December is the most wonderful time of the year, right?

Mark gave a gift to himself, last week, when he took delivery of a long-awaited hobby greenhouse. He ordered it from a craftsman in Mennonite Country, around Kitchener/Waterloo, some months ago.

It features 8 X 12 ft. dimensions, high ceiling for a second set of shelves and a used screen door.

Say what? Well, he isn’t going to live in it, and he must give credit to the maker, who clearly saw a used aluminum door as just as useful as a new one. He was right.

As a result, the greenhouse looks even more at home on its foundation than it would with a shiny new door.  Stay tuned for future reports of greenhouse-activity.

Speaking of giving, we have lots of gift suggestions for the gardeners on your list, many of which we have offered in this newsletter before.  This is a link to a story that we wrote for the Toronto Star last December on this subject.

This year, we are thinking that we will give less stuff to family and friends and make more donations to charities in the names of people we love and care about.

To be honest, we got this idea from Ben's Mom, Mark ‘s wife, Mary.

She is giving each of the grandchildren 100 pounds of bananas. Yes, bananas.

Seems that 140 orphaned chimpanzees need to be fed and none other than Jane Goodall will make that happen.

Mary stepped to the plate and peeled off a few bucks to make sure the chimps are kept on a healthy diet.

Details at https://janegoodall.ca/e-store/bananas/

The grandkids don’t know about this yet, so please keep it to yourself.

We are reminded that there are many great causes that relate to horticulture, the environment and the real world that we can give to. Concerned about the depletion of the Amazon rain forest? A great Canadian, Ann Lambert, is doing something about it by supporting the indigenous people of Brazil, the Kayapo, who have the legal right to a large portion of the Amazon. A piece of it about the size of New Brunswick. Their problem is that many people are encroaching on their land, harvesting trees and fishing illegally.

Ann’s solution?  Help the 10,000 Kayapo defend their property by providing them with resources, and in so doing protect “the lungs of the earth”, or a big part of it, in the Amazon. Check it out at https://icfcanada.org/our-projects/projects/kayapo-project

There are many environmental based charities doing great work, of course. World Wildlife Fund, International Conservation Fund of Canada, and Ducks Unlimited Canada are all doing good work to protect our planet. They are Canadian and provide tax receipts.

Then there is the opportunity to plant a tree in Canada for a COVID Hero, through Trees For Life (full disclosure, Mark is Chair). After a successful campaign to reforest the Highway of Heroes in Ontario (thank you David Johnston for planting the last tree on Nov. 2nd), the volunteers at Trees For Life are now planting trees in the urban environment across the country.

Trees for Life is proud to plant trees that pay tribute to the heroes who make our communities and our country a better place for you and for all. These heroes include military, first responders, front-line & healthcare workers, neighbours, and loved ones. Visit our website for more information on the Trees for Heroes program and how you can create your own living tribute. Details at www.treesforlife.ca.

Whatever charity you choose, the receiver will no doubt appreciate that you provided this gesture of generosity in their name. How could they not?

We remind you to take the time to reward yourself also. It has been a long year, if COVID, inflation, and a war in eastern Europe had anything to do with it.  We recommend a gift to yourself that will lift you up and make you feel good.

For Mark, a long day in a sunny greenhouse sounds like a trip to a tropical island.

May your Christmas be happy and bright, your holiday season filled with joy.

Sincerely,

Mark and Ben Cullen

Merchants of Beans and Beauty.