THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2016
www.italoamericano.org
L'Italo-Americano
2
NEWS & FEATURES
TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS
Italians
settled, growing their
own food was a priority for
most."
The Italian Garden Project
started in Pittsburgh (PA), where
it
was based until last year when
Mary began spending half of her
time in Sacramento and the Bay
area. "I love California!" she
says. "The climate and terrain are
so
much more like Italy than in
the East, and the grapes, olives
and figs are everywhere! When I
tell Californians what it takes to
grow a fig tree in the Northeast,
they
can hardly believe it!"
Mary, what or who was the
inspiration for your Italian
Garden Project?
My inspiration for the project
was
my paternal grandfather
Antonio [Antonio Martone immi-
grated to the U.S. in 1912 at age
16 from Sant' Angelo d'Alife,
province of Caserta, ed.]. He had
a large garden in the backyard of
the house where I lived, just a
few miles from his home. He
spent all day, almost every day in
that garden. I adored my grandfa-
ther and spent as much time with
him as I could. I not only grew to
admire his extensive gardening
knowledge and his wise use of
resources, but I sensed the
immense satisfaction and con-
tentment that he experienced in
his garden. He felt completely at
home there, as though there was
nowhere else on Earth he'd
rather be. This is the same feel-
ing I get from the gardeners who
I visit for the project. The garden
brings them great joy and fulfill-
ment. It feeds not only their bod-
ies, but their souls as well.
Who are the gardeners
behind The Italian Garden
Project?
Most of the gardeners are
Italian-born Americans who
came to the U.S. after WWII and
grew up in families that gardened
as a way of life. They survived,
for the most part, on what they
grew themselves or could sell
from their gardens. Today, they
continue to live much closer to
the earth and more lightly on the
earth than most anyone. I always
"Sustainability is not a new concept for the
Italian gardener. It is a way of life"
Mary Menniti in her garden. Photo courtesy of Mary Menniti
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