For gardeners, these final weeks of July are some of summer's best. Despite a lack of rain, our flower gardens are peaking, and our vegetable gardens are living up to their promises of abundance. Most of the heavy work of spring and early summer is over, and we can sit back now and enjoy what we have created.

I am a big believer in the power of gardening on a multitude of levels.

The personal level is the most evident -- at least to gardeners. There is a deep sense of peace and relaxation that comes from connecting with the earth, nurturing, creating. Add a water feature to your garden and you've pretty much built heaven on earth.

There also is a community level of impact. Homes and even commercial buildings that feature gardens make a neighborhood look cared for and welcoming. That atmosphere can be very contagious, and encourage other property owners to do a little planting or fixing up of their own.

Another community impact comes from sharing what you have grown. Whether it's a bouquet shared with a neighbor or extra tomatoes and cucumbers taken to the food bank, what you grow can mean the world to someone else.

In this week's paper, The Citizen begins its annual celebration of gardening and gardeners in the North Boroughs. We hope you will be inspired, educated and entertained by these upbeat stories.