Park Seed Memories

Are YOU a Locavore?

I absolutely love the English language, in all its messy, obstinate, confusing glory. My friends back in Chicago dubbed me the "worldwide word weenie," and alternately admired and admonished my penchant for sesquipedalian circumlocution. So anyone who knows me wouldn't be surprised to learn that I enjoy a blog called World Wide Words. I check it every week or so to see what weird, wonderful new words I can find out about. Much to my amazement, yesterday I found a word there that is very relevant to my work here at Park Seed/Wayside Gardens.

The word is locavore, which combines local with -vore ( as in carnivore, omnivore, herbavore). It refers to  a person who is commited to eating food grown locally--with locally generally defined as being within 100 miles of where you live. I assumed this was just a funny, interesting word with little significance. That is, until I searched the Internet for it, and Google returned 353,000 matches for it!

Clearly, you can't get more local than your own backyard, so the easist way to become a locavore is to get busy planting your own personal vegetable garden. There's still time to plant cool-weather crops, like spinach, cabbage, beets, and the little Pak Choi (Chinese cabbage) shown here.

Whether or not you consider yourself a serious locavore, I'd love to hear about your fall vegetable patch this year, or your Grandmother's  victory garden from years past. Leave your comments below, or email stories and pictures to ckuhl@parkseed.com.

The Breakfast Bunch

  One of the best parts of working for Park Seed Company/Wayside Gardens is getting to know all the sincerely fine people who work here. I'm sure that many of the friendships I've made here will last much longer than the job itself. As proof of that, let me introduce you to some members of the Park Seed Retirees Club. I have been hoping for some time to with this distinguished group, and I finally had my chance on Tuesday.

As you would expect, the Park Seed Retirees were friendly and welcoming. They get together about once a month to swap stories and enjoy each other's company. They share news, both happy and sad, and generally keep tabs on each other.

My reason for intruding on their breakfast was to invite them to participate in our Creative Inquiry partnership with Dr. Pamela Mack and Clemson University. Dr. Mack suggested that our retired employees might be interested in being interviewed so that we can capture their "oral history;" that is, to record and preserve their memories for future historians to learn from. I also told them about this little blog, and invited them to share their memories, pictures, and funny stories here. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll hear from some of my new acquaintances!

  When I first started inquiring about involving retired Park Seed employees in these history projects, everyone told me to be sure and talk with "Miss Emma." Much to my delight, I sat across from the redoubtable Miss Emma during my visit.

Miss Emma is the most senior member of the group. She worked at Park Seed Company for 50 years, and retired in the 1990s. She proudly told me that she enjoyed her work, and she felt confident that she did a good job. She explained to me, "I didn't just sit at my desk all day. I got up and worked in each area and talked to the people to make sure things got done." Sounds like excellent leadership advice! Miss Emma still enjoys her independence, and also enjoys these monthly get-togethers. "It's good to see everyone and reminisce."

Sadly, with so many folks and so little time, I didn't get to meet everyone and get all their names. I left behind a stack of business cards, in hopes that some of them will get in touch with me. And one gentleman (in white, with his back to the camera) graciously shared his business card with me. As the card attests, Dave is a Flickr Photographer. And as his online albums attest, he is a darned good one! I really enjoyed his artistic and humorous photos on Flickr. Many were taken in the Park Seed Trial Gardens! He also has a delightful collection of images of his fellow retirees on Flickr. Dave's card also notes that he is a "Horticulturist Emeritus." One thing is certain--he really knows how to cultivate good friends and fine photos!

NO Muskrats, Please!

Sometimes when you are researching a question, it's really hard to find good, reliable resources. And other times, those resources just drop into your lap!

The latter happened for me this week when the postman delivered to my desk a copy of Water Gardening for the Midwest by Teri Dunn. It's part of the "Can't Miss!" series of gardening books from Cool Springs Press. In my quest for a good answer to Karrin's question about how to keep her dogs out of a water garden, I eagerly thumbed through the book. And sure enough, there's a section called, "Dealing with Water-Garden Pests" right there on page 114. Hmmmm....

"Water gardens are irresistble to a number of animals--you may be delighted to see birds, butterflies, dragonflies, even an occasional frog or turtle. But not all visitors are welcome."

Okay, that sounds right. So is there any advice about keeping out dogs?

