Celebrating a year of thanks

There’s an annual tradition associated with “From the Ground Up.” The tradition is that each December, I reflect on the gift that this column is to me, and how much it has provided me during the year that’s about to close.

To start, a bit of history. This column began in December 1999 at the invitation of Brian McCullough, one of the editors at The Daily Local News in West Chester. Brian’s vision was to create something that would encourage and support home vegetable gardening and gardeners. I remember feeling a bit nervous, starting a weekly vegetable gardening column just before the holiday season. (You don’t need to be a gardener to know that nothing grows in this climate in the winter.)

Of course, it turns out that when it comes to gardening, there is plenty to write about year-round, and From the Ground Up was off and running. In what I consider act of genius, Brian encouraged me to find a local gardener to write about each month, and that opened up a whole new avenue for me. In fact, meeting other plant-lovers and touring their gardens is at least half of what fuels my passion for garden writing.

This year, with the COVID-related restrictions, everything felt so different. I was still gardening and writing and hearing from readers. But I missed being able to go out and see gardens in person rather than by photos, meet new gardeners, visit with people I’d met earlier through this column who have become friends. But, despite that, we held the “Homegrown National Park” contest, and I was delighted to receive so many entries and to be able to make two (masked and socially-distanced) garden visits. It wasn’t the same, for sure, but it was wonderful. And, thanks to the ease of email and Facebook, there was still plenty of communication with readers.

And so, I want to offer my thanks to all of you— to everyone who entered the contest, to everyone who sent an email or an actual in-the-mail letter to comment on a column or share your own gardening stories, and to everyone who simply reads and enjoys what I write.

As always, I invite you to “like” my Facebook page, “Chester County Roots.” I don’t post as often as I would like, but my vision for it is to have a place where those of us in southeastern Pennsylvania can share our gardening experiences—good, bad, and perplexing—ask questions, and share information. For instance, it can be incredibly helpful and reassuring to know that our own garden isn’t the only one hit by potato blight or infested with a particular insect. Often these things are seasonal/regional, and it’s good to know that.

We can also share what vegetable varieties worked well for us, perennials and shrubs we’ve discovered that the deer seem to ignore, and recipes for all that produce that comes into the kitchen in the summer months. Chester County, in particular, has a deep, rich agricultural history, a legacy that is recreated and sustained in so many home gardens. When we grow our own food, even if it’s just a few tomato plants, we tap into and continue that legacy.

Finally, thanks as always to the editors at the Daily Local and the other area newspapers that have supported me over the years: Brian McCullough, Natalie Smith Schickling, Phyllis Rowan, Andy Hachadorian, Aixa Torregrossa-Vazquez, Ann Cornell, Phil Heron and, currently, Nancy March.

If there’s one thing that I’ve seen demonstrated over and over again, it’s that community is a gift that keeps on giving. Sincere thanks to all of you.

Best wishes for this holiday season, and I look forward to hearing from you in 2021, and hopefully getting back out for garden visits when it’s safer to do so.

Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail. com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442. Share your gardening stories on Facebook at “Chester County Roots.” Pam’s book for children and families, Big Life Lessons from Nature’s Little Secrets, is available on Amazon, along with her companion field journal, Explore Outdoors, at Amazon.com/author/ pamelabaxter.