Re: When it rains, it pours, when it doesn't...

**"* C* <d*@chilitech.net>**

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Yvonne Cunnington" <ycunnington@ispnet.ca>

> How ironic: here in southern Ontario, near Hamilton, we haven't seen a
> decent rainfall since mid-May.

We have been much the same at my very specific spot in northern 
Pennsylvania. When storm systems come through, I pull up the real time 
dopplar radar on my computer and watch as the storms split a few miles west 
of us. We have had violent rains three miles north and three miles south and 
stayed dry as a bone.

But the comment from your friend reminded me of a situation a few years ago. 
Those of us who write mainly for newspapers have learned that newspaper 
editors for the most part don't believe that any real people actually 
garden. It's getting better, but generally the kind of people who go into 
media are different from the kind of people who garden, and never the twain 
shall meet.

A decade or so ago there was a very major drought in the midwest. NPR was 
giving it the daily coverage it deserved, but it is hard to cover a drought. 
"Breaking news: It still isn't raining." They did their best covering the 
problems of farmers, but you could tell they were reaching.

After a considerable time, they had done absolutely nothing about the 
problems a drought caused for home gardeners. So I called them and 
eventually worked my way through to a producer. In Hollywood a producer is 
big stuff. In radio and television, they get the coffee.

Anyway, I suggested filling out their coverage with a segment on drought and 
the home gardener. I wasn't particularly pushing myself for an interview and 
even offered to give here some bigger names that would be amenable for a two 
way. She said, "You know, I was out in Iowa and Kansas last week. I talked 
to a lot of people who had been forced to quit farming and gone to live in 
town. And, do you know, [this in a tone of disbelief] these people still 
have gardens in their back yards!" From her tone, it was obvious that this 
was inconceivable to her.

Anyway, NPR never did a segment on drought and the home gardener.

D 

_______________________________________________
gardenwriters mailing list
gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/gardenwriters

GWL has searchable archives at:
http://www.hort.net/lists/gardenwriters

Send photos for GWL to gwlphotos@hort.net to be posted
at: http://www.hort.net/lists/gwlphotos

Post gardening questions/threads to
&quot;Gardenwriters on Gardening&quot; &lt;gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org&gt;

For GWL website and Wiki, go to
http://www.ibiblio.org/gardenwriters