Park Seed Memories

No Place Like Home for the Holidays

  Just a quick post to wish you, Gentle Reader, the happiest of holidays and the merriest of Christmases! Luckily for me, I'll get to spend some time at home (here in Greenwood) and at my family home (good ol' Smyrna, Georgia!) over the next weeks. So please forgive me if you don't find something new here for a while.

Be sure and check back by in early January. When I get back from my festive revels, I plan to tell you about the Bunny in the Herb Garden, and what she has to do with Park Seed, the Herb Society of America, and Park's Success with Herbs book. Until then...Happy Holidays!

Winning is Not Trivial to This Trivia Contest Winner

One of the joys of being Special Projects Director is that I get to work with the nice folks at GardenSMART TV. The program airs on PBS stations all over the country, and includes both gardening tips and tours of fabulous public and private gardens.

Wayside Gardens is one of their sponsors. Eric Johnson, our Corporate Head of Horticulture, sometimes hosts the show. And we also provide a sizeable Wayside Gardens gift certificate as part of the prize package for this year's "Who's the GardenSMARTEST?" trivia contest.

Every month, I get to notify the winner of the drawing, and I always invite him or her to share garden pictures. Most months, I don't get any pictures. But our November winner, Carol Ingram, was clearly pleased to be a winner and sent along a snapshot from earlier in the year. Here's Carol's note to me:

"Thanks SOOOOOO Much.... I am so excited.... I never win anything..... how wonderful!!!!! I can't wait to use my certificate for my garden....also I would like to get something for my sister who recently moved to South Carolina, so ordering something through Wayside Gardens will help me tremendously!!!! Thanks so, much!

"I've attached a photo of my side perennial garden during the summer; wish I had another photo to show, as I've got a lot more flowers, but since we're in winter now, there's not much to show.....again, you've certainly made my day!

"Happy Holidays to all at GardenSMART!"

From Carol Ingram in Massachusetts

I must say, it's really nice to give a prize to someone who appreciates it so much! Carol and I have corresponded a bit more, and it turns out that her sister's new South Carolina home is only about an hour-and-a-half's drive from here. I'm hoping they will come to see me sometime. I love meeting customers in person! And all of us at Park Seed/Wayside Gardens hope the Carol and her sister have a ton of fun spending their Wayside Garden gift certificate. (Pssst--Carol, be sure to send me pictures of what all you bought next spring and summer!)

By the way [WARNING! Shameless commercial promotion to follow!], if you are still trying to solve holiday gift-giving problems, Park Seed gift certificates or Wayside Gardens certificates are great--and easy--choices. Through the miracle of email, evey the most sluggish Santa can deliver on time. Cheers!

More about "SISUDave" Anderson

It has long been the case that the ripples of our lives reach much farther than we realize. And in this world of blogs and email and websites, it's truer than ever.

Today, I found out just how true that is for Dave Anderson, the retired Park Seed Company horticulturist who passed away this week. There's a tribute to Dave's in a Baltimore-based blog. The author, Jeff Quinton, never actually met Dave, but they became friends in cyberspace, thanks to Dave's Flickr contributions. The little picture of Dave shown here was his signature image on Flickr.

Of course, those who knew Dave personally for years have very special memories of him. Take, for example,  Klaus Neubner, retired Park Seed president. He and Dave because close friends, sharing their commitment to keeping Greenwood's parks green and beautiful. Klaus wrote a moving eulogy that Dave's nephew, Peter Anderson, read at the visitation. To read Klaus's eulogy--and find out why Dave's screen name was SISUDAVE--click Continue Reading below.

Farewell to a Park Seed Friend

We received some sad news yesterday. Mr. Dave Anderson worked at Park Seed Company for many years as a Horticulturist in the Customer Service Area. He passed away on December 10th, very unexpectedly.

Although I knew him only slightly, as I shared the news with his colleagues from years past, I heard many stories of his fine sense of humor, his love of gardening, and his joy in taking and sharing photographs. This daisy photo reflects both his gardening and photographic skills. He took this picture of flowers that he grew in his own yard.

