Meet the patron saint of gardens today!

Enjoy this inside look at The Weeder’s Reader — a special issue of GreenPrints. You’ll love this story! [Food Gardening Network Preview]( September 27, 2024  [MEET THE PATRON SAINT OF GARDENING!]( [MEET THE PATRON SAINT OF GARDENING!] Gain full access to this premium Story Collection—and an entire Library of food gardening advice—with a [Charter Gold Membership in Food Gardening Network!]( Dear Gardener, All worthwhile endeavors deserve their own saint, don’t you think? Gardening is without a doubt one of the most worthwhile of all endeavors, even for those of us who are casual gardeners. Isn’t it good to know that while you’re toiling away, tending your garden, that you can find some inspiration to keep your garden growing? Become a [Food Gardening Network Gold Club Member]( today—you will get all the how-to information you need for a thriving garden as well as stories that remind us WHY we garden. Stories that amuse, inspire, entertain, and even heal. These “gardening stories from the heart” are reading for your enjoyment, fulfillment, and personal enrichment—you’ll always find stories of hope and inspiration whenever you read an issue of GreenPrints magazine! For example, check out this story from The Weeder’s Reader — a history of St. Fiacre, the patron saint of gardeners: [The Story of St. Fiacre]( Just who was this patron saint of gardeners? By Peter Loewer [St. Fiacre] Most noble endeavors of mankind have a patron saint, usually a man or woman who has achieved notoriety—often by torture or death—in a particular field or endeavor. In 303 A.D., for example, a woman named Barbara dwelt in Heliopolis, where she was decapitated by her father when she refused to renounce Christianity. He was thereupon consumed by lightning and she became the patron saint of firearms (if not the N.R.A.) and all accidents from explosions involving gun powder. In 250 A.D., St. Apollonia became the patron saint of dentistry. Because she wouldn’t relinquish her faith, all her teeth were brutally removed, one by one, with a pair of pincers, and she was then burned alive. Most patron saints have such lives. Last month I went to a garden party and saw a sculpture of an Irish monk named St. Fiacre. The plaque below called him the patron saint of gardeners. Now I must confess that in over 25 years of gardening, I never really thought our craft had a patron saint, even though when walking through gardens and garden centers, I’d often seen statue after statue of a pious man in a cloak, identified by crude signs written in felt-tip pens as St. Francis, patron saint of gardeners. [Read More...]( Illustration by Jean Loewer Did you know the background of St. Fiacre? Peter Loewer does a great job of sharing the rich history of the patron saint of gardening. GreenPrints, now part of Food Gardening Network, has published many stories just like this— rich, interesting stories that share new (or historic) aspects of gardening. The Weeder’s Reader includes more stories of with a bumper crop of wisdom, such as: - “The Green Man” from the Autumn 1994 issue - “Remedial Weeding” from the Summer 2004 issue - “My No-Grow Azaleas” from the Winter 2005-06 issue - And more! The Weeder’s Reader is a fabulous compendium of some of the best stories GreenPrints has published over the years, all gathered into one wonderful special issue — a bonus issue available only to subscribers! Plus, we have dozens more inspirational stories in our Library—and coming up in future issues! Please read what some subscribers say about how Food Gardening Network affects their lives: “The wonderful stories in the magazine have given me hope about mankind. We are surrounded by sad and difficult times in a polarized culture. Your heartful approach and spirit shine through. Thank you!” —Cathy Gornick, New Hartford, NY “I’m renewing for three years. I’m not sure I’ll be around in three years. But I want to make sure you are!” —Susan Ward, Middleton, WI “Thank you, Food Gardening Network family, for providing calm, joy, and wisdom in these crazy times.” —Lee Ann Hawkins, Marion, IN Including this featured story—“The Story of St. Fiacre”—you get all 16 stories in the GreenPrints Special Issue Weeder’s Reader only with a [Food Gardening Network Gold Club Membership](. Filled with stories that inspire, amuse, and heal, The Weeder’s Reader, also includes specially commissioned artwork with every article, to enhance the stories and entertain you—illustrations that are thought-provoking and just plain fun! Here are the stories included in The Weeder’s Reader: - “My New Year’s Garden” - “My No-Grow Azaleas” - “On the Art of Gardening” - “One Million Daisies” - “The Story of St. Fiacre” - “The Obsessed Gardener” - “A Penn Station Valentine” - “The Joy of NonGardening” - “Love and Daffodils Forever” - “Atheists on My Houseplants!” - “The Green Man” - “Light Passes Through Me” - “Remedial Weeding” - “The Most Important Tool” - “Flowers Grow in a Garden” - “A Veteran’s Garden” [The Weeder's Reader]( [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership Special Offer—Just $10 for an Entire Year! UPGRADE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY! Become