WGI’s first anniversary issue invites looking back on our first year, looking forward to our second year.

Looking back, WGI’s global water garden progress shows

• Stunning interest: over 1,000,000 monthly hits on the combined WGI/V-A sites
• Robust membership: 972 members in 51 countries
• Waterlily certification: fighting waterlily identity theft through Truly Named program
• Waterlily identification: internationally acclaimed print and web site cataloging of 1,900 waterlily names with specific data for each, detailed facts and images for many
• Timely news: quarterly WGI Online Journal and online newsletters assembled by a talented team of 35 knowledgeable contributors, columnists and correspondents in 21 countries, monthly email newsletter, more frequently updated New & News page
• Aquatic displays: links to 251 botanic gardens (in 70 countries) that feature aquatics.
• Events publicity: constantly updated Events Calendar keeps readers informed of exciting water garden related activities around the world
• Related organizations: promoting 115 Clubs and societies in 7 countries with convenient links.
• Organized support: enlisting international support for an internationally acclaimed historic water garden threatened by a proposed waste transfer station
• Beneficial outreach: WGI waterlily contest winner Nymphaea ‘Pink Ribbon’ dedicated to breast cancer awareness

Additionally, WGI features member-suggested segments For Beginners, Water Garden Books, Pond Fish, Conservation & Wetlands Protection, and Pond Safety.

Supportive members like you have made this remarkable progress possible.

Looking forward, your ongoing interest and vigorous assistance will energize future growth of WGI’s benefits for water gardeners everywhere. Look for more emphasis on multi-lingual articles to join those in Spanish and Portuguese in previous Journal issues. Thanks to Markus Germann, Fernando Santos, Fernando Molina and Primlarp Wasuwat Chukiatman this Journal includes articles in FOUR languages.

Please, tell your water gardening friends about WGI’s benefits; encourage them to join. The same applies to clubs and botanic gardens to which you belong. Suggest to them the distinct benefits of belonging to WGI.

Greater membership strengthens WGI’s power in the campaign against waterlily identity theft and other noteworthy causes we champion. Truly Named growers and retailers voluntarily pledge to correctly label their waterlilies. By insisting on the Truly Named label, water garden consumers like you (the more of us, the more effective our campaign) oblige retailers to properly label their lilies.

From the beginning, WGI has welcomed your thoughtful suggestions. Now we invite you to participate in setting our agenda for the year ahead.

Tell us, what would you like to see WGI accomplish? How can WGI better serve you and its members? What subjects would you like to see in future articles? Can you tell us of clubs or gardens we are missing? Anything else?

Let’s make WGI better in the year ahead!

Now, please let us hear from you.

C.B.T. info@watergardenersinternational.org