Editorial Director Patrick Alan Coleman on the warmth and light within the horticulture industry

When a very late flowering of nasturtium was covered in a blanket of November snow, it was clear that the season had closed on the Hopeful Consumers Accidental Neglect Trial Garden.

The beds surrounding my house had measured the warm days in blooms and butterflies, but the diminishing sun and coolness of colder months finally brought their own kind of beauty into the mix — ice crystals on the black seedheads of the rudbeckia and the dark green spikes of thyme on the border poking through the blanket of white.

Without the long, bright days, it’s time for us to make our own light. So, we burn candles at holiday tables and festoon our houses with bright, colorful bulbs. We are comforted by the twinkling of Christmas trees, the flicker of flame on the menorah, the crackling of the yule log on the fire. But there is another light that should warm us as well: the light we find in each other.

I feel blessed to work in an industry filled with people who keep their inner light burning. Some lights are close to me. They are my amazing colleagues who illuminate the GIE Media Horticulture Group and brighten meetings, emails and messaging apps with kindness, enthusiasm and creativity.

Other lights ignite my travels. These are the lights of the people, both new to me and old acquaintances, who bring their passion for the industry, new ideas and camaraderie to the many conferences and events I attend throughout the year.

But as much as the light inside ourselves is kept and nurtured by our own care, we can help fuel the light in others as well. Part of that is giving acknowledgement and gratitude for the warmth and brightness they offer. Another part is helping them rekindle fires that might have dimmed in times of stress or disaster or sadness or frustration. And we can do that by reaching out, checking in and building up.

One light has graced our pages for a very long time. Every month, John Bartok Jr. has brought the torch of his knowledge into Greenhouse Management. His articles have lit paths for readers seeking to improve their processes and strengthen the way they grow. This issue marks John’s final Tech Solutions column. Be sure to read his thoughts at the end of a lustrous career as he enters a much-deserved retirement.

This month, our pages are also graced by John Kennedy and Paige Franks, who offer ideas on how we can fuel the flames of those we employ. Kennedy offers thoughts on training and development, while Franks helps us recognize when the fires may be dwindling to embers during a pre-burnout period called “quiet cracking.”

It’s on all of us in this season of light to not simply find joy in holiday illumination, but to offer our own brightness. We bring out each other’s brilliance through generosity and fellowship. So, let’s shine through these dark days together.

Patrick Alan Coleman
Editor | pcoleman@gie.net