We bought our house 31 years ago and, as neophyte home buyers, we never thought of looking through the dirt-laden windows into the backyard. When we finally did, the sight was ghastly.

The yard dropped off sharply after 20 feet and, to the right, stood a colossal red sewer pipe rising from the earth, dominating the entire space. Turning to my husband, Ed, I asked if he could hide it and, oh my, what he did was beyond magical! He turned this eyesore into a park setting with 15 flower gardens, a grape arbor, three serene ponds and a bridge made with parts of the girls’ swing set. I can still hear their laughter every time I cross it.

Ed is a master at the whole gardening gig, so I was surprised when he said he wanted to become an Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer an

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