Park Seed Memories

Memories--and Another Mystery

Today, I am happy to share an email from retiree Klaus Neubner. Klaus joined Park Seed Company in the late 1950s and served as an executive in the 1990s. I know him personally because he was one of my mentors when I first joined the Greenwood Rotary Club. And his lovely wife, Carol, and I have done volunteer work together. In researching an earlier post in this blog, I decided to do a Google search to see if I could find any biographical information about Klaus on the Internet. Lo and behold, I found references to a flower named Klaus Neubner--Achimenes 'Klaus Neubner,' to be precise! I emailed Klaus and asked if he could shed any light on how this lovely flower came to carry his name. Here's Klaus's response:

"I am aware of the Achimenes 'Klaus Neubner.'  Three years ago, there was a website from the producer. I remember going to Ashtabula, Ohio in the 1970's and visiting a nursery run by an elderly German immigrant. He also had a breeding program for New Guinea Impatiens, which had recently been discovered there. Several people were working with them. He was in the lead group.  They had to be propagated by cuttings, and he was able  to get clean, not diseased, plants to market along with superior new hybrids. We were the first to offer them big in a spring supplement catalog.    He also bred Achimenes. Can't remember if we bought rhizomes from him. We were growing these here, too. Jim Alston harvested seed and did some breeding too. The old gentleman wrote me one day that he had named a new Achimenes 'Klaus Neubner' in my honor.

"I guess he was grateful that we brought his new creations to market. That was common to happen to Park Seed in these days. People beamed when someone from Park showed up to look over their new  creations in their trialgrounds for seeds and plants, hoping we would pick something and offer it in our catalog.  When good enough, we would ask to offer it exclusively for a year or more. Then we would feature it . The result was that other nurserymen would look at our catalog to see what was new and place orders with the producer, thus quickly expanding his market. Sometimes he had only a limited supply on hand.  The exclusivity period gave him a chance to built up production for the general market.

"We had this effect for several decades--did it better than anyone else.  It made Park's reputation among its customers, as well. Our market research showed that our customers eagerly awaited the arrival of the catalogs 'to see what's new.' We did not have secret sources. Everybody could and did see the new things on display. Or they were too lazy to go see them or did not see the value in them. Also, our people had the authority to commit on the spot. We did not have to check back with headquarters and 'we will let you know.'  That gave us great credibility."

Klaus

Unfortunately, neither Klaus nor Doc Alston remember the name of this wonderful breeder in Ashtabula! If you can add more details to the story and clear up this mystery, email me at ckuhl@parkseed.com. Have you ever grown an Achimenes 'Klaus Neubner'? If so, I'd love to see some pictures. It's always great hearing from you!

Another Rosemary, Another Book

Okay, I confess--I'm addicted to books! I love to read, and have ever since I first learned to decode "See Dick run. Run, Puff, run!" So, being very book-minded, I really enjoyed sharing the story of Gertrude B. "Bunny" Foster, who wrote Park's Success with Herbs with her daughter, Rosemary Louden. I confess, it tickled me to realize that herb-fanatic Bunny named her child for an herb!

So imagine my delight at finding another garden-related book also written by someone named Rosemary! In this case, though, the book isn't another gardening how-to or encyclopedia of plant lore. It's actually a mystery novel starring a Master Gardener who (pardon the expression) digs up some trouble when she takes on her first professional landscaping assignment. The Rosemary is question is Rosemary Harris, and her brand new book is called Pushing Up Daisies.

I first "met" Rosemary when she contacted Park Seed Company about possibly using one of our daisy images on the cover of the book she was working on. We love sharing our images with professional garden writers, and so we worked on that concept for a while.

As it turns out, she didn't use our pictures. But we had so much fun working with her that we decided to do a little test and see if our gardening customers would be at all interested in buying a book that involves gardeners doing something other than gardening.

Her book officially becomes available on February 5th. But lucky me, book-lover that I am, I have an advance copy to read! I think I'll curl up with Pushing Up Daisies and a big cup of coffee one evening and give it a read. I'll let you know what it's like after I finish it.

Speaking of books, what's your favorite gardening book? I noticed that Rosemary has a list of her top picks on her website. I'm not at all surprised to see my friend Ken Druse listed there. I know that serious gardeners would always rather be playing in the dirt. But on those days when you can't, it's nice to have a good gardening book to dig into!

