Park Seed Memories

Update from Home-Grown Beauties

Back in August, we had a lovely email and photos from Mr. Mickey Moss in Montgomery, Alabama. Seems he had some pretty tall tomotoes to talk about. Now that harvest time is here, Mr. Moss has sent us an update:

Dear Park Seed Memories,
Thank you and Park Seed so much for sharing probably my most exciting and productive tomato season ever. I started in the mid-1960's purchasing several tomato and pepper plants each year, but shortly found the joy of starting plants from seed and watching each grow and compete to be the ones selected for transplanting to the garden.

For many years I pruned and pinched suckers but have found if I provide stake, wire and string trestle, the plants love to grow tall toward the sunny sky and remain more healthy and exceedingly more productive. Labor intensive? Sure, it is--but that is part of the fun! Picking the ripe fruit and delivering the full bags to friends and neighbors is the rest of the fun and excitement (bragging and boasting). I still have tomatoes here in mid-October, but the loyal plants show their seven months of glory and now struggle.
 
I have attached several pictures of my exciting season including close-up shots of what I previously thought were pesky tomato-pecking Cardinals. In fact, I observed them feeding on big green tomato hornworms visible thru a kitchen window less than three feet away. They are now daily and welcome guests.
 
Till Next Season,
Mickey Moss

To see the Moss family photos, check out the photo album at left called Too Tall Tomatoes. Many thanks to you, Mickey--I can see why you are proud of all your home-grown beauties!

Home-Grown Beauties--Eight Feet Tall and Rising!

Everybody loves a tall tale, and I received a delightful one recently from Mr. Mickey Moss in Montgomery, Alabama. You can see the home-grown beauties above. And I'll let Mr. Moss himself tell you just what you are seeing:

Dear Park Seed,
Due to an extremely wet May, I delayed planting 48 tomato plants until June 11th into a muddy, untilled, grass-covered plot. Mid to late June and early July were so hot that the hundreds of blooms would not set, but the plants continued to grow, similar to "spring growth." Hence, I now have hundreds of tomatoes on the largest and healthiest plants I have ever seen! I should have ripe tomatoes starting in late August and lasting until mid October.

My daughter and granddaughter are standing between rows of Park's Big Beef and Park's Whopper Improved. Two other rows of Park's Celebrity and Better Boy are similarly productive, but not as impressive. If you are interested, I can send you pictures of later season growth.
Mickey Moss
Montgomery Al

Age 67 Retired--growing tomatoes for nearly forty years!

P.S. I failed to mention I started the plants from Park Seed seed on March 21, 2009 and usually transplant the first week of May.

Those are some TALL tomatoes--very impressive, indeed! Mr. Moss and I exchanged a few emails, and he is going to share with us some photos of the later season growth and, I hope, some photos of the tomatoes he harvests.  So stay tuned to see just how tall this tomato tale turns out to be! For what it's worth, the tallest tomato I personally know about grew to 16 feet. Whew!

Do you have a tall tale of your own to tell? Email your gardening stories and pictures to me at ckuhl@parkseed.com, and I will gladly share them here!

More Time-Traveling Seeds: Disco Cucumbers?

Once again, my email inbox is the source for another fascinating story of time-travel! This time, a long-time friend of Park Seed is still growing cucumbers from seed that he bought from us back in the Disco Era! As you can see in the picture sent in by Mr. Bill Lumpkin (right), there's nothing unusual looking about these fine plants--no big hair, platform shoes, or white belt to betray their 1980s vintage. But they do, indeed have an interesting story to tell. Here's what Bill has to say:

Dear Park Seed,

During the 36 years I was sports editor of the Birmingham Post-Herald, I planted a garden each year and bought my seed by mail from Park's. The seed I didn't use, I froze for use the following year.

Five years ago, I was digging around in the freezer and found some seed frozen over, one being a small, maybe, a 2x4 gold foil packet of Salad cucumber seed I had ordered from Park's.

The year had been pulled off, so I don't know exactly when. We sold the house with the garden 22 years ago, but I had stopped gardening before then. Since then, I've become a bucket farmer.

For the last five years, I have planted two of those salad cukes, and they have come up each time. This year I was down to one seed, my last. Not only did it come up, but I already have picked six cukes, and there are more on the vine.

I know those seed were at least 22 years old, but I think it's more like 25 or 28.

I thought Park's might find it interesting. I'm attaching a picture I took of the two salad cucumber plants last year.

Bill Lumpkin
Birmingham, AL

Bill, it was delightful to hear from you and to learn about the success you've had in growing cucumbers from the seed that you stashed so long ago. It's amazing how resilient seeds really are! Of course, now that you've used your last old cucumber seed, we hope you'll consider buying another pack from among the latest cucumber varieties that we offer. If your past behavior is any indication, that new pack ought to last you until 2029 or so.  I hope to hear from you then!

What amazing or unusual stories and photos do you have to share about your gardening experiences? We love hearing from generations of great gardeners! Email pictures and stories to me at ckuhl@parkseed.com, and I'll share them here for all to enjoy!