As a Customer Service horticulturist here at Park Seed, he answered questions from customers calling in. He took pride in helping fellow gardeners find success. And he obviously was equally helpful and supportive to his coworkers.

I met him when I visited the Park Seed Retiree Club breakfast earlier this year. In fact, I wrote about him and his Flickr business card in this blog. Later, after he saw my blog entry, he emailed me and offered to be interviewed for the oral history project. We didn't make a firm commitment about when to do it...we assumed, as humans do, that there would be plenty of time in the future, and we'd get around to it. Needless to say, I really regret that I didn't act on the opportunity soon enough.

I went to the visitation yesterday evening to take a Poinsettia to his family on behalf of the company. I met one of his nieces and told her about how I enjoyed my fleeting acquaintance with her Uncle. And I said that I knew him best from his photo galleries on Flickr, which I check regularly. Her face lit up, and she told me how proud Dave was of his photography. When I mentioned receiving his business card listing his title as Flickr Photographer, she knew exactly what I was talking about.

Obviously, there are many familiar morals to this story. Carpe diem, certainly. And if you live life joyfully like Dave Anderson did, you will be remembered fondly, even by those whose life you touched only briefly. I'm glad that Mr. Anderson's life brushed mine.

Herb Society of America on the "Air"

Are you a pod person? No, silly, not an alien host from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers!" I mean someone who enjoys listening to podcasts. True confession: I don't have an iPod. But I've recently learned that you don't have to have one to enjoy podcasts on the Internet.

My introduction to podcasts came from meeting Ken Druse (virtually, via email). Most gardeners know and respect Ken as being an outstanding writer, photographer, and sculptor. It turns out that he also has a terrific podcast series called Real Dirt Radio, sponsored by Wayside Gardens. He and his charming co-host, Vicki Johnson, produce a weekly chat that explores a colorful spectrum of garden-related topics. And happily for listeners, garden-related  by their definition includes things like great recipes for food you've grown, Ken's new dog, and gardening myths that need debunking.

While communicating with Ken and Vicki, I happened to mention that the Herb Society of America is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2008. They decided that their listeners might enjoy learning about the HSA, and much to my delight, their podcast this past Saturday featured the top ten herbs that the HSA committee selected (including the Borage show at left). They even gave yours-truly a shout-out. Thanks, guys!

They also mention my friend and colleague, Anne Moore, The Plant Coach. I won't tell Ken this, of course, but Anne pretty much drools over his books. And after thumbing through a couple of them, I can certainly see why. Even if you don't need his focused and useful gardening advice, you'll love the artistic photographs he uses to enrich and explain the topics.

If you would like to listen to what Ken and Vicki have to say about herbs and lots of other cool topics, visit Ken's website, www.KenDruse.com and click on the Real Dirt button at left, or go directly to the podcast homepage, www.RealDirtRadio.com.

In the 12/8/07 podcast, Ken and Vicki invite their listeners to share their experiences in growing and using herbs. I hope you'll copy me, too, so I can post your herbal adventures here in Park Seed Memories! Just email me at ckuhl@parkseed.com. Cheers!

Everything Old is New Again

We've been talking recently about the fact that Park Seed Company and the Herb Society of America are both celebrating significant anniversaries in 2008. For the Herb Society, it will be the 75th anniversary. And for Park Seed, it will be the 140th anniversary! You can bet that we'll be exploring this in depth over the coming months!

But my reason for mentioning it right now is that I just got my copy of Park Seed's Spring 2008 seed catalog, and noticed that we are offering an anniversary gift to our friends--plans for a "Secret Garden."  It's a nifty "paint-by-numbers" chart and matching shopping list for the seeds and plants you would use to create this lovely secret garden effect. It looks like a pretty cool deal (above), but I confess, it made me laugh.