Email me at ckuhl@parkseed.com with the title and author of your favorite gardening books, and I'll post a list here. It's always fun to see what other folks are reading.

U Can't Beet This--Soup Recipe from Bunny's Book

I guess I must have recipes on the brain. And that's not surprising, since I'm one of the judges (heaven help me!) for the recipe contest at SuccessWithSeed.org. Anyway, while thumbing through Bunny Foster's herb book, I found that she and co-author Rosemary Louden included several recipes, in addition to the other standard information, such as habit, culture, and use.

For example, in the entry for DILL/Anethum graveolens/Umbelliferae, she makes an interesting point about planning ahead for dill pickles. In Park's Success With Herbs, Bunny writes:

"The lady who said that pinch of Dill in chicken soup took away the taste of  'the feathers' would never have throught that she could produce her own Dill weed. A great many gardeners forget to plant the herb before and during the growth of the cucumbers, they then hunt vainly for fresh heads of Dill in flower and ripening seed to put down for pickles, along with the cucurbit."

Bunny continues to suggest ways to use dill in cooking, and then wraps it up by saying "Everyone knows Dill in connection with cucumber pickles, but few but an artist would combine them to make Marina Stern's imaginative Cream of Beet and Cucumber Soup."

Click on Continue reading... to find the soup recipe. And if you have recipes of your own that you'd like to submit for the contest, please visit SuccessWithSeed and do so! The more, the merrier. (And the bigger the challenge for me and the other judges on the panel. I guess you could even say we'll be in a pickle when we have to choose!)

Bunny's Book

Now that we are firmly into the year 2008, it's official that Park Seed Company is celebrating its 140th anniversary, and the Herb Society of America is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Back when I first introducted you to beloved herbarist Gertrude B. "Bunny" Foster, I mentioned that, in addition to publishing her own journal, The Herb Grower, and providing articles for well-known magazines, Bunny also wrote for us. Specifically, she and her daughter Rosemary F. Louden are the authors of Park's Success with Herbs.

In the forward to the book, then-president William John Park characterized Bunny and Rosemary as "charming and knowledgeable herbarists," adding:

"Both are recognized, both in American and abroad, as experts in the matter of herbs. Gertrude Foster has over 40 years of experience growing herbs, cooking with them, and writing about them.... She has introduced many hard-to-find herb varieties to the American gardening public. Rosemary Louden is much in demand as a designer of herb gardens and lecturer on cooking with herbs. We visited with both of them in Connecticut and again in Greenwood, and are convinced that no two authors would be better qualified to write our herb book."

In researching this post, I was delighted to find that in 2007, Rosemary apparently had a blog, called appropriately enough The Herb Grower. She's included some recipes and some beautiful photos.

My boss would shoot me if I didn't mention that you can still buy Park's Success with Herbs on the Park Seed website. As you can probably tell by the funky cover art, it was written at the end of the 1970s and first published in 1980. But the great thing about herbs is that we humans have been using and enjoying them for centuries, and most the information really doesn't change that much over time.

If you have a favorite use for herbs or tip for growing them, please share with us here either by leaving a comment or by emailing me at ckuhl@parkseed.com.

"Sisudave" Photo Published in New York Calendar

Friends of the late Dave Anderson will enjoy this quick note from former Park Seed Company President Klaus Neubner...

"Dave Anderson had become a real shutter bug and posted his pictures on the Flickr website. Dave's uncle just wrote that one day a man representing the Archdiocese in New York called, asking Dave for permission to use his picture of the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge in their 2008 calendar.

Dave readily agreed, and now here it is as the month of May page. Note the credit line : Photo courtesy of David Anderson.  Unfortunately, Dave passed away before its publication. Perhaps he saw it anyway. "

Klaus Neubner

Klaus included a scanned image of the calendar page. I've circled Dave's credit in red. As always, if you click on the picture, a larger version will appear. Thanks, Klaus, for sharing this additional example of the positive ripples from a life well lived.

Congrats to Mr. Danny Howard (and Why I LOVE County Agents)

Every month, I have the pleasure of telling some lucky gardener that he or she has won the GardenSMART TV trivia contest. For the month of December, our winner is Mr. Danny Howard (shown below). Danny was kind enough to supply pictures, some comments about his gardening experiences, and some wonderful links that I know you'll enjoy using. So...here's Danny!

