EDITORletter
Credits Kathy Jentz Editor/Publisher Washington Gardener 826 Philadelphia Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20910 Phone: 301-588-6894 kathyjentz@gmail.com www.washingtongardener.com Ruth E. Thaler-Carter Proofreader Christine Folivi Intern Subscription: $20.00
Your editor at the Longwood Gardens’ gift shop. holding the book Gardens of the World.
Contributing in Small Ways
I’m pictured above at Longwood Gardens’ gift shop last month holding a book that I contributed a chapter about Dumbarton Oaks to. My contribution is a tiny part of this gorgeous book, but I’m still proud of being a small portion of its success. The little things do make a big difference—from donating excess produce to the hungry to planting a public container on your street corner that brightens someone’s day. Sometimes I only have the time or energy to be a small part of a bigger cause or organization, though I’d love to be able to devote more time or give more effort to it. Those small things can really add up though and as they say “many hands, mean light work.” Look for the small ways you can contribute to groups you are in. In several local garden clubs that I am in, there are simple and easy tasks that need doing, but often go undone, due to lack of volunteers or interest. Sometimes just asking what you can do to help or what is falling through the cracks, can open up an opportunity to get involved. Working with a team is a great way to make new friends and to feel part of something bigger than you. It can also create connections and keep you active in an area or hobby that you are interested in. Taking a large task and breaking it into small chunks can make an impossible task possible. When faced with a project that seems insurmountable like clearing out a new area of the garden or reviving an overgrown one, I set a kitchen timer and commit to weeding and cutting back just a small section for 15 minutes. Often, at the end of that time, I extend it another 15 minutes or more as I can see the progress I’ve made and that is super-motivating. Speaking of seeing progress, a great way to measure the small efforts you have made is to take a before picture and then an after one—or at least an in-process one that can show you later what you’ve accomplished. Don’t forget to reward yourself for these small successes. Sincerely,
Kathy Jentz, Editor/Publisher, Washington Gardener, KathyJentz@gmail.com 4 WASHINGTON GARDENER OCTOBER 2023
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Volume 18, Number 8 ISSN 1555-8959 © 2023 Washington Gardener All rights reserved. Published monthly. No material may be reproduced without prior written permission. This magazine is purchased by the buyer with the understanding that the information presented is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by the publisher as to legality, completeness, or technical accuracy. All uncredited photos in this issue are © Kathy Jentz.
