Fertile Ground, Full Bellies

Sharyn Iannuccilli grows organic bounty to feed her family

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The first time city girl Sharyn Iannuccilli saw a backyard garden was when she met her now-husband’s family for the first time. Soon after the couple said “I do,” she was inspired to sow her own seeds. “I married an Italian, so I started with tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, naturally,” she says with a laugh. Forty years, three children and three grandchildren later, Sharyn tends to her thriving vegetable garden in East Greenwich that feeds the family and pleases the health-conscious green thumb. It’s difficult to know the source of a majority of store-bought vegetables, she explains, and by growing her own bounty, she can ensure that seeds haven’t been altered and her crop is 100% organic. “This way you know,” she explains.

While the trio she first planted remains part of the crop, Sharyn says she likes “the challenge of growing unusual fruits and vegetables,” including fennel, artichokes, grapes and more. The yield is enough to serve healthy and fresh meals to her loved ones regularly. “I have 10 for dinner every Sunday and we eat right out of the garden,” she says, beaming.

It wasn’t until after she retired that Sharyn expanded her flowering gardens, which now separate varying areas of the one-acre expanse. “I created ‘rooms’ all divided by perennials beds,” she explains. One space is a water garden built by her son as a thank you gift for putting him through medical school – a special and sentimental space.

Sharyn offers sage advice to newcomers. “Start slow; don’t overwhelm your- self,” she explains. Sharyn started simply and worked her way up to the URI Master Gardener Program. “Perfect what you’re doing and build on that. Don’t get frustrated because we all make mistakes. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve moved plants in my yard,” she adds. Recently, Sharyn shared picking strawberries with her three-year-old granddaughter. “I thought that is how she can start and learn. She loves it.”

For Sharyn, being in the garden feels like home, offering an enviable serenity she says can be shared by both experienced gardeners and novices alike. “There’s no place I’d rather be.”

gardens, gardening, south county, Sharyn Iannuccilli, east greenwich, so rhode island

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