"I have been out of town and just read my e-mail. I cannot believe that I was selected as the monthly winner of the GardenSMARTest for December! [Here] are some pictures you can use for the website. You have my permission to use them. Our ETV station for Greenville, SC is channel 8 on Charter Cable.

"The first picture is of an Eastern Tiger SwallowTail. My wife, Nan, and I were outside as the day was coming to a close. The sun was at the right angle, and this beautiful butterfly came by to visit our butterfly bush. What a special treat to end a day! We use it as our screen saver on our computers.

"I’m an employee of Clemson University Extension Service and county agent for Greenville County [South Carolina] in Agriculture. We live on 5 acres and have many fruit, herb, and ornamental plants. Some of my favorites are paw paw, blueberry, fig, basil, rosemary and, of course, our butterfly bush.

"During the summer, I enjoy fresh vegetables from my garden. My 25 hens provide our household, entire family, and friends with fresh eggs.

"My job as an educator is to provide educational information to home owners and producers. I’m fortunate that I get to put into practice the information I share with the good people of Greenville County and the state of SC.

"I’m very appreciative of the $250.00 gift certificate from Wayside Gardens and the gift basket from Crabtree & Evelyn. I will put them to good use.

"Our Master Gardener program in Greenville County is very active and has outstanding programs, along with their annual master gardener course. Here is their web site: www.greatergreenvillemastergardener.org.

"Thank you again for allowing me to be the monthly winner. We have been a big advocate of Park Seed Company for as long as I can remember. They have been very supportive of our educational programs for our youth and adults.

"Clemson University Extension Service has a great Home and Garden Information Center that individuals can call or retrieve fact sheets 24 hours a day on any home horticulture topic. Their web site is: http://hgic.clemson.edu."

In case you wonder why I love county extension agents, it's because I was an avid 4-Her in my youth. County Agents--in my experience--are always friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to share their love of gardening and nature. Back in the 1970s in Cobb County, Georgia, our County Agent was Mr. Ernest Wester. He is a delightful gentleman (now retired) who constantly gave of his time and energy to promote 4-H and help all of "his" kids succeed. I'm guessing that Danny is a lot like Mr. Wester! So a tip of the hat to all you County Extension (and Home Demonstration) Agents out there!

A Bunny in the Herb Garden

According to my friend Karen, it's usually very bad news if someone tells you there's a bunny in your herb garden. Apparently the darling fuzzy critters can munch a bunch in no time, and leave you herbless.

However, for many years, finding one very special Bunny in your herb garden would have been a real treat! Gertrude "Bunny" Foster was an herb expert, a valued member of the Herb Society of America (HSA), and a friend to Park Seed Company.

As documented in The Genus Lavandula, by Tim Upson and Susyn Andrews, Bunny Foster and her husband shared a real passion for gardening and especially for herbs. They began their first herb garden during World War II.  By the late 1940's, they had taken on the mantle of producing a serious publication for herbarians when when the owner/editor of  The Herb Journal (the first American periodical to be devoted to the study of herbs) had to cease publication for health reasons. 

According to a tribute by Ione Siehr in an HSA publication, with "Bunny as editor and [husband] Phil as publisher, the new magagzine would be known as The Herb Grower." The name was later changed to "The Herb Grower Press." They wrote about the culture of herbs, herbal history, and herb lore in their quarterly journal. Often, they would base articles on their gardening experiences in Falls Villiage, Connecticut, and their own Laurel Hill Herb Farm.

The HSA tribute continues, "In spite of the time involved in creating The Herb Grower, Bunny found time to writer for some well-known magazines, including The Herb Companion, House and Garden, Horticulture, and Woman's Day, as well as The New York Times.  She also wrote for Park Seed Company...but more about that another day.

Bunny was a member of the Royal Horticultural Society, and in 1975, she won the prestigeous Helen DeConway Little Medal of Honor. Elbert Foster of Foster Flower and Herb Garden in Bothwin, Pennsylvania, even named an herb in her honor: Thymus pulegioides 'Fosterflower'. The HSA tribute notes, "It is a creeping thyme, and like Bunny's herbal enthusiasm, spreads easily into new territories." Gertrude "Bunny" Foster passed away in 1997.

