GC’s Top 10 Stories of the Year

In March of 2016 Garden Collage Editor-in-Chief Molly Beauchemin paid a visit to East Austin Succulents after speaking on a panel at SXSW.

Molly’s take: “East Austin Succulents is one of the coolest plant shops in America. Period. This place was absolutely OUTRAGEOUS. I’ve been to many a cactus shop in my lifetime of traveling, and this one is by far the best in terms of sheer color and variety. I had to smuggle three moon cactus home in my checked luggage by wrapping them in a towel. For those visiting on Austin, this is a must-see!”

In Fall of 2016 Garden Collage published a gallery of recipes called “Five Creative Ways To Use Fall Apples”. GC Graphic Designer and resident in-house chef Eidia Moni Amin stepped up to the plate for this piece, baking an Apple Tart that has since become iconic amongst the staff.

Molly’s take: “Eidia has such a talent for art and cooking. For the ‘extra apples’ piece, we wanted to craft a story about how to creatively utilize an abundant harvest– since apples typically grow in excess, and one can only eat so much applesauce. The fact that Eidia devised these ‘apple roses’ out of thin air never ceases to amaze me, and Andie (our Photo Editor) captured the resulting tart beautifully. This image made me want to take a picture, pin it on my wall, and cry all at once. This apple tart captures the beauty of a common garden ingredient in new and unexpected ways.”

In January of 2016 Nora Rose Mueller wrote a historical piece on “How The Palm Tree Came To Southern California” while Editor-in-Chief Molly Beauchemin photographed the iconic palm trees of Rodeo Drive.

Molly’s take: “I had been wanted to do a story on how the palm tree came to Southern California ever since I heard that Palm Trees were not native to Hollywood despite their profound association with L.A. When Nora and I were in Los Angeles after Garden Collage’s event at the Palm Springs Film Festival, it made sense to tag-team this piece so that we could capture the palm tree in its native environment while also thoughtfully exploring the relationship between palm trees, California, sense of place, and the American Dream that seems to be wrapped up between the three.”

In April of 2016, Garden Collage Editor-in-Chief Molly Beauchemin and Copyeditor Taylor Morgan paid a visit to the famous Carlsbad Ranunculus Fields in Carlsbad, California.

Molly’s take: “The Carlsbad Flower Fields are one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, and it’s definitely one of Southern California’s hidden gems, though sadly I haven’t seen many publications writing about it. Frolicking through the fields made me feel like we were in a scene from The Sound of Music.”

A Day in Viñales is a photo essay on the Cuban countryside in which Garden Collage Photo Editor Andreana Bitsis beautifully captured the sites and scenes of a rural farming town known historically for its tobacco and coffee plantations.

Molly’s take: “Andie captured the spirit of Cuban agriculture so beautifully in this piece. I love how she really teases out the human element of what could otherwise seem like a very mechanized farming process. Tobacco and coffee are such common commodities that we often forget the people whose skills go into making them. This was a heartwarming piece that doubles as a travel brochure. I defy you to scroll through this gallery and not want to immediately jump on a plane to Cuba.”

In October of 2016 GC Staff Writer Nora Rose Mueller and Photo Editor Andreana Bitsis did a profile piece on Arvolyn Hill, a flower essence practitioner whose work blends healing with activism.

Molly’s take: “In a culture rife with so much trauma–especially with respect to minority communities and POC– we need more people like Arvolyn Hill. Desperately. I’m very impressed with her work and also with Nora’s ability to write about it so thoughtfully for our In Search of A Greener New York series. She and Andie came back from this interview gushing about ‘how cool Arvolyn is’ and that made me so, so happy. Hill is doing important, meaningful work.”

In August of 2016 Michelle Kamerath profiled Ian Rothman, the micro-farming expert behind New York’s then hot new Farm-To-Table restaurant, Olmsted.

Molly’s take: “Farm-To-Table dining is the future of food, but everyone is doing it. Olmsted has really upped the anti in the restaurant business, and judging by their success I think we’ll be seeing a lot more restaurant concepts that include on-site gardens popping up in cities across America in the next few years.”

In October of 2016, Garden Collage ran a profile of the Urban Garden Center in East Harlem, New York.

Molly’s take: “This was a story about a family of gardeners who have owned a nursery under an overpass in Harlem for three generations. This sounds like the plot of a Woody Allen movie!”

In July of 2016 Garden Collage published a story about Cacay Oil, a new anti-aging face oil whose production is helping save rainforests in the Amazon.

Molly’s take: “I saw Cacay oil for the first time at Daylesford Farm in rural England and I knew it would be a huge hit once Paris and New York got ahold of it. In the weeks after we profiled it, cacay oil has taken off and is slowly emerging as a revolutionary skin care solution. This is a nature-sourced treatment that actually has the capacity to help the environment when sustainably farming.”

When Season 4 of Orange Is The New Black premiered in June of 2016, Garden Collage shared beautiful garden-themed quote from the final episode of the series, which is titled “Toast Can’t Never Be Bread Again.”

Molly’s take: “It’s amazing to see references to the garden popping up all over Popular Culture, especially in the realm of television– but I never thought gardening would take on such a central role in the narrative of any non-documentary television series, let alone a show that takes place in a climate as stifling as an under-served women’s prison. This was a beautiful passage honoring the work and spirit that goes into not just maintaining a garden, but also living a meaningful life. When it comes down to it, the two are one in the same.”