Park Seed Memories

Young Scientists in Wisconsin Experiment with Space Seeds

Hooray--I'm on a roll! Today my mailbox yielded information from another team of terrific teachers who got involved with our NASA partnership, and planted the seeds of experimentation and adventure with their young charges. This time, we are hearing from Allenton Elementary School in Allenton, Wisconsin. Kindergarten teacher Donna Kauper contacted me a month or so ago to get some information, and at that time, I asked her to send something for this blog. Happily, she did! The article that follows is a write-up she prepared for parents attending Allenton's Activity Night.

Space Shuttle and Earth Seeds

Park Seed Company sponsored a seed-growing project using Cinnamon Basil seeds. One group of Cinnamon Basil seeds were flown on the Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-118), which launched August 8, 2007 and returned to Earth on August 21, 2007. Another group of  Cinnamon Basil seeds remained in climate-controlled storage at Park Seed Co. in Greenwood, South Carolina, during the STS-118 mission.

Several teachers in our building took a video mini-course to learn about the seeds project.  The seeds were sent for and planted on February 21,2008. It is interesting to see the results of this project, which were grown under a variety of circumstances.

Mrs. Kauper’s Class planted their seeds, covered them with transparent Saran Wrap, and placed them on a soil warming blanket to help the seeds’ growth. The seeds sprouted on February 27th with 25 plants from Earth coming up and 17 plants sprouting from the space flight seeds. These plants started getting their second set of leaves during the week of March 25th. They are being grown by the added light of a lamp, as there is no direct sunlight available in our classroom. Students check the plants each day to see if there are any great changes. Currently, there are 21 space plants and 27 Earth plants growing under the light; they are about 3 inches tall.

Mrs. Wattenbach’s Class planted their seeds, covered them with blue-tinted Saran Wrap, and placed them on an eastern windowsill. These plants received sunlight in the morning and were exposed to a more chilling air radiating from the cold outside. They had 4 space flight plants sprout and 2  from the Earth sprout. Currently they have 3 space flight and 1 earth plant surviving and now sharing space with those under the light with Mrs. Kaupers’ plants.

The Second Grade Teachers have planted their seeds and placed them in the southern window areas in their classrooms. They found the space seeds came up first. They also had the cold air radiating from the window to contend with in affecting the growth of their plants. The classroom having the bumped-out window seemed to have the best success with plants sprouting.  Mrs. Jensen reported she currently has 4 space shuttle and 2 Earth plants growing in her classroom.

Currently, we are preparing to cut off the third set of leaves, so the plants will bush out more. It is an interesting project the students have been studying.###

Donna notes that the children have now taken their plants home.  Let's hope those students also took home a desire to explore science--and gardening--a little further!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Mrs. Kauper, Mrs. Wattenback, the Second Grade teachers, and all the young scientists at Allenton Elementary School--it was great hearing from you! And I've love to hear from even more Seeds in Space participants, no matter which of our many NASA adventures you experienced! Email me at ckuhl@parkseed.com with photos and memories!

Rhode Island Kids Experiment with Seeds in Space

It's always inspiring to hear from teachers who incorporate gardening into their curriculum. And for me, it's a special treat to hear from Seeds in Space participants. This week, I had a pleasant email exchange with the Science Department Chair from a school in Rhode Island. I'll let her speak for herself:

"Hello, Donna C. here from Gilbert Stuart Middle School in Providence, Rhode Island. We were one of the schools that received the seeds from the shuttle 118 launch.  I was also one of the teachers who got to see the launch.  I brought all the info back to my kids, and we followed the directions in the procedure.  I just wanted to let you know that the entire experience has been full of information and a joy!  However, when we received the seeds, most all of them were damaged. I think it may have been the mailing process since they were all actually crushed. We did however yield a total of 9 plants:  5 experimental and 4 controlled.  There is no difference that we have observed and recorded between the two. We were looking at the amount of light and growth rate.  They are receiving 12 hours of direct sun light and 12 of indirect to no sun light.

"I wonder if anyone else experienced the problem with the seeds?

"Anyway, thank you from our 8th grade class for letting us test the seeds.

"Donna C.
"Science Department Chair"

I contacted my colleagues at NASA, and they are pleased to hear about the students' success. Also, I've invited Donna and her students to share their stories and pictures with us, and as soon as we have permission from the participants' parents, I'll share them here with you. Stay tuned for another out-of-this-world experience from young scientists!

