Two and a half years ago, I received an email from Linda Laine of Westerville along with an array of
photos from her garden.

“My retired husband and I are enjoying every moment in our gardens in Westerville, Ohio,” she wrote. “Jeff has built all the trellises and arbors and even our deck, with our son helping as I tried to come up with ideas and suggestions on how to include the window box, swing, swim spa and a couple of trellises as part of our new deck.

“We have taken sculpture welding classes to make some of our art for the yard. Last winter we made a floating butterfly that soars above our dahlias. The summer before, the grandchildren helped Jeff make an obelisk out of stones and shells collected from around the country. …

“I believe gardening is to put a smile on your face and the faces of others. I would love to share my gardens with you and your readers, too.”

I took a look at Linda’s photos, and they did, indeed, put a smile on my face. Not only were the gardens beautiful, but they also reflected the couple’s enthusiasm and hard work. In other words, the Laines’ story seemed a perfect fit for Ohio Magazine.

Linda and Jeff share their landscape with their children and grandchildren, who enjoy exploring their own areas of the yard, including a miniature plot accented by tiny furniture that Jeff crafted. The Laines hosted their son’s wedding rehearsal dinner in the garden, which also supplied giant white dahlias for the bride’s bouquet.

Due to scheduling problems and the need to photograph the property a year in advance, it took more than two years to bring the Laines’ story to our pages. We chose the March issue to run “Growing Connections” (see page 84) because at this time of year, we all could use a little gardening inspiration and a glimpse of fairer days to come (as I write this, the temperature is hovering around 20 degrees throughout the state).

We contacted Columbus-area freelancer Teresa Woodard, a frequent contributor to our pages, to write the story. Coincidentally, Teresa, a master gardener, knew the Laines and their garden, which she described as “lovely.” Next month, Teresa’s byline will appear in Ohio Magazine on an article about a Granville daffodil lover.

We hope these gardening stories provide ideas for your own green-thumb endeavors this year. Let the countdown to planting season begin.