Tom Castronovo

Tom is a life-long ‘Garden State’ resident, a horticultural and community educator, and is a featured columnist, executive editor and publisher for the Gardener News. As a former landscape professional by trade, he found local information on gardening and landscaping in print difficult to locate. After successfully completing a Master Gardener course, Tom recognized the need to assemble, publish and disseminate information of interest to the gardening public in a print-friendly format. The Gardener News germinated in April, 2003 and continues to bloom today.

Tom has been an active member of his community for many years and is involved in a number of organizations. He currently is a media member of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association, an allied member of the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association, an honorary member of the Professional Landscape Alliance of New Jersey, an active member of the Liberty Corner Fire Company, a member of the Garden Writers Association, a media member for the Garden State Gardens group, a member of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Pesticide Task Force, a member of the Garden Conservancy and a founding trustee for the Wagner Farm Arboretum Foundation. Tom serves on the advisory committee for the Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School's Horticulture and Landscape Technology program. Tom is currently featured on News 12 New Jersey every Sunday night and Monday as the “Backyard Gardener.” News 12 New Jersey is the exclusive 24-hour local news cable channel dedicated to serving 14 counties in Northern and Central New Jersey.

Recognized for his many contributions, Tom has received many accolades. In June 2007, he was recognized for his “sincere appreciation and outstanding contributions and dedication” to the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. At the Rutgers Gardens annual dinner in December 2006, Tom was recognized with a “Media Specialist Award” in sincere appreciation for the time and talents so freely contributed for the benefits of the Rutgers Gardens. In September 2006, at the 30th Anniversary of the Rutgers Home Gardener’s School, Tom received the Rutgers-Cook College Continuing Professional Education’s “Community Outreach Award”.

Tom made a guest appearance on “GardenSMART” in October 2006. He provided the gardening tips on shows 412, 413 and 501. “GardenSMART” is a unique, exciting, informative television gardening program broadcast on local Public Broadcasting Stations (PBS) throughout the United States. Tom was a featured guest speaker at the 2006 and 2007 Springfest Flower and Garden Show, fondly known as "The Garden Lover's Flower Show" in Augusta, NJ. He was also a featured guest speaker at the 2006 and 2007 MAC Events "New Jersey Flower and Garden Show" in Edison, NJ. Tom has presented to many garden clubs and community organizations as well.

Tom has also been honored as the “Volunteer of the Year” for the Professional Landscape Alliance of New Jersey in 2005 and as the “Volunteer of the Year” at the New Jersey Museum of Agriculture in 2004.

Tom has also been featured and/or mentioned in the following publications: The New York Times, The Star Ledger, Courier News, Italian Tribune, Elegant Lifestyles Magazine, New Jersey Countryside Magazine, Out & About Magazine, The Journal, Echoes-Sentinel, Bernardsville News, Hillsborough Beacon, Ocean County Observer and the New Jersey Herald. Tom has also been featured on UPN 9 News, Fox 5 News and CNN. And, in 1994, Tom was an extra on the hit NBC television comedy series “Fraiser.”