Did your or your school participate in any of Park Seed Company's Seeds in Space programs? I would love to hear from you and feature your story and pictures here. Just email me at ckuhl@parkseed.com or leave a comment.

Eating "Green" Doesn't Have to Cost Lots of Green$$

With my dear husband away on his annual May fishing trip, I'm finally getting caught up on reading some of my magazines. Wednesday it was Arthritis Today. Last night, it was Newsweek.

An article in Newsweek by Keith Naughton caught my eye last night. The premise of the piece is that while people love eating organically grown foods, the rising costs of those items may be putting them out of reach for consumers. Also, some farmers are rethinking the profitability of pursuing organic production methods.

Of course, from my Park Seed perspective, I immediately thought about how increasely cost-effective it is to simply grow your own organic vegetables, so you know exactly how your food was grown and where it's coming from. And the cost of seed is amazingly low, compared to the value of the produce you produce from it. Our own Queen of Seed, Stephanie Turner, was recently quoted in an article in one of the larger newspapers, talking about the lively interest we're seeing in seed buying these days.

Another compelling reason to grow your own veggies is the whole locavore movement that has sprung up. As gas prices climb, anything you can do to reduce the distance that food has to travel to reach your plate creates savings. And while you are saving money, you are also contributing to saving our planet. Always a plus! Naturally, there's a bit of sweat equity involved, but gardeners will tell you that that's the best part!

Finally, when you grow your own vegetables, you may just find that you get larger, better quality produce that you can find anywhere else. The pictures here are photos that Park Seed customers have sent us through the years. From top left, we have a giant bell pepper grown my Tom Conners, a supersized melon grown in Ohio, and two huge tomatoes grown by Richard Wedell.

If you have photos of ginormous fruits and vegetables that you've grown this year--or any time--email them to me at ckuhl@parkseed.com so we can all admire your gardening prowess. And if you have tips for saving money while living green, we'd love to collect those, as well. It's always a joy to hear from you!

Hip-Hip-Hooray--Gardening for EVERY Body

One year ago today, my arthritic right hip was replaced with a spiffy new titanium model. It's made a wonderful difference in my life, and I recommend it highly to others dealing with hip joint pain. In a timely coincidence, Arthritis Today magazine's May/June issue contains a helpful article on how folks with arthritis can continue to enjoy gardening. The article inspired me to offer some tips here on gardening for people with mobility issues and other physical challenges. And to ask you to send your best "enabled" gardening suggestions to me, so that I can share them in a future post.

One classic strategy to make gardening easier on the back, knees, and legs is to bring the garden up to you, so that you don't have to kneel, crouch, or squat down to it. Using raised beds and tall planters are popular strategies. In fact, container gardening in general provides a lot of flexibility for your planting...which is good when you're not so flexible yourself anymore! Put pots and containers on shelves, outdoor walls, or wherever you can easily reach them. You can even grow vegetables on your patio this way.

Another fun idea is to use hanging bags or "flower tubes" to grow your plants at an altitude where you can comfortably tend them and enjoy them. I know of one scientist who hangs growing bags full of strawberry plants all around her greenhouse to expand the number of  plants she can use for her research.

Some folks also struggle with upper body challenges when it comes to gardening. It makes a big difference to use ergonomically correct tools that are shaped to minimize joint stress. Tying up plants may be difficult if arthritic or swollen joints limit your dexterity. Velcro or foam ties can make that task much easier. Likewise, if handling small seeds is a problem, seed mats and tapes eliminate that challenge. Gloves are important, too, to protect sensitive hands.

Of course, you don't have to be dealing with specific health or aging issues to appreciate the benefits of taking good care of your body when you garden. My buddy Thomas recently talked about the importance of stretching before beginning a gardening "workout" in his blog, the Park Seed Journal. 

The important thing to remember is this--if you love gardening, find ways to keep doing it, because it's good for you and for our home planet, too!

Got any good tips for making gardening easier, especially for those of us with physical limitations? Are you a seasoned senior gardener, with pictures of your handiwork? Please send them to me at ckuhl@parkseed.com so that we can share them here.

