Editor's letter: The gardens among us

Once upon a time, I had a garden.
Not a splendid one, like my neighbor Ramona has. Mine was adequate. It gave us vegetables (especially potatoes) and herbs and one year it gave us salsify, which was interesting in a historical sense and tasted OK.
There hasn’t been time to garden for years. The mint hung around, and the asparagus bravely returned for a decade before quitting. Otherwise, it’s all gone except for bleeding hearts that my friend Sharon recently planted for me. (They’re doing fabulously; thank you, Sharon.)
I can hear my great-grandfather, a passionate gardener, groaning in despair at what has happened to his sanctuary.
But there are many talented gardeners out there, making time and space for the work.
River Reporter publisher Laurie Stuart shows us her garden. Like my great-grandfather, she sees it as a sanctuary and the opportunity to share the bounty—organically grown and tended with love.
Every year, Wayne Memorial Hospital’s auxiliary in PA holds a garden tour. This year, there are seven gardens to visit, each with a gardener outside, ready to talk about the land and the life upon it. Two of last year’s gardeners share their feelings about what they do, and Martha Wilson, auxiliary member and co-chair of the tour, tells us why the tour is so important—and so worth the drive.
Jude Waterston returns to tell us about her own garden, which feeds Jude and her sister Janet in the summer with a plethora of produce and herbs. Don’t miss the recipes!
Thinking about entertaining outside, or just getting away from screens this summer? Barbara Winfield shares tips on creating the perfect getaway—as close as your own backyard.
And master gardener Irene Soloway talks about the journey of her Bhutanese peppers—a vital part of meals in their homeland—from the mountains of Bhutan to the rolling hills of rural Pennsylvania. She planted the seeds and the peppers took. Now they lend their heat and color to Irene’s meals. You never know what can successfully grow here!
Enjoy the summer. Feed yourself, spiritually and physically, from the Earth.
Annemarie Schuetz
Section editor
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