Photo: Christopher Testani
But, like for many, the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything. The couple — who have beenhappily married for 53 years— suddenly found themselves in the same place 24/7.
“One of the things we learned during the pandemic is how wonderful it is to have seven days of the week together. It’s just incredible,” Ina tells PEOPLE in a new interview to celebrate the premiere of her upcoming discovery+ showBe My Guest.
With such a seasoned routine, you’d think there would be a period of adjustment — but not for the Gartens.
“We had had that schedule for 40 years, where he would leave on Monday, and come back on Friday,” says Ina. “And then when that pandemic happened, I was like, ‘Oh, whoa. What’s going to happen here?’ And 24 hours later, I’m like, ‘This is great. I’ve got a buddy all the time.’ "
Now that life has started to return to normal, Jeffrey is back in Connecticut but not for nearly as long as before. “Now he’ll go to Connecticut on Wednesday night and come back on Thursday night. So we don’t really miss too much,” says Ina.
Most days, Jeffrey will head to the office building they own in East Hampton to work and Ina will continue her cooking at home.
“We get up, have a normal morning, and then we just go off to our respective corners. He goes to his office, and I go to the barn. And then we meet for lunch and have an afternoon together,” she says. “It’s pretty great.”
discovery+
As fans of theBarefoot Contessastar know, Jeffrey often contributes to Ina’s work, popping in for a meal on her show — and continues to do so on her latest series.
ForBe My Guest, Ina invites famous friends like Julianna Margulies and Willie Geist into her home for what the network describes as, “a day of conversation, connection, food, and fun visits to some of her favorite local spots.”
“I thought it would be such a pleasure to do something that was completely unscripted,” she tells PEOPLE. “I don’t have to worry about when I’m going to add the vanilla and the flour, somebody comes over, and we just have a great conversation.”
Though Ina had never met Margulies before (“We were Instagram buddies,” says Ina) the two became fast friends.
“By the end of that interview, we were finishing each other sentences,” she says.
Be My Gueststarts streaming Saturday, March 26 on discovery+. There will also be a food-centric version airing Saturdays (at 12 p.m. ET) on Food Network; and a companion podcast, premiering across all audio platforms each Saturday.
source: people.com