Garden Poems from 1899, Part II

Turning once again to the quaint, charming pages of my 1899 Park's Floral Magazine, I bring you this little poem about flowers and their powers:

A Floral Gift

A dainty breath of Heliotrope,
   A breath of Roses sweet,
And lo! old winter's barren slope
   Drops flowers my soul to greet,
And weary mind and aching head
   Quiets beneath their spell;
Dear flowers! with chilly skies o'erhead,
   Only of Heaven ye tell.

Lilla M. Cushman, Boston 1899

Do you write poetry? Send me your best poem about flowers and gardening so everyone can enjoy it here. Are you a photographer with artistic shots to share? Send them my way! Email submissions to ckuhl@parkseed.com. I love hearing from you!

Garden Poems from 1899, Part I

Last June, I shared an unusual item sent in by a woman whose grandmother created a poetry scrapbook and included in it some garden poems from Park's Floral Magazine. That particular post seems to get a lot of attention, so I thought I would share some more poems for gardeners, courtesy of my June 1899 edition. 

We'll start today with the saga of a resourceful Cyclamen that yearns to be loved:

A Cyclamen's Scheme

A Cyclamen sat on a sill,
    And pondered deep and long,
"I'm but a homely bulb," said he,
    "Although I'm fat and strong.
I have some blossoms rolled up here
    To make the family stare.
It takes so long to bring them out,
    I fear they will despair.

"If I could give them something nice
    To see in the meanwhile,
Perhaps they'd let me keep my place
    Nor think me quite so vile.
I know! I'll get the nicest leaves
    That ever I can find,
And when they think to throw me out
    Perhaps they'll change their mind.

"For fear that they may tire of leaves,
    The queerest buds I'll get,
In shape just like a blind duck's head,
    And then I'll cease to fret;
And when they all are quite convinced
    That leaves and buds are gems,
I'll hold up high above them all
    My flower diadems."

Said Mary, "What exquisite blooms!"
    Said John, "The leaves I like."
Said Jack, "Those queer-shaped buds, I think
    The most my fancy strike."
But little Nell put out her hand,
    And gave the bulb a pat,
"I like," said she, "the most of all
    The bulb so brown and fat."

And so the modest Cyclamen,
    By doing just his best,
Succeeded well in everything,
    And stood a fourfold test.

Dame Durden
Medina, Co. O.
Jan 21, 1899

Tomorrow, I have another short little poem to share, so stay tuned. And if you have favorite poems about gardening, flowers, or digging in the dirt, by all means, please send them to me at ckuhl@parkseed.com so we can all enjoy!

Hooray for Mothers Who Let Us Play in the Dirt!

On Wednesday, I shared some cute pix of our Director of Seed Product back when she was just a little sprout.  And I invited all and sundry to share other pictures of little kids playing in the dirt. One of the first to respond to my query was our new corporate videographer, Celeste Tumblin. (She's the clever minx who slipped her picture in at the end of our new Seeds in Space video.) Here are some pictures of her son, Jeremy, when he was very young, and some great memories from Celeste:

"My son's name is Jeremy Tumblin. He was born April 7, 1986. He loved playing in the dirt & 'helping' me plant my flowers every Spring when he was a child.

"When he was 12, he wanted to be a farmer, so he & my dad planted a wheat crop. Jeremy worked from sun-up to sun-down all summer that year. He wheeled & dealed to rent fields, purchased a combine (my dad already had several tractors), & made appointments with the granary, & talked to stock brokers to sell the wheat/grain, then sold the stalks to a landscape business. Plus, the fields were beautiful! (I might can find a picture of them) Jeremy has a 'green' thumb--agriculturally & financially!

"He still plays in the dirt at 22, dirt track racing, that is! It is his hobby & passion. He graduated PTC w/ Assoc. degree in Machine Tool Technology & is employed by Eaton in Greenwood.   

"My daughter Jennifer, never cared for flowers or plants, but now that she is employed by J&P she is learning all about them & has a 'growing' interest in flowers & plants! She planted/designed some of the flower containers/planters outside at J&P that are for sale & was proud of the final products & enjoyed planting them!

"So, all three of us have a connection, in a sense, to Park Seed--great memories!"

"Thanks!
"Celeste"

Happy Mother's Day, Celeste! And to all the other mothers who love sharing the joys of gardening with their families--ladies like Joan Wikersham, Lisa E., and  Gertrude "Bunny" Foster.

