We worked on this week’s Gardens & Homes issue over the course of the past year, and in full earnest during some of the bitterest parts of our long winter. These pages reflect our longing for digging hands into the soil, feasting on fresh foods and, generally, just exuding warm feelings about the world.
Some days it seemed that a sun dance would be our best hope for respite from the relentless winter. (Are they getting worse, or is our ability to withstand them lessening?) We drew cheer from our comrades from the Home and Garden section, who joined us this week in our special feature “20 Ways to Live Green.” Editor Elaine Matsushita and her team leap beyond the standard advice-buy a hybrid car, turn off lights, flush the toilet just once. Instead, they share some ingenious plans that demonstrate stylish practicality.
“As a group that’s constantly seeing green products, trends and ideas come flying at our desks, it’s obvious we’ve finally reached a point where the environment is no longer just a marketing tactic or an afterthought,” says writer Shaila Wunderlich. “It’s becoming built in. And that’s really exciting.”
As we go to press, it may not yet be warm, but the ingredients are here to imagine spring and summer into existence.
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