Garden Columns from The Christian Science Monitor written by Peter Tonge.
Peter Tonge's highly readable, syndicated garden columns for The Christian Science Monitor have earned him a loyal following. His life-long fascination with gardening began in his native South Africa with a World War II Victory Garden. Later, to augment his salary as a cub reporter, Tonge grew and sold his own vegetables. During his years in Aouth Africa, Tonge's interest in growing things led to gardening experiences in a wide variety of climates, from the sub-tropics to the temperate highlands.
After 12 years as a journalist in South Africa, Peer Tonge moved to Boston and was hired by The Christian Science Monitor. In 1971, he was appointed correspondent-at-large and traveled widely in the United States and Europe, filing coumns on topics ranging from travel and agriculture to recycling and energy efficiency.
Tonge brought with him to Boston his love of gardening, and soon he was writing regular contributions to the Monitor's garden page. In 1975, the paper appointed him garden columnist, and the swift success of Tonge's lively dispatches led to speaking engagements around the country. In 1990, Tonge was appointed host of The Monitor Channel's syndicated television show, "The Good Green Earth," where his down-to-earth appeal rated consistently high in viewer surveys and earned him a regular following.