Obituaries
SUZANNE ( SUZY ) BALES
Suzy died on Wednesday , March 30 , 2016 after a valiant struggle with cancer . She was a creative presence , bringing a compelling appreciation for the beauty of nature and gardening to many through the 15 books she authored , the numerous newspaper and magazine articles she penned as well as her lectures on a variety of gardening subjects . She wrote eight books in the Burpee American Gardening series , and is best known for her books Garden Bouquets & Beyond and The Garden in Winter . Over the years she was a regular columnist / contributor to Newsday , The New York Times , Better Homes & Gardens , Family Circle , and the Huffington Post . A former GWA member , Suzy ’ s work garnered two Quill & Trowel awards .
She and her husband bought a house in Oyster Bay , Long Island in 1978 . Over the years , Suzy kept adding and modifying gardens on the six-acre property ( from a formal vegetable garden to a Belgian fence of apples and pears , a wildflower garden to a woodland walk and a bulb border to a meadow ) turning it into a showplace . Most of her books included photos she took of her many and varied gardens as well as her artistic flower arrangements .
Suzy was committed to gardening and horticulture on many levels . She served on the boards of the American Horticultural Society and the Garden Conservancy and was a distinguished advisor to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Old Westbury Gardens . — Cathy Wilkinson Barash
MEL BARTHOLOMEW
Mel Bartholomew , creator of the revolutionary Square Foot Gardening system , passed away at the age of 84 in La Jolla , California on April 28 , 2016 . In poor health for a number of years , his son Stephen reported that the cause was liver cancer . Bartholomew ’ s death was announced by the Square Foot Gardening Foundation , which promised to continue his mission of combatting world hunger .
Bartholomew trained as an engineer , and upon his retirement from his engineering and construction company at age 42 , turned his attention to gardening . He found traditional gardening both frustrating and wasteful , especially regarding overseeding and then thinning to fit the space . He devised an easy and innovative method of intensively growing vegetables that has revolutionized the way millions grow food .
Bartholomew stated that his square foot garden — growing in a mix of compost , coarse vermiculite and peat moss — required no pesticides or tools , used only 20 percent of the space of a row garden and needed just 10 percent of the water . Plus , there was no weeding required . He emphasized that the grid ( which is placed on top of the raised bed ) helps gardeners space plants appropriately in order to grow intensively ; it is an essential component of square foot gardening .
Bartholomew documented his techniques in his first book Square Foot Gardening ( published in 1981 by Rodale ), which was soon followed by a public television series “ Square Foot Gardening .” An updated edition of his book , All New Square Foot Gardening , was published by Cool Springs Press and updated as a second edition in 2013 . The concept has been expanded to include Square Metre Gardening and Square Foot Gardening with Kids . Bartholomew has sold more than 2.5 million books on the subject , making him the bestselling gardening author in North America for more than a generation .
Bartholomew was convinced his methods could end world hunger , and thus , he created the Square Foot Gardening Foundation from the proceeds of his book sales . His work was tireless . Through his books , the PBS television show , innumerable personal appearances , and a wide network of certified instructors , Bartholomew encouraged gardeners all over the world to abandon row gardening and grow vegetables in his densely planted , gridded boxes .
Mel Bartholomew was an original . It is not an overstatement to suggest that his innovative system introduced millions to gardening . His methods have often been copied , but never replaced . — Billie Brownell , editor of Bartholomew ’ s updated All New Square Foot Gardening .
GENE LOGSDON
On May 31 , 2016 , we lost a strong advocate for local farm systems and self-sufficiency . Gene Logsdon was born on Nov . 5 , 1931 , in Tiffin , Ohio , and lived most of his life 25 miles away on his 30-acre Upper Sandusky farm with his wife Carol . But his works and thoughts travelled far beyond the borders of the state . He promoted the idea of small farms , richly biodiverse in resources and products . He was a visionary and a practical man , a voice of reason , a humorist and a Contrary Farmer who didn ’ t suffer fools easily .
Gene wrote 25 non-fiction books , four fiction , and hundreds of articles for the Progressor Times , Farming Magazine , Draft Horse Journal and more . His writings were a mix of philosophical insights and practical knowledge based on his experiences working his farm . He was a supporter of Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association , and at the annual conference , Gene was often found in the Book and Raffle Room signing his books and connecting with farmers and gardeners . Little did many of us know that February 2016 would be the last time he would grace the book room with his presence .
Although Gene is no longer with us you can still access his wit on his blog at The Contrary Farmer and gather pearls of wisdom , hope and joy from a man who offered us a pragmatic , personal way to live on this earth . — Debra Knapke , The Garden Sage , Columbus , Ohio
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