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All America Selections…What’s Not to Love?

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I want to say Thank You to Mr. Ray Hastings, founder of All-America Selections. One of those visionaries in horticulture who realized a need and made it happen. What are All-America Selections?? Well, you just might be growing one or a few in your garden.

As President of the Southern Seedsmen’s Association, Ray Hastings determined that the best seeds with the brightest futures should be grown in test fields throughout the industry. These seed growing experiences would be considered trials and the best of the best would bear the honor of being considered an All-America Selections Winner. After the first seed was given this status in 1932, there have been AAS Winners every year since 1933.Three times a year, All-America Selections are announced – November, January, and July. With the help of Garden Communicators including magazines, nurserymen, garden clubs, Extension Agents, the National Garden Bureau, and Bloggers these selections are promoted.

The National Garden Bureau has been around since 1920 providing education, inspiration, and motivation to the general public.  The goal was and still is to increase awareness about the importance of gardening and using plants, whether it be at home or in the workplace.  If you visit the National Garden Bureau website you can find all sorts of information from what the new plants are, what this is the year of (this year, it is the daffodil), what grants they offer and so much more.  It definitely should be bookmarked on your computer.

I am honored to offer All-America Selection Seeds at the Stewards of Future Harvests Seed Swap, Watkins Nature Center in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.  The selections that were shared from the National Garden Bureau are absolutely wonderful.  Ranging from perennials like Penstemon Arabesque …

What a gorgeous bloom!!!

Dianthus “Jolt”

Dianthus always brings cheer to a subtle landscape…

and even an all-time favorite, Helianthus annuus Sunflower Suntastic  Yellow with Black Center…just to name a few.

Perfect dwarf yellow sunflower that flowers heavily…a need for any garden!

I bet you have either seen or grown an All American Selection Winner.  I wanted to say Thank You to National Garden Bureau and All-America Selections for supporting this seed swap with Winning Seeds for us to share and grow!!! I also want to say a huge THANK YOU to The Association of Garden Writers. If you communicate about gardening through teaching, photography, community efforts and more, I urge you to check out the website-   GWA  The camaraderie and opportunities to connect with other like-minded enthusiasts of this wonderful gardening community, is absolutely an experience not to be missed.

I hope to see you at the Stewards of Future Harvests Community Seed Swap. 301 Watkins Park Drive, Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

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Saturday Seed Swap…It’s Not Too Late!!

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In a few days, Elements of Nature will be presenting Stewards of Future Harvests – A Free Community Seed Swap and Gardening Expo. This is a first of its kind in Prince Georges County and should be quite an interesting event. The hostess of the day is Linda L. Jones, Owner of Elements of Nature, a natural skin care, gifts, and collectibles resource. A resident of Prince Georges County, Linda is very active in the horticultural community as a speaker and garden volunteer.  With 25+ years of experience, Linda has presented winter seed sowing at two Washington Gardener Magazine Seed Swaps and is bringing her skills to help us learn how to garden better and to connect communities with the tools to garden effectively. Linda is a member of the Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetics Guild, Prince Georges County Herb Society, and many other horticultural affiliations.  Thank you, Linda!!!

There will be a panel of experienced gardeners, sharing stories of how they garden in community settings. With people like Carol Clatterbuck, founder of the Wheatley Garden in Silver Spring, Maryland sharing her story of how she became interested in growing in community. With the spirit of an artist running in her veins, Carole has gardened overseas, Florida and now in the clay soil of the Wheatley Garden in Maryland.  The ability to grow where you are planted is surely a skill set that is of interest to many! Thank You, Carol!

I need to highlight one member of the panel of garden enthusiasts, experts if you will – Ms. Deborah Turner!!! My neighbor and friend, Deborah has a passion for growing and teaching others to grow in community. Having worked with Deborah on Earth Day projects in the Fiesta Place Community Garden, District Heights, Maryland, Clean Up Green Up Day and a few other events in the City of District Heights – I know that Deborah has a story to share as she persisted and continues to persist encouraging others to garden.

Ms. Deborah Turner, Founder, Manager, Fiesta Community Garden, District Heights, MD

As a member of The Association of Garden Writers, I wanted to make certain that the participants received a bag for collecting seeds as well as information that could be useful as they are planning their gardens. I also called in a little help from friends.

HUGE THANK YOU to the following sponsors who provided the quality products for the day:

Proven Winners Color Choice has provided Gardening Simplified.  A fantastic resource book that provides inspiration to make gardening a breeze.  Presenting information in a format that is easy to digest and definitely excite, Proven Winners believes in providing information to assist in creating a landscape that is uniquely yours. You can’t go wrong using Proven Winners plant selections. Thank you for being Proven Winners.