If your mother taught you to love gardening, or if you are sharing your love of digging in the dirt with your own little ones, I'd love to hear from you! Send pictures and stories to me at ckuhl@parkseed.com, and I'll share them here.

When Stephanie Was Just A Seedling

Here in the Park Seed Memories blog, I've had a lot of fun talking about "The Queen of Seeds," my friend Stephanie Turner. Stephanie is indeed the Seed Queen because of her role as Director of Seed Product, the mastermind behind selecting the 1,000+ varieties of seeds that we sell. She's a big believer in the slogan that the National Garden Bureau likes to promote: "great gardeners use seed."

Well, I have a theory that great gardeners themselves grow from seed. That is to say, most really good gardeners that I know started playing in the dirt at a very early age.

To help support my theory, I've gotten my grubby little mitts on some photos of Stephanie taken long before she became queen. As you can see, even as a mere princess, she liked being surrounded by flowers!

Although these photos don't prove it, I'm guessing her Mom never had any trouble getting her to eat her vegetables, as long as she got to grow them herself.

These shots of Stephanie as a little sprout inspire me to ask all you gardeners out there--when and how did you first get into gardening?

Am I correct that getting kids out into the garden early is the key to developing a love for growing things? Or did you find your way into gardening later in life? Perhaps after your kids were grown and you had a little more time to yourself? Please let me hear from you! And if you have pictures of yourself or your kids discovering the joys of digging in the dirt, email them to me at ckuhl@parkseed.com.

Intrepid eComm Explorers Find Second Letterbox in Park Seed Trial Gardens

If anyone here enjoys a challenge, it's is certainly our eCommerce Team. So when Audra Irick, one of our web designers, spotted my challenge to find letterboxes hidden in our gardens, she immediately organized a search party. "I've never heard of letterboxing," said Audra, "But it sounds like a cool hobby. I've got to find our other letterbox!"

Audra began her quest by studying the letterboxing website to find clues. She was amazed at the number of letterboxes in our area, including Greenwood and nearby towns Ware Shoals and Ninety Six. Eventually, she located a clue about a letterbox concealed in our 9-acre Trial Gardens.  Click here to see the clue.

With clue in hand, she rounded up some fellow eComm adventurers to sally forth into the gardens and see if they could unearth the mystery box. Copywriters Hope Ott and Denise Bruner [above left] promptly headed out down the trial rows in search of the elusive "winter garden" sign mentioned in the clue. Once they found the winter garden, they worked through the rest of the hints and, to their delight, located a letterbox!

Audra and fellow web designer Roberta Gladden are shown at right holding the box. "It's a little one!" noted Audra. According to letterboxing protocol, it contained a tiny notepad and a stamp with a unique icon. As with the first letterbox we found, the box also contained a message to the finders:

"Please do not destroy. Enjoy the contents and replace where found, hidden from view. To learn more about letterboxing visit the letterboxing website www.atlasquest.com."

Having studied up on letterboxing etiquette, Audra knew that the group needed to document their achievement by stamping the letterbox notepad with a unique icon--or signature stamp--representing the finders. Since this was their first letterboxing experience, the team didn't have a stamp icon handy. BUT, ever-resourceful Hope was there to lend a helping hand...or finger, more precisely. She left her fingerprint on the pad, and Roberta, with encouragement from Denise, noted the date and other particulars.

After admiring stamped images and comments from other letterbox finders, they closed up the box and carefully returned it to its hiding place...where it remains, just waiting for YOU to come visit Park Seed and try your own hand at letterboxing. Even if you don't find the box, you'll enjoy trying!

If you are a letterboxer who enjoys gardens, I'd love to hear from you. Give us clues to your favorite garden locations or local Greenwood letterboxes so that our budding boxers can have another adventure. Email me at ckuhl@parkseed.com.

How Many PhDs Does It Take to Open a Seeds in Space Seed Capsule?

Clearly, a 140-year-old company that has been partnering with NASA since 1983 is a company that always enjoys trying new things. The latest new thing that I'm working on as Special Projects Director for Park Seed is video.

A talented student from Piedmont Technical College is working as our videographer, and on her very first day of work, I asked her to film Dr. Kinard's visit. I further challenged her to create a video of the event that would tell part of the story of our Seeds in Space adventures. I think you will enjoy the result. And as you will see in the end, our clever student found a way to get herself into the act. So click here and enjoy our first-ever official Seeds in Space video!