There's a section about keeping away birds, like herons, that might eat the fish in your pond, and ducks, that go after aquatic plants. Here's a nifty suggestion: sprinkle Grape KoolAid(tm) around the edge of the pont to deter geese--apparently, they don't like the smell!

There's also lots of excellent advice for keeping out mammals, such as raccoons, muskrats, and cats. One good tip from that section: "Install a sensor that shoots a jet of water, at regular intervals or when it detects motion nearby."

Unfortunately for Karrin, I'll bet water-loving dogs might find that to be a game, not a deterrent. So now what?

Well, in reading the "Meet the Author" page, I learned that Teri Dunn is a freelance writer and editor. She has written lots of books besides this one. And (here's the important thing!), she lives with "her husband, Shawn, sons Wes and Tristan, and dog Buddy" AHA! Teri has first-hand knowledge about dealing with dogs and water gardens!!

With a little help from my friends at Cool Springs Press**, I emailed Teri to pass along Karrin's question. And to my delight, she emailed me right back with this helpful insight:

"Hi Claire,

I am dashing out just now, but here is an off-the-cuff reply.

That person must have a golden retriever, just like me. That breed CANNOT resist water. However, they like open water, easy for swimming and running jumps...a small garden pool with a fountain and/or ample pondside landscaping (preferrably gunnera) dampens the fun.

Thanks and best wishes,

Teri"

Thanks SO much, Teri--that makes good sense! And Karrin, I hope that between the ideas shared on Friday and Teri's comment here, you may be brave enough to add a water feature to your garden.

And when you do, please be sure to send us a picture of it, as well as a shot of you and those rowdy dogs! As always, you can email me at ckuhl@parkseed.com.

** I am happy to add that Park Seed Company and Wayside Gardens are both offering a full selection of books from Cool Springs Press. If you are interested in water gardening, but don't live in the Midwest, never fear! Teri has written "Can't Miss" water gardening books for the Mid-Atlantic & New England, Northwest, South, and Southwest. Enjoy!

Going to the Dogs...or not?

In a comment to the September 7 post, "Just Add Water...," a reader, Karrin, mentioned that she'd like to have a water feature, but she's afraid that her dogs might find it irresistable. I've asked some serious gardeners/dog-lovers for their advice. So Karrin, here's what I've got so far. I hope it's helpful!

Denise Bruner (see "A Bog in the Blog") doesn't worry about having tiny Ernestina, her Chihuahua, rummaging around in her beginning bog garden. Which led her to comment, "I would think whatever you would do would depend upon what breed of dog. Small dog vs. big dog? Calm vs. certifiably nuts? Maybe they could put up some type of fence or barrier."

Stephanie Turner offers "Electric fence? As in the kind where the dog wears the shock collar and the 'fence' is underground. My parents have had really good success with it for their dogs (beagle, Jack Russell, and Maltese), but there are some dogs that this doesn't work for--i.e., the crazy ones Denise mentioned!"

Award-winning garden writer Anne Moore, also known as "The Plant Coach," had several ideas to share:

"How about a pond in a Secret Garden within their garden, fenced, but the fence hidden with lovely shrubbery and border flowers on both sides? Enter through a garden gate and arbor.

"A tiered fountain, in the Charleston style, should work with the dogs. They can't get in it. [Shown here: Large Ornate Versailles from Sunterra]

"To keep it in the open spaces, if the dogs are small, then a raised circle pool, with tall sides and a fountain in the middle.

"I like Stephanie's electric hidden fence idea, but I have known a dog that would take the highest shock just to go play with her 'children' outside the fence."

Thank you, Denise, Stephanie, and Anne. I'm still hoping to hear from other knowledgeable folks. If you have an idea, please leave a comment here or email me at ckuhl@parkseed.com.

A Bog in the Blog

Wow--water features seem to attract lots of interest, both in gardens and in this blog! For example, one of my favorite Park Seed pals, Denise Bruner, confided that she is working on creating a bog garden near her country home. She tells me that it's a "work in progress." I'm posting this first picture now, and I hope that as her bog garden evolves, we'll get to see more photos.

Denise pointed to the curly green stuff (note my use of precise horitcultural terminology!) in the lower middle part of the picture and told me that she was particularly surprised and pleased when the juncus--or corkscrew rush--grew so quickly.