Washington Gardener Magazine has provided one of the popular issues on Seed Starting Basics, information on small space gardening and many other topics.  A local resource for gardening information in the Mid-Atlantic, Washington Gardener Magazine offers two seed swaps in late January as well other events throughout the year. Thank you for being YOU – Kathy Jentz, Washington Gardener Magazine.

When I think of old friends or seed providers that I have used time and time again I get teary eyed.  Renee’s Gardens is a seed provider that I have used for over 20 years. I know that most home gardeners will not be disappointed by the beauty of the packet, the detailed history and use of the seed, as well as planting instructions and growing notes. Renee sent seeds that will bring life into the garden….I know they will be enjoyed by all and THANK You Renee ‘s  Gardens.

The Gardeners Workshop – such a terrific resource!!!I have known and used this company for many years. Lisa Ziegler and The Gardeners Workshop offer quality gardening tools, supplies, and seeds. One of my favorite items is the Table Top Soil Blocking system. A lucky participant will actually win one of these. Trust me – seed starting will never be the same again!  From seeds, easy arrangers for cut flowers to unique tools, The Gardener’s Workshop is simply awesome!!!Thank You, Lisa and The Gardeners Workshop.

Oh, the beauty of Organics. Lake Valley Organics was gracious enough to provide Certified Organic Seed. What a terrific way to get your personal garden party started. No chemical fertilizers, untreated seed and to be CERTIFIED organically grown…this is a dream come true for this Organic gardener! A true Steward of the Land, I appreciate the efforts that Lake Vally Organics has shown in selecting seeds that will get you started off on the right path. Thank You, Lake Valley Organics for this awesome contribution!!

Anu Essentials has also donated an assortment of special all natural scents created from nature.  Anu is a leader in the business of appreciating all things natural. Anu Essentials has products curated with scents from flowers, stems, leaves bark and roots.  Essentially using all parts of the plant world we know and love.  Thank You, Anu Prestonia and Anu Essentials for contributing.

NOW…all we need is YOU! Local residents who embrace this earth of ours eager to learn something new, network with like-minded neighbors and swap some seeds!!!

There are many other door prizes from Elements of Nature and more…so come on out and be a part of it all.This Saturday, April 15, 2017. The event starts promptly at 10:00 AM and will last until 2:00 PM. It will be held at the Watkins Nature Center 301 Watkins Park Drive, Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Looking forward to seeing you there!!!!

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A Farmer, an Inventor and Two Patents

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Around 1807 in Glen Ross, Maryland, a young African-American was born by the name of Henry Blair. This young man would become a local farmer and have two patents attributed to his existence. Did I mention that he was illiterate and there is no record of him ever being a slave? Let’s think about that for a moment….illiterate – yet unstoppable, when it came to creating things that made farming easier.

This photo is from the UK MANRRS website. A previous photo was misidentified.

Henry Blair is a name that is not frequently shared, probably because there is not a lot known about him.  According to research, he was born around 1804 or 1807. There are little-known facts about his parents, siblings, or anything personal.  This was not uncommon when it came to the African-Americans in those days.   What is known and well documented are his contributions to horticulture despite his color or illiteracy.

Slaves could not have patents approved and records show that Mr. Blair signed his name with an ” x” when registering Patent No. X8447, also known as the corn planter.  Utilizing horses, the corn planter would break the soil, drop in the seed and cover it up. This was important for farmers, as it would essentially save the work of approximately 8 men. Henry was written up in famous magazines as he showcased his invention that made farming more efficient in those days.  Since slavery was winding down and free labor was becoming a thing of the past, Farmers needed all the help they could get to survive.

In 1836 a second patent was registered. After making a few alterations to the corn planter, Henry Blair developed the cotton planter. This second invention had two attributes that were needed at the time – a horse-drawn drill of sorts to plant the cotton and cover it up, as well as agitate the earth, which uprooted surrounding weeds. Existing records tell us that Mr. Blair was the second African-American to hold a United States patent – how wonderful is this?? Not one invention was patented, but two!!!

Of course, there are questions that haunt his inventions, since his patent was disputed by a slave owner. If you were a slave, technically you owned nothing.  Anything and all that you did became the property of the slave owner. The saving grace for Henry is that he was never registered as a slave. To this day, the two patents are still registered to Mr. Henry Blair.  After the Civil War, laws changed that allowed free and enslaved men to patent their inventions….just not women.

