There is an underappreciated intellectual side to this. It requires not just the creativity to not just arrange plants but to look into the future at what a bed will look like (what will it look like in two months, four months and then at the end of the season) and familiarity with how design works. It also requires analytical skills; math to understand proper ratios and applications for fertilizer and soil amendments, the biology of garden pests and how to identify them (before a garden party… Show more There is an underappreciated intellectual side to this. It requires not just the creativity to not just arrange plants but to look into the future at what a bed will look like (what will it look like in two months, four months and then at the end of the season) and familiarity with how design works. It also requires analytical skills; math to understand proper ratios and applications for fertilizer and soil amendments, the biology of garden pests and how to identify them (before a garden party a couple of years ago, I whipped out a magnifying glass and identified a fungus attacking the tomatoes as late blight based on concentric circles), and organic control strategies because the food has to be safe to eat pretty much right off the plant.Oh yeah, I use people skills, too. I work with the chefs to produce vegetables at a volume that provides value to them, and since the garden is left open during hours of business I have to act as an ambassador to the business whenever someone pops in with questions, even if I'd prefer to tell them to sod off so I can drink beer and listen to music. And while I don't have a specific budget to work to, I remain cognizant that I'm spending someone else's money. I reuse things, make deals with vendors and don't pay for something if I can scrounge it for free.Oh yeah, I'm all self taught. I have no training or specialized education in how to do any of this. Show less

First, I was a copy editor. Then, I was a columnist and a stringer. Now, I'm a full-time staff writer, covering the county, the courts and the cops. I also write a pretty corking feature story. Also, I finally took photos that weren't blurry or of things no one ever, ever, ever in their lives wanted to see. Like random eyeballs or disturbing cracked sidewalks.

Managed and published up to three different front pages, each tailored for location, each day. Wrote headlines and handled staff writers covering late events. Wrote stories and a weekly opinion column as companion tasks. Participated in weekly editorial board meetings.