Return of the Giant Cabbage III: Heads Will Roll!

Talk about gettin' the big head! No, I'm not talking about a giant ego--I'm talking about giant cabbage--Tropic Giant, to be precise! I was really tickled to get this great picture from my old friends, the Diehls.

I first met them back in 2006, when they wrote to thank Park Seed for putting Tropic Giant back in the catalog and shared a picture of the 1997 crop. We communicated again early this year, when we helped each other solve some head-scratchin' problems. And last week, along with this terrific photo of a specimen from their current crop, I got this note:

Just an update on the Tropic Giant.  It is growing beautifully, and we are happy to have it!  Will let you know how it turns out in the end, but obviously it's going to be good, and we hope it will be in the catalog again this winter.  Thanks again!
Lew Diehl

Lew, I'm so delighted that your garden is thriving this year! And when I checked the website, I noticed that Tropic Giant is tagged as one of the Most Popular seeds this season. Thanks to your pictures and testimonials, I can surely see why!

If you have a great picture of an interesting vegetable you've grown this year, don't forget to enter Park Seed's "My Bell Pepper Looks Just Like Elvis!" photo contest. And if your bell pepper just looks like a nice bell pepper, you can send that photo and story to me at ckuhl@parkseed.com. I'm not giving out prizes, but I can make you just a tiny bit famous by sharing the fruits of your gardening labors here! I love hearing from great gardeners like YOU!

Return of the Giant Cabbage II: Tropic Giant LIVES!!

No, silly, this isn't the name of a new horror flick! I'm referring to the unexpected return of Cabbage Tropic Giant to the Park Seed website...and it's all because of a recent email to this blog from long-time Tropic Giant fans, Lew and Pat Diehl.

One of my very first posts here shared a photo and story sent in by the Diehls, talking about how happy they were that Park Seed was once again offering seeds for their favorite cabbage, Tropic Giant. You see, they love making their own sauerkraut from cabbages they've grown themselves, and Tropic Giant works especially well for that.

Toward the end of December last year, I heard from Lew again:

"While trying to find sources of seeds that have done well, we noted that you had posted our happy note of 2006 regarding the availability of Tropic Giant cabbage. But we have been disappointed ever since, because it was immediately discontinued after that.  We wonder how many people see this post and wish to try it, only to find it no longer exists???"

Well, I don't like the thought of my friend and customer not finding something he wants, so I went on a bit of a quest, trying to find out what happened to Tropic Giant. My buddy Stephanie explained that it wasn't a best-seller on the retail site, so we didn't usually offer it. However, it was still popular with our wholesale customers, and therefore we still keep some in the seed vault. Aha!

Stephanie graciously hooked me up with her colleague, Jennifer, who managed to find a pack for me to share with the Diehls. YAY! I've put that packet in the mail already, so Lew and Pat should soon be sowing their cabbage of choice.

But that's only the beginning of the story!

You see, shortly after all this transpired, we ran out of the giant cabbage variety we were currently offering. Not surprisingly in these tough economic times, we're seeing a resurgence of interest in folks growing their own food. Sooo...what to do for folks seeking seeds to grow giant cabbage?

Tropic Giant to the rescue!!

Yep--considering that we had just been focusing on the Tropic topic, Stephanie and Jennifer decided that it would be a great seed to offer on the Internet this spring in lieu of the sold-out item. And so now you know how a little letter to this blog yielded the return of an old favorite to our vegetable seed line-up!

Thank you, Lew and Pat, for reminding us about this reliable old friend for the cabbage patch! And here's a tip for anyone else who might want to stockpile Tropic Giant while it's available again. Seeds generally can be kept for several years IF they are stored in a low temperature, low moisture environment. So if you have some left from this growing season, put them in an airtight jar and stash it in the back of the refrigerator.

Do you have a vegetable favorite that you'd like to recommend to our readers? How about your best recipe for homemade sauerkraut? I love hearing from you! Just email your pictures and stories to me at ckuhl@parkseed.com.

Bunnies and Rabbits Everywhere!

  It's always nice to hear from old friends, and last week, I heard from writer and bunnie-wrangler Loretta Hayward. She has both fun bun photos to share, as well as bunny tales to tell from her trip to the American Rabbit Breeders Association convention. Here's Loretta's email:

Hi Claire!
We were thrilled to attend the ARBA convention in Louisville, Kentucky the last week of August. There were over 23,000 rabbits! There were rabbits there that we would not see in a   lifetime!  It was so enjoyable meeting people from all over the country. There were many that flew in from other countries to see, and even purchase and ship bunnies to their homeland in Japan, England, Australia, Germany, and many more.

We  were able to take our newest book with us! At the Christmas Fair in Greenville, we had thousands come by our booth and visit with our rabbits and to buy our books and cards! People love garden flowers all year long, and we make that possible!  The illustrations in our books are all photographs of our real flowers and rabbits!  It is a feast for the eyes!