Records indicate that Henry Blair died in 1860, illiterate but with two patents to his name.  What a great lesson that reminds us to be consistent and put effort into our work to achieve the goal of success.  Thank you, Henry Blair, for showing us that despite all odds, if we persist in our efforts to achieve the unthinkable, and demonstrate our knowledge, we can succeed.

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Random Acts of Kindness…

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How many of us practice random acts of kindness on a regular basis??? How many people observe National Random Acts of Kindness Day or even knew when it existed??  Why can’t we embrace random acts of kindness every day? Did you know that today is National Random Acts of Kindness Day??

These are just a few of the thoughts that came to my mind as I embraced this beautiful “idea” on a mid-February Friday. If we DON’T act upon this “idea” then it is only an idea.  If we DO act upon it, then it becomes a reality. The world we live in today certainly is an eye opener and one that requires us to perform random acts of kindness as often as possible. As I began my day, I thought what can I do to make a difference that will have longevity, that could possibly demonstrate how planting a seed of kindness can show how to prevail, in spite of it all.  The answer was an obvious one and one that others might do in their own communities.  It is the act of bringing life to a tiny object, instilling hope for one’s spirit and feeding one’s body or soul. My choice of a random act of kindness is planting a seed of hope for something positive.In some zones, it is time to get seeds started for an outdoor planting of assorted vegetables or flowers. Seeds are a minimal financial investment (and sometimes free) with a maximum return. Most seed packs have more seeds than any one person can use personally.  I find quite a bit of joy watching hundreds of seedlings pop up and a bit sad when I realize that I have no use for 25 tomato plants or 35 flowers of one kind in my allotment. In an attempt to turn my frown upside down, this year, I will donate my excess seedlings to a community center or a community garden where there just might be someone who would love to engage with this earth of ours – but has no funds to buy seeds or starter plants. With a little research on where the underserved communities are that might best utilize my efforts to give back, my seeds just might be passed down from person to person.  Engaging with this earth of ours via gardening is truly a random act of kindness that can inspire. Providing someone with a small plant to grow. Something that is new or familiar to them, something that provides visual beauty or edible joy is truly a random act of kindness. This year will you consider planting not just a row for the hungry – but plant seeds to share the beginning of what could be the inspiration for one who might never be exposed to gardening.

What are YOU doing to celebrate National Random Acts of Kindness Day???

Teri,  Cottage In The Court

Need some great seed resources. Here are a few of my favorites:

Renees Garden – have used this company for over 20 years

Botanical Interests – great heirloom selections

Hudson Valley Seed – just an all around great company

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Fragers Garden Center….I will Miss You

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As a native Washingtonian, I take it personally when I notice that finding resources that are mainstays in the community are disappearing.  As I drove down Pennsylvania Avenue the other day, I noticed what I thought was a rumor become a reality.  Frager’s Hardware Garden Center is moving….or pausing (my prayer).

If you remember there was a fire and then talk of renovation.  The fire truly took its toll on the surrounding Frager Community, as well as the customers – like me.  I anticipated the pots of Primrose, Stock and other early cool season annuals that welcomed us in late winter….but not this year.  I have to tell you I am devastated. When things like this happen to make way for housing or small businesses, I truly understand.  I also understand that finding affordable land or space within the City limits, is difficult at best. It just deepens my efforts to be mindful of my environmental footprint as I seek to keep my dollars in the communities that I care about.  I prefer to shop small local business in lieu of big box stores.  I want vendors to remember me from a conversation, a plant request or simply because I am a regular. I have not found this when I shop the Big Box stores.  Customer Service is key to winning and maintaining clientele.  I found excellent customer service at Frager’s and Christine was always there to answer any questions or special order plant material I needed for a project.  I want to say Thank You Christine and Staff for making my world easier in so many ways.

I understand that Frager’s is looking for affordable space to put down some roots as soon as possible.  As they await the renovation of the garden center and storefront on Pennsylvania Avenue, this Spring will be different in so many ways.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that consideration is taken for a location in Prince Georges County, perhaps just over the line.  It would be the best of both world’s – close to DC and trust me – Central Prince Georges County could use a garden center with a local, highly regarded name.

In the meantime, I will stop by to support til the store closes at the end of February and prayerfully by that time, a new location will present itself and Spring 2017 will once again be something to look forward to.

Frager’s you are in my heart and on my mind….as I am heartbroken. My drive home will be changed until you return ………..and I am counting on your return!!!

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