Time spent with gardening couple is special

This is the “Italian Breakfast” served by Joan Pomatto. Photos by Doug Oster Tribune-Review

Ernest Pomatto sharpens the tool his father brought from Italy in 1903.

When I saw Ernest Pomatto holding his father’s sword like garden tool, I knew it would be a story. He came to see me speak about planting garlic at Penn Hills Lawn and Garden.
It’s the kind of thing I’m always looking for, an interesting gardener with a tale to tell. Luckily it happens often and I love meeting the different people and passing the story along. Ernest’s tool was brought to the U.S. from Italy by his dad in 1903, I could never pass up that story.
I wrote about him as part of my series “Plants that Matter.” Even though it’s not a plant, it certainly matters to Ernest.
A couple weeks later I went to interview him and his wife Joan in their Apollo home, here’s the story.
In the course of our interview, there was more to talk about than what I had written for the paper. Meeting people like the Pomattos is what makes my job so wonderful. Don’t tell my boss, but I can’t believe I get paid to sit with a couple like those two, it’s truly magical.
We talked a lot about Ernest’s father and family who all used the tool, but in turn also taught him to garden.
The backyard is meticulous, with small ponds and waterfalls trickling around the backdoor. A huge patch of parsley greets visitors and there’s a little stand alone greenhouse in front of the vegetable garden. At the time the garden was still filled with thick leeks and pepper plants weighed down with fruit.
The couple ran E&J Greenhouse together for 24 years from the property. “We met so many great people out here, Joan said. They weren’t a customer, they were a friend.” There were stories of children bringing a quarter to buy geraniums for Mother’s Day. One day a woman drove up in a Cadillac, “where are the plants?,” she asked. When Joan told her, the woman drove her car through the backyard to the greenhouse. It’s something they both still laugh about. The couple grew out lots of seeds for the locals too, some were brought from Italy. “Two ladies would come together, Joan said, she then repeated what they told the couple. ‘Keep my seeds separate from Gertrude’s, because even though we came from the same town, our seeds are different.’”
They have gardened as long as they’ve been together. “I remember the first year we were married we had a garden and we dug it all by hand, Joan said. Spring came and you have to have a garden, that’s all there was to it.”
Ernest was drawn to my garlic presentation as he’s a kindred spirit. One of his brothers once planted 1400 cloves, Ernest managed 80-90 last year. “I have to keep that tradition going,” he said with a smile.
When we were done with the interview, Joan began to get some food together. It was evident we were about to enjoy an “Italian Breakfast.” Dried soppressata, good cheese, grapes, homemade roasted red peppers, toast, crackers and a bottle of wine were served. It was the first time since I visited Italy in 2006 that I had a glass of wine at 11 a.m.
We sat and laughed at the kitchen table as we talked about gardening and life. It was a morning that I won’t soon forget. There are special times when people open their homes up for visitors and for me this was one of them.
Before I left, I went out in the trunk of my car to get three heads of garlic for Ernest. There’s just something different about gardeners. Who else would be thrilled about receiving a gift of garlic? Ernest held the garlic in his hands as he said goodbye.
I drove off with a smile on my face, that’s what it’s like to spend your days with other gardeners.

Some of the other gardening tools in Ernest Pomatto’s greenhouse.