pays to be ready to deal with gardening surprises as they pop up — literally or figuratively! Gardening is an act of hope — plant positive energy and reap the happy harvest! In GreenPrints, we’re about the “heart” of gardening. Read a story in GreenPrints and you’ll walk away feeling inspired, amused, maybe even healed. These “gardening stories from the heart” are reading for your enjoyment—you’ll always find great stories whenever you read an issue — and you don’t want to miss a single issue! For example, check out this story from page 34 in the NEW Winter 2022-23 issue of GreenPrints—a heartwarming tale of hope, optimism, and persistence: [Mother Hen]( Getting fussy over daffodils. By Lou Storm I am in LOVE with daffodils. Have been for years. Ahem! Make that decades, about five of them as an adult. I’m not sure I ever noticed the wonder of daffodils during my wild-and-woolly youth. But somewhere along the way to adulthood, they grabbed my attention. What a bright smile daffodils bring to early Spring! Part of that is because they last for a while. I love crocuses, too. But not like daffodils. Crocuses are lacking because not as many grow, even fewer bloom, and those blooms are good for three days at most. And it seems they are never respectful enough to come back the next year. My daffodils always do! My daffodils have beautiful blooms for about three weeks. And either because I plant the right variety or just because of Mother Nature’s natural care, whether I pick a shady spot, a sunny spot, a spot that gets more moisture at the right time, or even a spot that gets more moisture at the wrong time, my daffodils always come through. They poke their little heads up as much as a month apart—giving me a joyous peak of continuous blooming for at least a four-week span. My daffodils brighten my yard. They brighten my day. The world is congruent when I walk among the blooms. Which brings me to Mother Hen. She is, well, me. Possibly you were unaware that males can be Mother Hens, too! I don’t know of anything else in my life that draws out this trait in me. Not newborn babies, nor too-big-for-their-britches-grown-up kiddos; not even brand-new grandchildren. But let me assure you, my daffodil bulbs, stems, buds, and blooms bring out my inner Mother Hen! [old man] Here in Texas, I start walking the mulched area where my bulbs are planted sometime around the seventh of January. I might see the first telltale head reassuring me at least one is still alive around then—or surely within a week. What a joy to see plants coming up in my yard in January! Last year, however, was a shocker. While I was cleaning up Winter limbs and leaves between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, I was astounded—-no, make that floored—to find my first tip of a daffodil leaf! Six more had given away their hiding place before midnight on New Year’s Eve. Never ever had I seen a sign of them the year before they were due! (Well, not a 12-month calendar year, but the calendar turning over from one year to the next year. You know, like the old jokes we all toss out to friends and family in late December, “See ya next year!” when it’s really only a day or two away!) But my daffodils came up early last year! At least some of them. And twice, if not four times each day, I was outside patrolling the beds where those resided, searching among the mulch chips to see if the next newborns were crying, “Hey, Lou! I’m he-ee-r-ee!” Before January 7, I was already up to 48 sprouting daffodils—and looking for somewhere around 250 when they were all done. Oh, and did I mention the flags? I didn’t? Well, you know the tiny colorful flags sold at any respectable hardware or home improvement store? The ones that are used to mark where a water or electrical line is buried, where we aren’t supposed to dig, or where we are supposed to dig? I set one where each green tip pokes out. After all, I don’t want to be walking all over any baby plants with my large frame as I patrol for more, now do I? That’s not being a protective Mother Hen! After those green leaves first appear, the next excruciatingly long wait begins. “Guys!” (My daffodils are all guys.) “Can you grow a little faster? Can you put on buds a little quicker, so I can count how many blooms I will have this year? Can you blossom out a little sooner?” “What’s the rush, Lou?” I try to tell myself. Before I know it, May will arrive. And by then, my babies will be gone. Gone until the next year. Funny thing. Lots of animals hibernate in the deep of Winter. My babies hibernate in Summer. I wonder why that is. Maybe they like the Central Texas Summer heat and humidity just about as much as I do! But Christmas will come again. And then next year … when I can start being a Mother Hen to my daffodils again! ❖ Illustration by Tim Foley Dear Reader, What a great story! You can feel Lou Storm’s enthusiasm practically leap off the page as he gently tends his returning daffodils. GreenPrints has published many heartwarming, hope-filled stories just like this—stories that accentuate the positive, such as: - “Baseball is Gardening is Baseball” (Summer 2020 issue, p. 30) - “Changing Gardens” (Autumn 2021 issue, p. 38) - “My Winter Friends” (Winter 2019-20 issue, p. 16) - “Something Soft” (Spring 20219 issue, p. 50) - “Free Plants” (Summer 2021 issue, p. 6) And tons more sweet, funny, and inspirational stories in our Library—and coming up in future issues! Please read what some subscribers say about how GreenPrints affects their lives: “The wonderful stories in the magazine have given me hope about mankind. We