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Dr. King – A Sower of Good Seeds

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Dr. King left us with a roadmap towards fairness and freedom for all.

Dr. Martin Luther King was quite influential in moving the civil rights movement forward. I often wonder who will step into his shoes to keep the momentum going. After much thought, it is not up to one person to add movement behind the defined mission. It is up to each of us to aid in fulfilling the dreams of Dr. King.

RECOGNIZING THE DAY

Dr. King spoke about reaching back and uplifting the community. We have come to expect the third Monday in January as the day we celebrate his birthday. President Bill Clinton signed the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday and Service Act on August 23, 1994. Since then, many have come to know this as a “day on and not a day off”. It has become a day when we give back and build community in the spirit of Dr. King’s teachings. In my opinion, we should consider reaching back and building our communities every day.

SOWING SEEDS OF SERVICE

As a gardener, I believe in the positive act of sowing seeds of positivity in society. What is required to do this? Believing that you can be a part of the change or at least make a difference. We see the fertile ground, which is identified as the communities where we live. Fertile ground unplanted will attract weeds of all types, some more aggressive than others. We can assess the site, which could be considered recognizing what the community needs.

Tapping into the community, cultivating friendships, and connecting generations – all help in planning for growth. This would equate to deciding what seeds would work as we work towards positive change in our communities.

Seeds are a symbol of hope, faith and positive energy.

A FEW “SEEDS” ANYONE CAN SOW

Ever wonder what can be done individually or collectively? Here are a few ideas:

Start a conversation with a neighbor. The act of a simple “Hello” will go a long way. Ignore the color of their skin, language barrier or disability…just say “Hi”.

Explore ways to find something in common. Speaking is the first step. If you continue the conversation or some form of connectivity, positive energy will be exchanged. This is when the real work comes into play. I find that sharing a flower, a dessert, or simple gestures of kindness develops into a sort of camaraderie.

Encourage some type of shared experience to show that you are genuine and honestly want to connect. Sharing a small bouquet, a gardening tip, a good book – you must decide what works to encourage some sort of neighborly friendship and trust.

Determine what, if anything, is needed. Finding out how to keep the conversation going and growing. Figuring out what seeds will grow, in what conditions, and where, is likened to preparing the soil. Soil properly prepared will create an environment for growth.

Share with others your best practices or suggestions on how you encouraged connectivity with a neighbor or community. Sown seeds can fall in places where a positive bloom is needed…often at the right time.

Fifty-two years was how long it took for Dr. King’s birthday to become a recognized Federal holiday. Some entities still do not consider this as a holiday, thereby it is optional to take off or not. If it were not for Dr. King and his legacy, the landscape of an inclusive and caring society would be different. In my opinion, being of service to my community is an everyday mission.

SOWING IT FORWARD

From flowers to food, recyclable containers to store-bought, the need to share how to grow is my way of paying it forward to my neighbors.

How will I make a difference this year? We should use our strengths to give of ourselves to our communities. I am giving back to my community by sharing the joy of gardening. By creating a conversation about growing in place. Surrounded by Seniors who are limited in mobility, young families struggling to provide, I am encouraging gardening wherever you can.

We will be swapping seeds, giving away pots, and teaching how to find a way to look forward to the gifts of the earth. It will not matter whether it is a flower or a vegetable. Doing this will promote positivity and reinforce trying something new. It will also help develop a feeling that I care and offer hope. Closer to the time for planting, I will provide seedlings from pollinators to specialty vegetables. During a time when we must be responsibly distanced, we can still give what we can to build our communities. It is my way of tapping into my talents to pay it forward,

Do you give back? How will you commit to honoring Dr. King as we move forward in society? Each of us can do what it takes to plant seeds of trust and hope. The world needs this today. Our communities need to be rebuilt from within. We can do this to honor Dr. King.

Sorting seeds to share that I care as I remember the teachings of Dr. King.

Teri, Cottage In The Court

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Seed Sowing Season

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Seed sowing is this Gardener’s Winter Olympics.
This is becoming a National trend.
Got seeds?
Seed sowing season begins right after the new year. I noticed when the wrapping paper goes on sale, the seed stands take their place. For the past 10 + years, Washington Gardener Magazine has hosted the Annual Seed Swap in the Mid Atlantic. A popular pre-Spring ritual, this event has brought wonderful speakers, cultivated conversations and grown a seed sowing community. Seed sowing season has become a National event…imagine that!!

So many seeds, so little time to help them grow into beautiful plants.

