January / February 2001

Trends. That’s what we think about when a new year rolls around. (Or, if you’re one of the holdouts from last year, a new millennium.) Trends were also the focus of the annual symposium held by the Garden Writers Association of America this fall. Technology, we were told, is “in.” But so is “escape from technology.” It was a message made in garden writer’s heaven.

Computers are nice, but they can’t plant a flower or make it grow. Information gleaned from the Internet can tell us lots of how’s and what’s, but it can’t give our lives meaning. For that, we need to get back to basics. A seed in the ground. Working with nature to help it live. Beauty shared with family and friends. The beginning of a new year (or millennium) is a good time to reflect on such matters.

Our January-February issue is the one in which we feature the winners of Chicagoland Gardening’s annual garden contest. The theme for this year’s contest was vegetable gardens. Now what could be more basic than growing your own food? Our Grand Prize Winner is Richard Rutkowski of Darien whose containers won the top prize last year. What can we say: the man is a perfectionist–and a very good gardener.

Bird watching is another major means of escaping from technology. In this issue local expert Joel Greenberg recounts the goings-on at the annual Christmas bird count in our “Bird Watch” story, which he will be writing this year. And Patti Peltier introduces us to the bird whiz that the late and much lamented Floyd Swink termed “the discovery of the century.” Read about her on page 30 to find out why. In a closely related story, Woody Imberman reports from the Biodiversity Conference recently held by the the Morton Arboretum. Too much technology and the world literally begins to disappear. A newly published study reported that over 11,000 species of plants and animals on the earth are now seriously threatened with extinction.

We chose for our cover story a topic close to the heart of many readers–shade. Love it or hate it, you can’t garden successfully as long as you’re in denial, still trying to grow towering delphiniums in a spot that’s trillium heaven. On page 24 you’ll meet Patrick Lydon, who has created a charming corner oasis for the hosta and other variegated plants he loves.

Something old and something new. Cathy Maloney writes about three local garden-related businesses with long histories. Michelle Walsh reports on the new plants for 2001 and tells where they’re available locally. We also introduce a new name for our “Fingernails” department which will henceforth be called “The Hands-On Gardener.” This new title broadens the scope a bit, enabling us to include crafts along with how-to gardening stories. Escaping from technology isn’t limited to digging in the dirt, therapeutic as that can be.

As always, we will continue showing you the region’s most beautiful gardens, big and small, opulent and simple. Water gardens. Roof gardens. Cutting gardens. Four-season gardens. They’re all in the editorial calendar for 2001. Finally, an announcement. Bill Aldrich has returned to the magazine after his leave of absence. We welcome him back.
We’re looking forward to an exciting year, and we wish nothing but the best for you and your garden.