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Community Corner

How Are Your Tomatoes?

The Bolognese backyard is a place of shade, serenity, tranquility and a whole lot of hungry squirrels that love to eat pears.

When Pepi and Maureen Bolognese moved to their home on Middlesex Avenue back in 1972, their kids were babies, and there wasn’t much in their backyard.

Now, Pep and Mo have a yard full of life that they, and now their grandchildren, love to play in, relax in, or in which to pick some of Pepi’s herbs. 

Providing the shade in the yard is a beautiful pine tree that started out as a sapling over 30 years ago.

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“The school kids and teachers all got plants every Arbor Day and they gave me a few pine tree saplings that barely fit in the cans and Styrofoam cups the kids put them in,” Maureen said. “When we first planted them in the backyard I had to remind Pepi to be careful when he was mowing the lawn so he didn’t run them over.”

Maureen taught in the Manchester-By-The-Sea school system and also taught athere in town, before her retirement five years ago. Gardening is her hobby now that she’s left teaching.

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“The pine trees have been growing in the back for over thirty years, and I also have some beautiful lilacs that were a gift from my grandkids,” Maureen said.

There is a full herb garden, including sage, parsley, basil, thyme, rosemary and arugula. Pepi takes care of the herbs, the pear tree, the apple tree, the tomatoes and the scallions. Maureen keeps tabs on her perennials, her imported arborvitae, the pine trees and the boxwood.

Arborvitae is a member of the Cyprus family and grows well in cold climates. Boxwood have been part of the American landscape since they were introduced to this country in 1652, and they make excellent hedges around patios and decks.

“We’ve got plenty of apples out back, but I’ve only had a chance to get one pear so far this season," Pepi said. “The squirrels have taken the rest of them, my neighbor has a pear tree too, and the squirrels are feasting on his pears as well as mine.”

“Oh, those squirrels, they’re harder to deal with than my students,” Maureen said with a laugh. “They’ve made a mess out of our pear tree.”

“We’ve installed an irrigation system in the back to take care of the watering, and when it gets too cold, we bring in the herbs and the tomatoes and put them under a grow light in the basement, so it’s really growing season all year,” Pepi said.

“It’s wonderful out back, we have the shade, and a lovely sense of tranquility,” Maureen. “It’s just a beautiful place to spend some time, and our grandkids love it as much as our children, David and Nicole loved it.”

Grandsons Michael and Luke Bolognese were visiting on a recent afternoon and both commented on the long hours spent playing in the backyard and climbing the trees.

“I love playing in the backyard,” Michael said.

Pepi and Maureen whip up sauces and soups with the vegetables and herbs from the garden. They also garnish grilled vegetables, potatoes, chicken, lamb and roast pork with the herbs from the back yard.

“Our garden and yard is just a nice place to spend some time,” Maureen said.

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