Raymond Nones was born on the 4th of July in rural western Pennsylvania during The Great Depression. Throughout his early childhood and into adolescence was taught the skills needed for the growing of vegetables by his father, other neighborhood gardeners, and the local farmers.
At age 18, the nation involved in World War II, he went into the army taking part in the liberation of the Philippines as a combat infantryman during the battle to re-take Luzon island.
At war’s end was Honorably Discharged and attended The Art Institute of Pittsburgh under the G.I. Bill of Rights.
Upon graduation to begin his professional career in the commercial art field he relocated to New York City.
After a period of several years he married and bought a home in the borough of Queens, and it was there, in the backyard, that the modular gardening concept was conceived and developed.
During this period Mr. Nones also furthered his education at Queensborough Community College, St. John’s University, New York Botanical Gardens, and Queens Botanical Gardens.
A strong believer of promoting home vegetable growing he has written extensively on the subject and has had a number of feature articles published in several national magazines.
This book is a further attempt to keep the long standing American tradition of backyard home vegetable gardens alive and hopefully to encourage the establishment of more of them.