There are hobby gardeners, professional gardeners and those people who have the heart of a gardener.
I know one such person who will soon be leaving his job for the next stage in his life. I have known Terry Peters, the managing editor of the North Shore News, for 15 years or more. And what many people do not know about our relationship is that Terry saved me from the wilderness of "no one will touch you because you have been fired," way back in 2004.
At the time I was director of Park Tilford Gardens and the new property owners fired me because I was unwilling to follow their doctrine of cutting costs and lowering the standards at the gardens. That view is my personal opinion of the situation at the time.
Readers of Dig Deep and many North Shore residents may remember the headline in the North Shore News, "Bentall fires garden director" way back in 2004. I could not get a job at that time. It's a common occurrence for people who lose their jobs for one reason or another.
A week or so later Terry called me to his office for a meeting. I assumed he wanted an interview. Terry spoke to me in a friendly and personal manner about how I was doing and what plans I had for the future. I won't reveal all the details of our conversation, but he stunned me by asking me to be a part-time gardening columnist for the North Shore News. Wow! Shocker! I hesitated at first but Terry saw something in me that I did not and he cajoled me into agreeing, for which I am eternally grateful.
Over the years I have pounded on my gardening columnist's soap box to write about issues that affect all of us. Issues like poisonous pesticide use, good gardening practices, caring for the environment, the folly of invasive species management and so forth. Each time I thought my stories would be refused, my stories have mostly been allowed to run. And while there are other people at the newspaper who are directly responsible for allowing my stories to run, it is Terry who had the final say.
Some may say newspaper stories run because they grab attention or they are controversial. Maybe, but it's not quite that simple. Each newspaper is a reflection of the moral, ethical and political leanings of the publisher, editorial staff and managing editor. Did some of my stories run because they were controversial? Or were they just good local news? My personal belief is that those stories ran for all of those reasons but also because Terry has the heart of a gardener and the subject matter found resonance with him and the larger community.
I cannot speak directly to the many journalistic accomplishments that the North Shore News has achieved since Terry took over the reins of the paper so many years ago. However, the North Shore News has been awarded the best local paper in Canada on more than one occasion under his tenure. During my many conversations with Terry, and occasional reprimands, Terry has been nothing short of a great boss, mentor and a friend to me. I have learned so much about the newspaper business from Terry that I could write a book about it.
Why does Terry have the heart of a gardener? In my view, he sees how the small details affect the bigger picture. Just like gardeners do when they protect a worm because it builds soil. He's quick to point out that too much repetition of any story idea can have a negative effect on readership. Just like gardeners do when they realize that planting too much of the same thing in the garden leads to visual boredom and pest problems.
Terry also gardens at home with his wife. He has even told me that my stories have caused him to reconsider how much grass he has in his garden. You bet I'll take a small measure of credit for that change in his view of lawn in the garden. For me, killing lawn is a badge of honour to be celebrated and championed.
In his next stage of life which begins on May 9, I hope Terry finds fulfillment and much happiness. I'm sure we've not heard the last of him. He's an avid reader and writer. I look forward to spending some time with him in his garden. After all, life in the garden begins within the passionate beating of the heart of a gardener like Terry Peters.
I will miss you Terry, may your garden and life be full of roses, and a tomato or two.
Todd Major is a journeyman horticulturist, garden designer and builder, teacher and organic advocate. [email protected]
