Publisher’s Letter

It’s summer! School’s out. Chester County’s in full bloom. Our grills are hot. The kids are getting married. We’re ready for a tall, cool drink … and the latest issue of County Lines.

Friendship becomes love becomes life. For Carol Metzker, every marriage is a celebration. She interviewed several couples and tells of “Love Stories Behind the Weddings.” Shannon Montgomery assists with the celebration by contributing “21st-Century Wedding Gifts” to give you ideas of what to gift wrap. Before you’re too engaged in planning, peruse our “Guide to Wedding Venues and Services” for caterers, inns, resorts, country clubs, galleries, jewelers … and other services you may want for the big day.

Bogs evoke images of forbidding, sulfurous mires, but often serve as sanctuaries of for a vast suite of otherworldly plants: some insect-eating (Venus flytraps and pitcher plants), some merely beautiful (ladies’ tresses, cardinal flowers or blue flag irises). Nate Braddock of Jenkins Arboretum explains how to bring strange and wonderful wetland plants into your garden in “Backyard Bogs.”

Our “Chester County in Bloom” photospread shares the finalists in our photo contest. Be sure to vote by liking your favorite on Facebook.

Shelley Laurence of Main Line Books thinks you ought to take a trip this summer. She recommends Ireland. You can visit by merely opening a book. See her suggestions in “Travel the Emerald Isle … Without Leaving Your Couch”

Wow! At Westtown School, a ninth grader led the school’s basketball team to first in the state. At Malvern Prep, a senior is joining Stanford’s wrestling team, aiming for the Olympics. At Friends’ Central, one girl has been dominating in track. And other students are truly outstanding. Colleges have noticed. Read about these amazing students in “A Dozen Star Athletes.”

Juneteenth is an appropriate time to remember “Bayard Rustin, A Renaissance Man,” writes Malcolm Johnstone. A friend of Martin Luther King, the West Chester native is known for his social justice activism, in particular, his role in planning the March on Washington and working for gay rights.

When it’s hot outside, it may be a good time to let someone else do the cooking. In our “Summer Dining Guide,” we suggest restaurants in and around Chester County.

Surprisingly, when serving barbecue, Liz Tarditi of Fine Wine & Good Spirits says no to beer. She prefers wine, and makes recommendations to accompany meats, poultry, seafood and sides. Read “Sizzling Selections: The Best Wine Pairings for Your Barbecue Feast.”

Whether you want a drink with a few friends or something for the whole office, West Chester will see you served — and at a discount if you come at the right time. In “Cheers! It’s Happy Hour in West Chester,” Cara Corridoni says be happy!

Hopefully, you already have County Lines delivered to your mailbox. Save it for future reference. At CountyLinesMagazine.com, you can read the June issue online. At Issuu.com, you can read the digital issue. Or click Get A Copy on our website to find locations to pick up a print copy.

We hope you’d like to subscribe to County Lines. Do it on our website or call 610-918-9300. For single issues, try Wellington Square Bookshop, Main Point Books, or Reads & Co. Bookstore. Visiting an advertiser is also a great—and free—way to find copies!

Ed Malet, Publisher

610-918-9300

Love Stories Behind the Weddings

Behind fairy tales and picture-perfect scenes, there are love stories that make hearts melt. Stories of the day’s imperfections or the glitches are what bond couples for life and create families forever. Those memories are always about acts of love that touch us beyond measure. Love stories don’t stop after the wedding. Epic as the wedding, new chapters of great love stories continue to unfold.

Backyard Bogs

Basically, a bog is an acidic, nutrient-poor wetland. It tends to be dominated by low-growing sphagnum moss, resulting in an open, sunny environment. Underneath lies a peat layer, serving as the foundation of bogs, in the wild and in your home garden. Success in your home bog requires constant moisture, full sun, an acidic medium and low nutrient soil. Venus flytraps, pitcher plants, ladies’ tresses, irises: all do well and are available from specialty nurseries.

Bayard Rustin, A Renaissance Man

A 1932 graduate of West Chester High School, Bayard Rustin was recognized for his social justice work by being the first person in the school’s Hall of Fame. He later organized demonstrations at the Warner Theatre, the Woolworth’s lunch counter and the YMCA. Rustin also worked to protect the property of Japanese Americans imprisoned during World War II, to integrate interstate bus travel, to aid refugees from Vietnam and Cambodia, and was instrumental in the March on Washington. He has been honored in plays, films and by universities. In 2013, President Obama posthumously awarded Rustin the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian award.