You see, it was just a few weeks ago that I created a post about an almost identical item--the Wayside Gardens "Garden Blox" Practical Guide to Some of Your Gardening Problems publication from sometime in the 1930's. It's definitely the same concept: sketches of different garden designs with a legend to tell you which Wayside Gardens products to plant.

It just goes to show ya--there's nothing new under the sun! And everything old becomes new again as a different generation of gardeners discovers and shares.

By the way, to get your own copy of the Park Seed 140th anniversary gift, click on free plans for Park's Secret Garden.  Cheers!

"Busy, Thrifty Old Dames" and the Herbs They Love

Since I am on an herb kick, thanks to the 75th anniversary of the Herb Society of America, I thought I'd see if my oldest Park Seed Company catalog includes any herbs. The oldest Park Seed publication I have is a copy of Park's Floral Magazine from June, 1899. And sure enough, the first thing I found is a letter to the editor about herbs:

"Somewhere about almost every home there is a corner or a border that might be given to herbs. And in nearly every home there is some old-fashioned and homely spirit that delights in these treasures of our grandmother's gardens. Why may we not have lavender-scented bedrooms as they used to have, and why may not a sprig of Rosemary go with some small gift to a friend--pressed between the leaves of a book, it may be, or tied to a photograph? And if there is no longer any sentiment among us why may not our kitchen herbs be grown at home? In old books there are simple recipes for syrups and teas and waters that are good for simple ailments. Some of them are for complexions that are not clear, and others for hair that wants to fall out; and all of them are simple and harmless, and some of them beneficial. Anyway an herb bed is pretty and quaint and interesting. All of the herbs come from seeds. Some of them are perennial, and a few are annuals.

"Most herbs should be gathered when they are in bloom and dried in the shade. Sweet Basil is an annual, and the dried herb is like rose-leaves in a pillow. The scent of Lavender drives away files and other insects. There is an old supersitition that a sprig of Dill over the door prevents the coming in of any envious person. The old poets know the homely virtues of the herbs as well as the pretty meanings. Just why the herbs have fallen into disfavor with latter-day gardeners I cannot tell, but that it should not be so I must insist. So let everybody who wants something attractive, a real bit of grandmother's garden, try an herb border. The plants are of easy culture, else the busy, thrifty old dames who used to love them could never have grown them."

Ellen Frizell Wyckoff
Iredell County, North Carolina
February 3, 1899

Don't you love knowing that in 1899, folks were nostalgic about "the good old days" of their grandmother's gardens?!

One key characteristic of the very early Park Seed publications is that they really were magazines, not catalogs like today's "BUY NOW!" books. George W. Park saw Park's Floral Magazine as a dialogue with his customers, much like I view this blog. Sure enough, Old George added an editor's note after Mrs. Wyckoff's letter:

"Note--Small plants of Old Creeping Chamomile, Tansy, Old Man, Old Woman, Lavender, and many other herbs may be obtained by mail of many florists. Get and plant them this month, if possible."

Burrowing deeper into the old magazine, I finally found a list of seeds for sale from Park Seed. It indeed included several herbs that are still enjoyed today, such as parsley, sage, stevia, and thyme. (Ooops--almost had a good song title there!).

Happily, although Mrs. Wyckoff feared that herbs had "fallen into disfavor with latter-day gardeners," it's clear that 21st century gardeners love herbs and enjoy growing and using them. And if you have any doubts about that, just check with the folks at the Herb Society of America. They will remove any doubts that herbs are not just part of the past, but truly a joy for gardeners of the present and the future!

If you have great herb pictures, recipes, or stories to share, please email me at ckuhl@parkseed.com. And if you ever find vintage catalogs or other Park Seed/Wayside Gardens memorabelia hiding in an old garage, attic, or junk room, please consider donating it to the Park Seed Corporate Archive. Help us commemorate 140 years of great gardeners in 2008!

Note: Park Seed Company does not advocate for nor give advice on the use of herbs for medicinal purposes.