On the QT | The Official Newsletter of GWA December 2016 - January 2017 | Page 6

FOOD

D AV I D M AT T E R N

P H OTO C O U R T E S Y B I L L T H O M A S

Sorrel Soup and Other Treats
from the Garden

ADVI CE F O R BEG IN NE R S
I tell our visitors that when they are starting
out growing vegetables, they should know a
few basics. Start small and build on early
6

P H OTO C O U R T E S Y D AV I D M AT T E R N

I

am a full-time, assistant horticulturist at
Chanticleer Gardens near Wayne, Pennsylvania. In addition to assisting our other
gardeners, I spend two days each week
caring for the vegetable gardens. I focus
heavily on growing conditions, creating
healthy, fertile soil, ensuring the crops
are healthy and therefore better at warding off
pests and diseases.
I believe public gardens act as vehicles for
connecting people to gardening, and vegetable
display gardens, specifically, are gateways for
inspiring people to try growing their own food.
We take pride in demonstrating to our visitors
where their food comes from—like showing
how asparagus grows and what it looks like in
the garden.

The vegetable garden at Chanticleer prompts visitors to ask questions about growing their own food.

successes. Use good elements, which include
location, sunlight and healthy soil. I urge
beginning gardeners to be realistic with their
expectations, such as how much time they will
actually have to contribute to the garden. Overall, I believe what matters most is that a person
tries, and understands failure can be a part of
the learning curve. I also urge our visitors to
support local growers at farmers markets or
CSAs and not hesitate to ask questions about
growing techniques.

I harvest our vegetables twice a week with
a portion donated to a local women’s shelter.
Most of the remaining produce goes to the
Chanticleer staff, because they invest a lot of
care and effort into growing all of our plants to
an exceptional level. I am tasked with a similar
job, only my plants are edible.
There is a great documentary called Jiro
Dreams Of Sushi in which Jiro, a world-renowned sushi chef, discourages his cook staff from
eating the lesser quality or leftover sushi from