between friends
O
ne of the perks of my
job is that I’m never
far from a garden.
Near my office is a
window overlooking
the half-acre Better
Homes and Gardens
Test Gardenq, where we try out new plant
varieties and combinations. Somehow,
pausing by that window can clear my mind or
kindle a creative thought, even when the trees
are bare and the paths only peek through the
snow. In warmer weather, I’ll often have my
lunch on a quiet bench there, taking in the
sounds and fragrances. And every time, I
return to my work amazed that such a simple
experience can be so restorative.
Gardening is like that—so satisfying it’s
almost therapeutic. It doesn’t matter whether
you’re potting a container or planting an
entire bed. The choosing and planning are
creative outlets; the digging and planting,
tactile pleasures. Trading plants—and
advice—brings neighbors closer together.
Where else in life can one start with just a
few handfuls of material and end up with
something so beautiful?
Outside, as in, our surroundings add
^ ’Outside,as in, beautiful surroundings
add pleasure to life. So this issue, we
put gardens first.
99
enormous pleasure to the life that happens at
home. So with spring just ahead of us, this
issue puts gardens first—literally. We’ve
rearranged our usual order to lead with the
five-senses garden of cooking great Ina
Garten
,p a g e 31.
Best known for her culinary
prowess as the Barefoot Contessa, Ina has an
equal passion for hands-on gardening. Her
generous planting beds remind me of the way
my grandmother gardened—
in unabashed
quantity, letting masses of annuals provide
color and cuttings all season long. Nearby
Ina’s ornamental gardens is a small kitchen
garden that inspired the top-of-season spring
recipes shared here.
After Ina’s yard, we’re on to yours, with
flowerbed basics, advice for azalea lovers,
and an inspiring front-yard garden,
p a g e 138
,
where a tight budget proved no obstacle to
gorgeous results. Our gardening coverage
continues next month with a step-by-step
guide to raised-bed vegetable gardening.
This issue also features winning recipes
from our 2008 Annual Challenge recipe
contest. Thousands of your fellow readers
entered, leaving us with the delicious and
difficult job of narrowing down to six
winners. Our $25,000 Grand Prize winner:
Lauren Wyler of Austin, Texas, whose Sweet
Potato Hash, page
143,
is destined to be a new
brunch classic.
Many of my gardening friends mark
the start of spring with a tradition. Do you?
Tell me about your best spring celebrations.
Gayle Goodson Butler, Editor in Chief
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8 MARCH 2009 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
