GARDENING Reminiscing about the greats of garden writing in Canada
In September, a few hundred garden writers met in Atlanta to learn more about their passion and to network at the Garden Writers Association Symposium.
There, the passing of one of our own, Anstace Esmonde-White, reminded me of the many people who came before us.
She and her husband Larry hosted a TV show on PBS for 17 years. It was broadcast across the continent and featured adventures in their own garden in the Ottawa Valley. They wrote books and gardening columns as well, but mostly they were known for their work in TV.
Awards were heaped on the Esmonde-Whites. Anstace had just received a citation from the Government of Canada in 2006 for her “outstanding contributions to the gardening world” when a letter from the President of Ireland arrived lauding her for a lifetime of achievement in gardening. She was 86 at the time.
When we reach 86, people are allowed to thank us for a lifetime of achievement. Most of us have thrown in the trowel long before then. The Esmonde-Whites spread the gardening message most effectively for over 70 years.
Who else ruled the airwaves and print media in their time? Here are some names.
Fred Dale answered gardening questions each Friday and wrote editorial gardening columns for the Toronto Star. He was known to be truthful, highly informed and forthright. I started to read his columns when I was 20 years old. I had to, as customers at the retail garden centre where I was working would come in quoting him on Saturday mornings. If you didn’t know what Fred said, you looked like a dummy.
My favourite of them all was the late Lois Hole from St. Albert, Alta. She was a cracker jack. We co-presented at many events in Alberta in the ’80s and early ’90s and always had great fun. Lois was the first true multi-media star in the business. She could write, broadcast and speak publicly like no other. Even non-gardeners loved to hear her message.
Ross Hawthorne, Bill Hartnoll, and many more, cut a wide garden path that many Canadians followed willingly. As a result, we have learned how to garden successfully using methods, tried and true, recommended by the best of communicators.
With myriad changes in the communications field, there are more opportunities for us to connect with Canadians and inspire them to pick up the trowel and get gardening.
Now, our message is expanded into areas that touch on the environment, food, “off-the-ground” gardening and birding.
If this is a topic that interests you, I would be delighted to share my own thoughts on the subject.
Feel free to connect with me at groundskeeper@markcullen.com or Facebook. Or visit gardenwriters.org for more details.
It is a new day in the garden communications field. Mark Cullen is an expert gardener, author and broadcaster. Get his free monthly newsletter at markcullen. com. Look for his new book, The New Canadian Garden, published by Dundurn Press. Follow him on Twitter @MarkCullen4 and Facebook.