THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, March 10, 1996                 TAG: 9603080075
SECTION: HOME                     PAGE: G2   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   38 lines

INTEREST WAS PLANTED EARLY FOR GARDEN COLUMNIST STIFFLER

COLUMNIST Robert Stiffler has gathered gardening news and tips all winter for today's special Weeder's Digest issue of Home & Garden.

Stiffler learned to garden in Iowa, following his grandmother down rows of tomatoes, potatoes, asparagus and rhubarb.

Last year Stiffler published a compilation of his gardening advice in the book ``Robert Stiffler's Gardening in Southeastern Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina.''

In the early '50s, he learned to garden ``down South'' while serving in the Navy.

For more than 25 years, Stiffler worked in marketing and advertising with Smith-Douglass Fertilizer, which later became part of Borden Inc. He operated that company's lawn and garden division.

Stiffler and the late Fred Heutte founded the Men's Garden Club of Tidewater. Stiffler also is a past president of the Norfolk Botanical Garden Society.

He was selected the Horticulturist of the Year in 1988 by the Tidewater Virginia Nurserymen's Association.

In 1974, Stiffler began writing a garden column for The Virginian-Pilot; he's been at it ever since.

He retired from the Barker, Campbell & Farley advertising agency in 1986.

This is his 17th Weeder's Digest.

Stiffler and the Home & Garden staff hope you enjoy this year's garden guide.

KEYWORDS: WEEDER'S DIGEST by CNB