In a comment on the "Just Add Water..." post, Karrin asked about how to keep dogs from getting into one's water feature. I immediately shared that question with several gardener/dog-lovers. (And I'll share their wisdom in a later post). Because Denise is the proud pet-parent of Ernestina, the Park Seed Journal mascot, I asked her how she manages to keep her perfect pooch out of the bog. As it turns out, she doesn't! According to Denise, "Actually, she stands smack in the middle of it and drinks where the water puddles. She's a bit 'touched,' so we indulge her a little. Plus, she doesn't end up bothering anything with her Lilliputian stature."

Ah, the wisdom of having a Chihuahau! I'm guessing the story would be different if you had a Great Pyrenees and a St. Bernard, like my buddy, Walt!

Childhood Interest Becomes Lifetime Passion

I was delighted to receive several responses to my item about water gardens. Here's a great email I received from Trey Odom. As you'll see, his childhood interest has certainly blossomed!

"I just noticed your article on water gardens and was happy to see of Park Seed’s interest in water gardening. I still remember as a child, around 1978, ordering Lotus seed from Park and watching them mature. That was part of my childhood interest in water gardening that later evolved into my company, Aquatic Services, a fountain and pond construction company, based in Greenville, SC. I reside in Laurens, SC.

"My interest in growing things came from Grandad, Dr. Odom of Greenwood. I fondly remember riding in his Corvair out to Park Seed to buy seed and watching the seeds sprout in his doctor’s office. I visited Greenwood today to obtain cuttings of his camellias that he started over  50 years ago. You might be interested in my company’s website: www.aqsponds.com."

By the way, the photo included here shows a water feature build by Trey's company. I can almost hear the water splashing in that fountain! If you have water garden--or any garden!--stories and pictures to share, please email me at ckuhl@parkseed.com.

Just Add Water...

Last week, Park Seed/Wayside Gardens hosted a delegation from the Sunterra Company. They specialize in bringing the visual and aural beauty of water into the garden. Among other things, we discussed the growing popularity of water gardens here in the USA. I know how much I enjoy the water garden here in our trial gardens (shown here), so I can well understand why more and more home gardeners are adding ponds and water features into their own landscape designs.

The whole conversation made me wonder if you are using water in your garden? There are so many great reasons to do so! Ponds attract birds and wildlife. The sound of trickling,  bubbling, and whooshing water calms and relaxes me even on--maybe especially on--a bad day. And of course, you can grow lush, unusual plants in and around the water that couldn't thrive anywhere else in the garden.

So--do you have a water garden? Or are you thinking about creating one? What water-loving plants do you like best? Please share your pictures and ideas here! Just email me at ckuhl@parkseed.com with all the ways that you are adding water to your garden.

Anybody Got a Spare Crystal Ball?

During my 25+ years in Corporate America, I've worked in a lot of different industries. And each time I change industries, I find that I really enjoy learning all the unique "insider" issues and tricks of the trade for the new discipline. For example, when I first came to Park Seed Company, I had just spent 5 years working in the logistics industry, and had learned a lot about supply chain management and lean manufacuturing. Naturally, I was eager to try and apply what I knew about those topics in my new role.  Well, guess what?

It's a whole different ballgame when your product is a living thing!

Now that Jackson & Perkins has a business relationship with Park Seed and Wayside Gardens, I've been learning a little bit about what it takes to get a Rose ready to send to a customer. One thing is certain--we can't wait until you order one to start thinking about building it for you! There's no such thing as "just in time" inventory in the horticultural industry.

It takes  about three years for a rose to grow large enough and strong enough to send to our customers!

So that means that for every Rose you want to plant this Fall, somebody back in 2004 had to know what variety and color of Rose you would want. I'll bet you didn't know back then what you were going to want this year!

And of course, it's an even bigger guessing-game when it comes to introducing brand new varieties of plants. At Park Seed, we know that lots of people are going to buy our Park's Whopper Tomato. But when plant breeders try to talk us into trying something new--like a pink tomato or a yellow tomato the size of a grape!--how do we know if you're going to want that...two years from now? Or ever, for that matter.

Thank goodness, I don't have to figure it out! Fortunately, we have smart, experienced folks like Stephanie "The Queen of Seeds" Turner and Eric "Head of Hort" Johnson to make these big decisions!

We may not have a crystal ball for telling the future, but talented people, lots of research, lots of experience, and a dash of good luck help us make sure that we are preparing now for the plants you will want three seasons from now.