Nancy Smith and her green thumb have been keeping Mt. Lebanon Public Library’ s gardens glorious since 1983, when she moved here from Baltimore. A certified Master Gardener, Nancy has also served on the Friends of Mt. Lebanon Library’ s board and worked on the library’ s annual garden tour and plant sale committees.

In 1999, she served with four other Mt. Lebanon residents to plan the layout of the library’ s courtyard garden, including devising a watering system to ensure the garden flourished. She has been the coordinator of the courtyard garden since 2000. Nancy also has lent her skills to the Banksville Road Beautification Committee, the Mt. Lebanon Parks Advisory Board, the Mt. Lebanon Nature Conservancy, and the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden.

Q: What’ s your favorite part about volunteering?

A: The friendliness of the people who use the library and the staff. And, of course, knowing that the garden is flourishing.

Q: What aspect of your volunteer work makes you proud?

A: The library courtyard is a great place to see an incredible garden of native plants attracting native pollinators. We use organic products, make our own mulch( and, no, it’ s not

smelly), spend many wonderful fruitful hours in the soil making life-long friends while giving many volunteer hours to the library.

Q: Have you always been a library person?

A: I have used libraries since being a kid. Reading was a family activity and the library was a world to discover new fantasies and adventure of the imagination. Some were dusty old buildings, but the main library in downtown Baltimore was elegant. I always liked the little garden area where one could read.

Q: What is your favorite work of fiction? Nonfiction?

A: Fiction: The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne. Non-fiction: The Omnivore’ s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. Q: What are you currently reading? A: The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls. Q: Who is your favorite author? A: I love Isabelle Allende because she blends history, family, lives of women, and a sense of mystery.

Q: What would you title your autobiography?

A: Gardening: An Artistic Expression.

Q: If you could be any fictional character, who would you be?

A: Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and

Prejudice. Q: What is the library’ s best-kept secret? A: The courtyard garden. I am always surprised how many people don’ t know it exists.

Q: Besides reading and volunteering at the library, what’ s your favorite hobby?

A: Swimming, bike riding along rail trails, traveling to new areas, walking in the woods, kayaking. Q: Your favorite movie? A: National Lampoon’ s Christmas

Vacation. Q: Final words? A: Come sit in the courtyard and read and contemplate the miracle of life and plants.

Photo by Ginnie Fickman