Tuesday, 30 May 2000
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"Share the crop — and Henry David Thoreau's philosophy — that
we can never have enough of nature."
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Meet your neighbor: Scott Millard
By Lee Allen
special to the Arizona Daily Star
Gardening, whether herbs, vegetables, citrus or flowers, has become a way
of life for Scott Millard, who has turned a hobby into his livelihood as a
publisher.
Millard, a photojournalist, combines personal interests with making a
living by producing books involving the things he loves. His latest effort
is "Herbs: Growing & Using the Plants of Romance," published
by Ironwood Press.
"Several years ago, I saw a trend in the direction of gardening and
cooking that led to herbs," he said. "Their current popularity is
part of an evolution as people get interested in healthier lifestyles and
fresher, better-tasting foods."
Growers and authors Bill and Sylvia Varney are immersed in the herbal
lifestyle on their 10-acre commercial farm near Austin, Texas.
Cooking with garden-fresh herbs is the "in" thing, confirms
Nancy McCue, master gardener with the Pima County Extension Garden Center.
"Growing herbs hits all the senses," she said, "because
they've got texture, color, scent and taste. It's aesthetically pleasing to
grow them yourself and harvest them fresh rather than use store-bought stuff
that's been on the shelf awhile."
Millard, a transplanted Californian whose background as a writer and
editor includes projects with Sunset Magazine, Ortho Books and HP
Books, said he still gets excited about watching things grow.
After producing the herbs book, Millard said, he became excited about
what can be grown with minimal time and effort.
"Now I practice what I preach and have patio containers of rosemary,
oregano, basil and other herbs ready for any recipe," he said.
Millard suggests finding a neighbor who can grow the rosemary, if you
agree to grow the basil.
"Share the crop — and Henry David Thoreau's philosophy — that we
can never have enough of nature."
Previous book subjects have also led him to plant citrus trees, turn the
bermuda lawn into a perennial wildflower oasis, plant a low-water flower
garden, prune every shrub on his property and learn how to talk to his rose
bushes.
"It's a forgiving process where you can make a mistake and still be
successful," he said.
Millard said he hopes to build a family publishing entity, with his wife,
Michelle, and their children helping in the office and the garden.
"One of the benefits of herbal and vegetable gardening is the
educational experience for my sons," he said. "Five-year-old Shane
and I take several trips a day to the garden to harvest herbs or look for a
tomato. He thinks it's the greatest thrill in the world to find something
ripe and pick it."
• Lee Allen is a free-lance writer based in Tucson.
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