Comments Welcome

My whole goal for this blog is to find and share stories of gardeners--like you--who have loved gardening for years and have found Park Seed and Wayside Gardens to be good partners in pursuing your passion for plants. I was very excited yesterday to find several new comments added to a post from a few months back, called "Grandmother's Garden Poetry Scrapbook". I sent emails to those kind commenters, and I'm happy to report that one already responded by sharing a few more kind words:

"I don't have any pictures handy to send you, but I always started my Park seeds indoors and transplanted them to my garden. I love your Zinnias, Marigolds. All the beautiful colors that just brighten my life.

"I always had an early garden by starting my seeds. I had squash and cucumbers when everbody else was just planting. They never figured it out. I dare not buy my seeds anywhere else. I can always count on "Parks Seeds and plants" to enjoy all summer long. Thank you for your interest in my story. I hope it will be helpful."

Signed, Oldglass......

Thanks SO much--sounds like you mastered the art of seed-starting long ago. I hope you'll find some pictures and send them along! I love hearing from you, both via comments and via email!

By the way, I haven't forgotten that I promised to tell you and my HSA friends about the Bunny in the Herb Garden. I've got some wicked project deadlines this week (yes, I do more work than just blogging!), but I hope to share this great bit of history with you on Friday. Cheers!

More Fun with Botanical Names

The best part (only good part???) of returning to work after the holidays is seeing your colleagues and getting caught up on what's been going on. I chatted with my pal Ron, our Chief Photographer, this morning, trying to get some high resolution images to share with journalists who are writing about the SuccessWithSeed.org recipe contest.

We started talking about New Year's resolutions, and I mentioned my plan to substitute "Crassus spatulata!!!" for less genteel explitives. He laughed, and said that he's always been fascinated by plant names, many of which sound odd or conjure up offbeat images. "For example," he said, "Don't you think that Creeping Vetch would be itchy, and probably be accompanied by redness and swelling??" What a hoot!

Sadly, I couldn't find any Creeping Vetch in the current Wayside Gardens or Park Seed product lines, but I did find Creeping Phlox. Sounds like what Mary's little lambs might have done to finagle their escape. Not to mention Scabiosa, which defintely sounds like it requires an ointment and possibly shots!

So how about you? What plant names, either botanical or common, strike you as funny and/or weird? Send me an email at ckuhl@parkseed.com. It's always good to start the year on a light-hearted note. After all, "a merry heart doeth good like a medicine!"

Resolved: No More Cussin'!

As I enjoy some holiday time away from the office with my family in Smyrna, Georgia, I find myself pondering New Year's resolutions. As in the exact same three resolutions that I've made for, oh, probably the past 23 years. At the top of the list is to expunge vulgar language from my lexicon. Or more plainly put...no more cussin!

Given that I am a well-brought-up Southern lady, you may wonder how I acquired a small problem with potty mouth. (And really, it is a small issue. It's not like every other word is unprintable! Sadly, though, in occasional moments of severe stress or prolonged aggrevation, a choice four-letter word may pop out. )

Back in the early 1980s, when I first got into the business world, women were not always as welcome as they are today. In particular, one "gentleman" I worked with (my boss's boss, no less) took pleasure in shocking the ladies by using foul language. As a minority female in his Information Technology department, I learned that sometimes the only way to keep him in line was to fire one blankety-blank back at him. And sadly, stuff like that quickly becomes a habit.

So what does any of this have to do with gardening, Park Seed, Wayside Gardens, or this blog in general, you may ask??? Well, in studying my 1899 Park's Floral Magazine for a recent post, I ran across some marvelous botanical names in the product lists. And it struck me that I might be able to adopt some scientific vocabulary to use in lieu of any unfortunate scatological outbursts!

Therefore, be it resolved that henceforth and forevermore, when I am vexed beyond all tolerance, my utterance of frustration will be "Crassus spatulata!!" Say it out loud, and you'll see just how satisfyingly emphatic and hostile those syllables can be! (Alternatively, I think it would be a good name for a new character in the comedy musical, Nunsense--"Sister Spatulata, it's time to water your plants!")

Sady, it seems the plant itself is obsolete--I can't find any pictures. If you have a Crassus spatulata in your garden, or know what it is known as today, please email me at ckuhl@parkseed.com. And if you've got a New Year's resolution related to your garden, please share. I love hearing from you--and that's no bull!