Everyone Eats

Food, how it’s grown and where it’s grown, is an issue that affects us all. Like many of you, I began my garden life in the vegetable patch before moving on to what many consider to be the “higher” horticultural arts.

But with every growing season, it’s edibles that lure me back to my first pleasures—and flavors—in the landscape. Along with blooming bulbs and a carpet of blue bellflowers, rhubarb, peas, and sweet lettuce signal spring to me. I can’t always get my friends and family excited about the latest blooming species tulip, but I sure have their attention when the strawberries are ripe.

This issue is bursting with stories about delicious, nutritious, and beautiful food. And all that food begins in a garden. Read about perry, an heirloom pear, and pomegranates; they all have their roots in history yet still deliver delight today.

Urban farms are showing up in backyards, on campus, and even on a rooftop in downtown San Francisco. I guess you could say they’re enjoying a day in the sun. More than simply healthy seasonal produce, these charismatic landscapes are becoming a gathering place for the neighborhood or a magical childhood playground. The result is a community that’s nurturing the next generation of growers and consumers who care about the land.

And finally, we’re learning how to create conditions in our gardens that nourish wildlife and soil microbes alike. Change is afoot. Don’t miss the second in our Water Sensitive Landscape Design series: “The Big Shift.” But please, don’t eat the campanulas.