a Charter Gold Member today and get the Food Gardening Magazine and Library, Gardening Guides, and Recipes! [Gold Membership] Check out all that this new food gardening club has to offer you today! YES, SIGN ME UP NOW FOR JUST $10!](  But this is just a fraction of what you get with your [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership]( You see Gold Membership is packed with benefits you can’t get anywhere else! As Editor & Publisher of Food Gardening Network, I’m happy to have you as a free Bronze Member, but that only gives you a small taste of what Food Gardening Network is all about. When you upgrade now to [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership]( you unlock the key to an entire library of material, absolutely everything we publish about growing good food at home, plus enjoyable gardening-themed stories—all access and all the time for you, including: - [All-Access Membership in Food Gardening Network Gold Club]( only online resource for planning, planting, growing, tending, harvesting, and enjoying foods from your very own garden. - Subscription to Food Gardening Magazine—the only online resource for planning, planting, growing, tending, harvesting, and enjoying foods from your very own garden. Plus, funny, joyful, and inspiring gardening-them stories for your enjoyment! - Subscription to GreenPrints Magazine—monthly digital magazine issues that deliver entertaining and enjoyable gardening-themed stories and tales, plus gorgeous artwork. - Subscription to RecipeLion Magazine—you get quarterly issues filled with hundreds of delicious and easy-to-make recipes at your fingertips, plus tips and tricks for developing new cooking skills. Plus, instant and unlimited access to the entire searchable digital library of back issues! - Gardening GuideBooks—you get instant and unlimited access to more than 65 premium, curated Gardening GuideBooks that cover plant-specific topics. Access all the Gardening GuideBooks now! - Cookbooks & Recipe Collections—you get full and immediate access to 15 digital cookbooks and recipe collections, with more than 1,340 quick-and-easy, garden-fresh recipes. Never run out of ways to enjoy the fruits of your gardening labor From single dishes to a whole meal—we’ve got you covered! - Videos & Video Library—you get instant access to more than 90 videos in our library with gardening tips, tricks, and tactics; do-it-yourself projects for gardening and crafting items; and cooking videos to show you exactly how to make specific dishes. Plus, access to new monthly videos over the coming year! - NEW! DIY Crafting Kits —you get full access to printable garden planning calendars to help keep your garden on track, garden and recipe card kits, greeting card kits, and gorgeous ArtPrints kits for adorning your walls with beautiful artwork. - NEW SERVICE! Recipe of the Week—every Sunday, you get a recipe with quick, easy, and delicious ways to cook food—delivered weekly to your email inbox. - Gold Member Insider—you get this exclusive email service, delivered regularly to your inbox, to guide you through the Food Gardening Network Library. Saves you time finding articles, magazine issues, gardening guides, videos, kits, and recipes that you won't want to miss! And all of this is available to you —right now—when you upgrade to a [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership.]( I want to see your name on my daily list of new Gold Members—you deserve to join like-minded gardeners and get full access to our entire library of material for optimizing your food garden. Please become a [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Member]( today—while this special offer lasts! Sincerely, [Christy Page Signature] Christy Page Editor & Publisher Food Gardening Network P.S. Your success with food gardening depends on you acting now—please claim your [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership]( today and get the only all-in-one-place resource for planning, planting, growing, tending, harvesting, and enjoying foods from your very own garden.  [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership Special Offer—Just $10 for an Entire Year! UPGRADE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY! Become a Charter Gold Member today and get the Food Gardening Magazine and Library, Gardening Guides, and Recipes! [Gold Membership] Check out all that this new food gardening club has to offer you today! YES, SIGN ME UP NOW FOR JUST $10!](  About Food Gardening Network: Food Gardening Network is where three dynamic lifestyle brands—GreenPrints Magazine, Food Gardening Magazine, and Recipe Lion Magazine—unite to cultivate your passion for gardening and culinary delights. Our mission is to provide you with a comprehensive blend of expert advice and daily guidance for nurturing your own bountiful garden and kitchen coupled with joy, humor, and inspiration. Each of our magazines brings a unique perspective to our community, drawing from a diverse array of worldwide contributors, including gardening writers, humorists, farmers, and cooking enthusiasts. 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