CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Church gardens are many things to many people. Peaceful, colorful, spiritual, practical, nurturing -- they fill many needs.

I took a stroll around downtown Charleston and I first encountered the flower-, sculpture- and fountain-filled space at the Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.

Across Virginia Street, the dogwoods were in bloom at First Presbyterian, and preschoolers took a break from the playground to sit on benches under the white-blossoming trees.

A bit farther on my walk, and I saw the pink roses and purple perennial veronica at Charleston Baptist Temple on Quarrier Street, just across from the unusual and beautiful greenery at Christ Church United Methodist. Walking back to the office, I passed the neatly manicured and lush gardens and columbarium at St. John's Episcopal, and I realized there's a lot of work going into church gardens throughout our valley.

For example, Pat and Fritz Maine have created a heavenly rose garden at Ruffner Memorial Presbyterian Church, at Greenbrier and Quarrier streets.

"I think they grow on holy ground," Pat said with a laugh as she described the nearly care-free rosebushes.

"We're up to 19 now. We started with four. And all I do is deadhead them, cut them back in the fall and put mulch around them," she explained. I always thought tea roses were a lot of work, but Pat's response to that statement?

"Apparently not!"

Pat's husband and fellow gardener, Fritz, is fond of red, so those first four were a variety of red, but they have expanded to other colors.

"They are all tea roses, and we bought all but one from Sam's," Pat said. "I got the other for a dollar at Lowe's -- that one is lavender and it's hardy and beautiful."

"We cut some every Sunday for church, and we send some to shut-ins. I have a digital camera and I make note cards with the photos of the roses," Pat said. "They really are a joy!"

Pat's rose garden was created to avoid work, she admits.

"We did not have someone doing the outside work at the church, and I started out just mowing. I thought I wouldn't have to mow so much if I planted some flowers.

"We put the four roses up, then we had winter pansies, and at Pentecost, we put in red geraniums."

I know there are lots of beautiful church gardens out there just waiting to be shared. So I'm asking for your help.

Please take photos of the gardens around your churches and send them to me at sara.bu...@wvgazette.com, or mail them to me at 1001 Virginia St. E, Charleston, WV 25301. Space and time permitting, we'll try to run some of the photos to show others the fruits of your hard work!

Rose Society meeting

The Charleston Rose Society will hold its monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. May 24 at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1600 Kanawha Blvd. E.

Dick Hanlon will discuss Old Garden Roses. Guests are welcome.

Add to your salsa garden

The salsa garden -- tomato, pepper, onion and cilantro -- is easy to grow in a small space, so why not kick it up a notch this year and toss in something new? Add tomatillos.

Many think tomatillos are like little tomatoes, but they're actually a different fruit altogether. Covered with a papery husk, these little green spheres are great in salsa, guacamole and other Latin American dishes. They're easy to grow, too. They like full sun to part shade, grow 2 1/2 to 5 feet tall, and benefit from a dose of liquid fertilizer a couple of times during the growing season.

Reach Sara Busse at sara.bu...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1249.