Gleanings from the Editor

I    had, perhaps, my best fall garden ever last year. The mildly irritating and very encouraging thing about that is that I had very little to do with it.

   In August, I put out new tomatoes for the fall, planted some cucumbers, winter squash, pumpkins and gave the peppers some food since they were still going strong.

   In September, I got sick and didn't set foot in the garden for four months. In spite of neglect, we had a bumper crop of everything!

   There are still green tomatoes ripening, pumpkins and squash stored away for another day, peppers in the freezer, and the food bank benefitted at Thanksgiving with pumpkins, tomatoes and peppers galore.

   For me, it is a lesson in humility. The power of nature to provide requires only a slight bit of help to start in motion its wonderful sustaining system. Although I love to get out there and putter and piddle, I'm not really all that essential to a good crop.

   For my husband Bob, the continued bounty was a way of feeling that I was still nurturing him at a time when I was not actually able to do much.

   For both of us, it was a wonderful gift. We've have bouquets of roses all season, fresh vegetables, fragrant rosemary to decorate for Christmas - and all because nature sustains herself if we give her half a chance. Let's resolve to do at least that in 2002!

   As the new year begins, I'd like to encourage you to share the knowledge you've gained as a gardener. If you have information or ideas, please write them down and send them to us. We'd love to know what you know and share it with everyone else. There are lots of masterful gardeners out there-come on, let us in on your secrets!

   Finally, thanks to my family for help with this issue. Daughters Sarah and Martha both contributed and Bob, who has been an antique dealer for many years, is starting a new column on collectibles. I couldn't make it without all of them! Happy 2002!