Individual gardens have received awards from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, the City of Boston, and Horticulture magazine.

Ms. Mangini, the marketing director of Horticulture magazine in Boston, decided to end the relationship.

Roger Swain, the host of "The Victory Garden" on public television and science editor of Horticulture magazine, has some advice.

"I don't know of anything to equal it," said Tom Fischer, editor of Horticulture magazine.

Their daughter, Mary, works for Horticulture magazine in Boston.

The company grew though a series of acquisitions, including book publisher David & Charles, Krause Publications in 2002, Horticulture magazine, and Adams Media in 2003.

I'm good with his reading glasses, picture hooks, scotch tape, last month's Horticulture magazine, watches, nail clippers, his three pens.

"I think people fib all the time about how much they do," said Tom Fischer, the executive editor of Horticulture magazine.

"That's a dead giveaway," said Mr. Fischer, the editor of Horticulture magazine.

An article on this seed phenomenon is published in the January issue of Horticulture magazine.