are surrounded by sad and difficult times in a polarized culture. Your heartful approach and spirit shine through. Thank you!” —Cathy Gornick, New Hartford, NY “I’m renewing for three years. I’m not sure I’ll be around in three years. But I want to make sure you are!” —Susan Ward, Middleton, WI “Thank you, GreenPrints family, for providing calm, joy, and wisdom in these crazy times.” —Lee Ann Hawkins, Marion, IN Including this featured story—“Mother Hen”—you get all 15 stories in the Winter 2022-23 issue of GreenPrints with an [GreenPrints All-Access Membership]( filled with stories that inspire and heal, GreenPrints also includes specially commissioned artwork with every article, to enhance the stories and entertain you—illustrations that are thought-provoking and just plain fun! Here is what one subscriber says about GreenPrints: “Thank you! BEST EVER Magazine!! It's like the finding a ‘treasure’ in the mailbox. Artwork is amazing!” —Jo Glenn, Port Royal, PA Here are the stories included in the Winter 2022-23 issue: - “Stuffed with Christmas Joy” - “The Gardener’s December” - “The Boysenberry Saga” - “Lily Bushes” - “The Upside-Down Flower Tree” - “Mother Hen” - “Winter is Coming” - “The Sole in my Father’s Garden” - “The Waiting is the Hardest Part” - “Rundown Garden, Brand-New Friend” - “Setting Down Roots” - “A Real Gardener” - “My First Orchid” - “For the Birds” - “The Flower Shop” [Humor Collection]( Now, you could [order your own single copy]( of the GreenPrints Winter 2022-23 issue for $15, plus shipping and handling (and in some jurisdictions, you have to pay tax—you’ll end up paying more than $20 for a single copy with shipping, handling, and tax). Or, better yet, for just $20 (no shipping or handling … and no tax!), you can get [GreenPrints All-Access Membership]( for an entire year—with a whole year’s worth of stories in a full subscription to GreenPrints, both print and digital editions … and benefits galore! [$20 SPECIAL! GET A 67% DISCOUNT WHEN YOU CLAIM YOUR BENEFITS TODAY!]( [Claim your GreenPrints All-Access Membership now, and you’ll get all the gardening stories to delight you, make you laugh, and fill you with heartwarming inspiration and motivation. Claim your benefits now!]( [GreenPrints all access]( [ONLY $20 FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR!]( Right now, you’re eligible for this limited-time invitation—to claim a premium [GreenPrints All-Access Membership]( with this Special Offer. You get a full year of membership in a club that provides you all the gardening stories to warm your heart, inspire you, and make you laugh. And for only $20 right now, that’s 67% off the $60 cover price! [Introducing GreenPrints All-Access Membership—Only $20 for an Entire Year!]( Your [GreenPrints All-Access Membership]( has privileges and benefits that are reserved exclusively for premium members like you. [Claim Your $20 Membership Now!]( Summary of All-Access Membership Benefits 01 A full year of GreenPrints All-Access Membership, an exclusive club for those who want to enjoy the greatest gardening stories ever—save $40 off the annual cover price, a 67% discount! $60/year Now Only: $20/year! 02 1-year subscription to the GreenPrints Magazine, quarterly issues filled with humorous and heartwarming stories—in print, delivered directly to your door, and sent to you digitally as soon as issues are published! INCLUDED 03 Full and immediate access to the GreenPrints Digital Library—your membership includes access to the current digital magazine issue and back issues, a digital version of The Weeder’s Reader—plus the library is constantly growing with new content regularly added! INCLUDED 04 Instant and unlimited access to all GreenPrints Collections—curated and comprehensive collections of stories from the heart, organized around specific topics such as humor, joy, romance, mystical and healing gardens, and gardening mishaps. INCLUDED 05 FREE BONUS: The Weeder’s Reader—a compilation of the sixteen greatest stories ever published by GreenPrints. You get a FREE copy mailed to you, plus instant and unlimited access to the digital version in the library! FREE [Claim Your $20 Membership Now!]( Become a [GreenPrints All-Access Member]( today—while this special $20 offer lasts! Sincerely, [Bill Dugan] Bill Dugan Editor & Publisher GreenPrints P.S. Claim your benefits with a spot in [GreenPrints All-Access Membership]( today—only $20 for an entire year with this Special Offer, a 67% discount off the cover price! P.P.S. You deserve to have regular hope and happiness in your life—please act now to claim your [GreenPrints All-Access Membership]( and get inspired and motivated every day! [GreenPrints All-Access Membership Special Offer—Only $20!]( 67% Off the Cover Price Now! [GreenPrints all access](  Claim your GreenPrints All-Access Membership today and get all the greatest gardening stories ever—heartwarming and funny, for you now! [YES, SIGN ME UP FOR JUST $20 FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR!]( About GreenPrints Magazine: GreenPrints shares the absolute best true stories of gardeners from all across the country. It’s the most inspiring, humorous, and heartfelt gardening magazine of them all. There is nothing else like it. We’re no spring seedling, either—we’ve been publishing for over 30 years. If you love to garden, you will love GreenPrints, THE magazine of personal gardening stories from the heart. You are receiving this email as part of your free subscription to email updates from GreenPrints Magazine. 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