A printed news source I can’t do without comes unfailingly in the mail: seed catalogs.  Forget Hindu, Jewish, Chinese or Gregorian new years. Delivery of the first seed catalogs starts my new year before Thanksgiving.     

Many of us drive by it every day and never take notice, and yet the lucky few who venture off the beaten path discover a tiny oasis hidden just outside of the city. Nestled among eight acres off Reading Road in Avondale, the Civic Garden Center acts as a horticultural resource dedicated to enriching lives through education, community beautification and environmental stewardship.