In the news:

In May 2002,

Paul E. Stake published a seven-year compilation of gardening columns that he had written for The Chronicle of Willimantic. The book is titled "Staking Out the Home Landscape," and topics include flowers, vegetables, herbs, shrubs and trees.

 Background: Stake lives in Bozrah with his wife Debra. They enjoy spending free time with their four children and seven grandchildren. In 1974, he joined the faculty of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. His responsibilities included teaching, research, administration and public outreach. In 2001, Stake was forced into early retirement after being diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease.

Gardening experience: Stake was born and raised on a dairy and crop farm in Minnesota and was responsible for the family herd and commercial crops at an early age. During several years of post-secondary education, he maintained an interest in gardening and was always intrigued by the many aspects of nature and ecology. For several years, he and his wife operated a successful organic garlic farm until his ALS caused them to cease production in 2002.

Book cost: The price of the 348-page book is $18.75 plus $1.13 state sales tax and is available at The Chronicle's office in Willimantic, the UConn Home and Garden Education Center in Storrs, or by mail from TouchStone Farms, P.O. Box 142, Bozrah, CT 06334-0142 (please add $3.95 postage).

Interested readers also can visit the Books in Print section of www.touchstonefarms.com for more information. All proceeds will be donated to the state chapter of the national Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association and the University of Connecticut Home and Garden Education Center.

Quotable: "Gardening can be enjoyed by everyone and does not require a lot of space or money," Stake said. "It is also an excellent inter-generational mentoring opportunity."

 Originally published Wednesday, June 25, 2022