THE BIG EVENT

There are two WG Seed Swaps offered for the general public. One located in Maryland and one in Virginia. For a small fee, a lite-snack and a tote bag of goodies, the day goes by quickly. When there are captivating speakers, more questions come to mind. It is an exciting Saturday at the beginning of Seed Sowing Season.

This year, I attended the second Seed Swap held at Greenspring Gardens. Greenspring is located in Alexandria, Virginia.  On the National Historic Register, Greenspring has a beautiful 18th century Plantation house surrounded by breathtaking gardens. It is the perfect setting for any type of horticultural event…or anything special. The Annual Seed Swap is THE Special event of the season.

Marianne Wilburn offering tips to help us be better organized as we consider sowing seeds.

Marianne Wilburn, garden columnist, Blogger, and author – BIG DREAMS, SMALL GARDEN was the first speaker. Mariann shared terrific tips on how to effectively organize our seeds. Having a planting plan is a great idea so that you can start the right seeds at the right time. Knowing what seeds can be sown together or not is also a big help. Labeling seeds and storing them properly is a task that many of us forget. Having an organized method of keeping track of your seeds, makes seed sowing fun. I know I will use some of  Marianne’s tips to gather, organize and sow seeds of success. To find out more about Marianne, click here Small Town Gardener.

Debby Ward, Prior Unity Garden was a ball of energy and hard to clearly capture while taking notes.

Debby Ward, Professional Organic Grower, Founder, Prior Unity Garden. She has sown and grown in Fairfax, Virginia for many years. This woman is an Organic Powerhouse of information. There is more to know what to sow than just going to the store and deciding on a packet of seeds. Debby sowed seeds of wisdom one might not initially consider. It is important to know if they grow seed to sell or do they use small farms to grow for them. Do they belong to professional organizations? What is their mission statement say? This talk had me going back into my seed stash to see who I consider my go-to resources.

As Prior Unity Garden has evolved as a resource for all things Organic locally for the last 10 years. Debby is currently providing online courses in addition to one on one garden coaching. I was happy to find out that one of her favorite seed companies is also one of mine – Renee’s Seeds. To find out more about Debby Ward, click Prior Unity

Kathy Jentz giving instruction on how this event works so all attendees have the chance to get seeds.

After the information filled talks, the Seed Swap began. Tables upon tables of shared seeds were available for the attendees to take. In front of an eager audience, Kathy Jentz, Owner – Washington Gardener Magazine, lead the charge. Everyone had the opportunity to see what seeds were available during the breaks. Some participants asked questions or shared experiences from the previous year’s gardens. One lady was looking for Perilla and another shared her beautiful pumpkin. At the end of this year’s Seed Swap, there were minimal seeds left. It was seed sowing season and this year’s participants were serious.

CLEAR YOUR CALENDAR

Here is a tip – SAVE THE DATE. The next Washington Gardener Magazine Seed Swap is January 25, 2020. It will be held at Brookside Gardens. The second date is February 1, 2020, at Green Spring Gardens. Here is a link to find out more, Washington Gardener Magazine.,

Seed sowing season does not end at the seed swap. Once planted, most of the seeds evolve into beautiful plants. Washington Gardener Magazine also sponsors a Photo Contest. Beginning to seasoned photographers submit photographs of all things beautiful found in nature.  These photographs are judged and the winners are announced. I was ecstatic to see so many winning entries were from Constitution Gardens on OUR National Mall. To read about the beautification efforts on Our National Mall, read my recap here. I can’t wait to watch Constitution Gardens grow!

On Sunday, June 30 at 2:00 pm, there will be an opening reception to congratulate the winners. Meadowlark Gardens – another beautiful, inspiration filled garden of note – will have an ongoing photo show that will run through July 30, 2019. This gives any seed lover enough time to sow some seeds and take beautiful pictures. The next Garden Photo contest entry period for photos taken in 2019 will begin on 1/1/2020.  I know I will be sorting my pictures as I nest this coming winter. To find out why you need to visit Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, click here.

From the creative name tag contest…

Kathy taking pictures of the contestants who created unique name tags to celebrate seed swapping…

to the intense searching and reading the tickets for the raffles, it was a terrific afternoon had by all!

As the winning numbers were read, there was an intense quiet in the room…

Save some seed for swapping next year. Take pictures throughout the season to document your success. Hope to see you during the 2020 seed-sowing season!

Nesting as I dream about swapping and sowing seeds,

Teri, Cottage In The CourtFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmailby feather

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.Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmailby feather

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!!!!Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmailby feather