As a biologist and environmental educator with a fair amount of enthusiasm, I’ve had my share of television appearances over the years… from the 5 a.m. ‘on location’ spots with local news teams to studio appearances talking about local ecology, I’ve very much enjoyed the opportunities to share what I love with others. But today, making my third guest appearance with Gail Martin on WNIT’s “Dinner and a Book” on location AT Wellfield Botanic Gardens was a true pleasure. Not only did we get to discuss a great book, prepare and cook delicious food, but we got to tie in Wellfield’s 2017 Quilt Garden along the Heritage Trail, “Window to Waters”, drawing inspiration for 
our dishes from the quilt’s colors ranging from pinks to purple and blues. Today’s book, “The Quilter’s Catalog: A Comprehensive Resource Guide” by author Meg Cox was loaded with amazing – – and very interesting (even from a non-quilter’s point of view) – – information for a variety of audiences.
WNIT’s wonderful crew selected the Adventure Path for the show’s taping – the weather was perfect, and we needed only minimal cooperation from the construction crews both onsite at Wellfield AND next door at the old Selmer Building, to give us a few minutes of quiet as to not affect the recorded audio. With a couple of tables for preparation, cutting boards, knives, pans, and my trusty Coleman camp stove, we were ready for action.
Now it’s no secret I love food – – and I enjoy cooking, but doing so on camera and making sure not to remove a finger while slicing and dicing is another story. With Gail’s encouragement and the inspiration of the Gardens around me (not to mention what I’m sure will be EXCELLENT editing), we’ll come out looking like pros. Gail’s beautiful ratatouille dish and my deconstructed salad/appetizer tray of fresh fruits and vegetables arranged in a colorful and creative ‘quilt-like’ pattern (emphasis on the -like) came out just fine – – we’ve even got the photos to prove it!
The episode will air in spring of 2018. We’re thrilled that Wellfield can be a location for so many great things – – even cooking shows! And we’re tremendously appreciative of Gail’s enthusiasm and support, as well as WNIT’s willingness to come out of the studio and deal with the outdoor elements that can make a shoot challenging! If you’d like to check out past episodes, including a couple episodes with yours-truly as a guest, feel free to peruse their online collection here.
Thank you for your interest and support of Wellfield Botanic Gardens – – I hope to see you soon!
-Eric Garton
Robert and Peggy Weed Executive Director