MANTI—The Sanpete Messenger and Gunnison Valley Gazette have just published one of two special issues they send to every household each year.
Free issues of the newspapers were sent Thursday with the annual Home & Garden magazine inside.
The Messenger went to all subscribing and non-subscribing households from Sterling to the north county line, as well as to subscribing household in the Gunnison Valley. The Gazette went to every household in the Gunnison Valley.
Each year, the newspapers select a theme for the Home & Garden magazine. The staff comes up with articles that exemplify the theme.
“Then our reporters and writers interview local experts and residents to get how-tos for implementing the projects and ideas described,” says Suzanne Dean, Messenger and Gazette publisher.
This year, the theme is “Yes you can.” The idea was to make our readers believe in their ability to improve their yards, homes and lives this spring and summer,” Dean says.
Stories covered how to qualify for your first mortgage, freeze drying, water-saving appliances, craft ideas you can do at home with your kids, uses of herbs and wild plants, xeriscaping, the best perennials for the Sanpete climate, creating defensible space to protect your mountain home or cabin from wildfire and keeping your own flock of chickens.
Sources of the stories included Nate Palmer, director of USU Extension for Sanpete County; Bridger Varga, lead horticulturist at Wasatch Academy; Kris Jorgensen, mortgage banker for Security National Mortgage Co.; Bryan Kimball, director of community development for Ephraim City; Sharon Stephens of Ephraim, possibly the top herbalist in the county; and Julie Anderson, owner of Skyview Landscape Nursery in Centerfield, to name a few.
“We’re on our 12th Home & Garden issue, and if I may say so, each of them is a compendium of very helpful information,” Dean says. “Just as one small example, several years ago, we had an article about how to ‘train’ your lawn to stay green with less water. I’ve used the information on my own lawn ever since.”
You’ll want to keep and read the hard-copy of the magazine. But for your convenience, here is a link to the online version as well.