We are seldom celebrating Christmas with snow on the ground here in Fountain Inn, SC, but when we got snow for 3 days in 2003, we made the most of it! We had a big time with our bunnies in the snow! They played in it, and behaved like puppies digging, rolling, and burrowing in the snow. I attached a picture of one picture we made into a Christmas card! I am sure it will bring smiles! I do want to wish you a Merry Christmas too! You may share these on your blog!
 
Loretta Hayward

I don't think I can truly imagine 23,000 bunnies bouncing in one place! But it sounds like Loretta & Company had a great time. I enjoy looking at her garden pictures, knowing that Park Seed Company is one of her favorite resources. Hmmm...I wonder if we could get her to come and capture Mr. Bunn, the sizeable rabbit who lives in our Trial Gardens, and drives Chris Brown and Stephanie Turner crazy by stealthily munching their vegetables during spring and summer? Just a thought--something along the lines of a witness protection program--a rabbit relocation and rehabilitation service?

If you have pictures of your favorite animals frolicking in your garden during any season, email them to me at ckuhl@parkseed.com. We love sharing stories of great gardeners here!

More Bunnies in the Garden!

At the beginning of the year, I had a little fun talking about a Bunny in the garden...with the Bunny in question being author Gertrude "Bunny" Foster. Today, I get to have fun with bunnies and authors again, only this time, we're talking actual twitchy-nosed, fluffy-fuzzed bunny rabbits!

 

The author in question is Loretta Hayward. She entered Park Seed Company's recent Garden Poetry contest, and one of her poems was selected for our "top picks" list. Much to our surprise, we later learned that Loretta is a published author, as well as being an accomplished gardener! Here's the poem she sent in for our contest:

OUR FINE GARDEN FEAST

To the garden I must hurry

To the garden I must go.

Early in the morning

I must visit every row.

 

With dewdrops  on the lettuce

So crisp and sweet they taste.

Early is our harvest--

No portion will we waste.

 

Yellow peppers are in blossom.

Green pole beans are in bloom.

Honey bees gather pollen

in the garden’s sweet perfume.

 

The strawberries all have ripened.

They are red and juicy-sweet!

Every bite is purest pleasure,

Every mouthful a special treat!

 

Let us picnic in the garden!

The finest feast is growing there.

Vine ripe bounty now awaits us-

A basket banquet we can share!

 

So, you ask...what about those bunnies I promised??

 

Well, it seems that Loretta and Ben Hayward have a rabbit breeding businessand a lovely website, www.GardenGateCards.us, that combines their love of bunnies, gardens, and the creative arts! Here's the email I received from Loretta that clued us in about her background:

 

Hello!
I am glad to see my poem in the top 10 listing of the Poetry contest! ... The poem has just been published in my second book, "On the Banks of Durbin Creek-Four Seasons for Bunnies!" It is fully illustrated with our photography of our rabbits, flowers, and gardens (some of which are from Park Seed!)
Thank you! 
Loretta Hayward

 

Right now, The Haywards are traveling to the American Rabbit Breeders Association convention. But when they get back, Loretta has promised to send us some pictures of her bunnies enjoying the family gardens. So stay tuned!

 

And don't forget to send me your own garden pix, poems, or pointers. I love hearing from you! You can email me at ckuhl@parkseed.com anytime.

Return of the Giant Zinnia

What do gardens and friends have in common? Among other things, both gardens and friends always make you smile when they pop up time and time again. I was quite pleased to have an old friend of this blog pop up in my email box this morning, and I'm still smiling as a result! Mr. Bush Prisby wrote in with an update on his Mother's adventures with the GIANT Zinnia in her garden. 

Hello!

Although her garden didn't quite bloom as full this year, my mum grew another giant zinnia 83 1/2 " tall! Last year's version was a mere 77"!

The Morning Glory got off to a slow start and hasn't even bloomed yet, but has found the zinnia to be a favorable trellis in itself.

Bush Prisby

P.S. We just got a killing frost so the Morning Glory+Zinnia will not be blooming together this year...

If you look closely at the picture, you can just barely see Ms. Adelene Prisby, Bush's Mum, on the left, working her amazing magic with that zinnia. Ms. Prisby has been gardening with Park Seed for more than 50 years, and we are so grateful for her and for all our many loyal customers! If you have pictures of your garden and family to share, please email them to me at ckuhl@parkseed.com. My goal is to post as many stories as possible from generations of great gardeners like YOU!

Stokes Asters Going Strong in Lee's Garden

I was chatting with my friend, Beverly, from Customer Service, and she shared with me this terrific letter and pictures from Lee in Oceanside, NY. It seems that she's had some good luck with our products in her garden. Here's Lee:

Dear Wayside Gardens,
About fifteen years ago, I puchased three Stokes Asters from you. In forty-seven years of gardening, I have never had such a beautiful seedling. Its shape is a perfect bouquet with one hundred flowers. It bloomed two weeks after the other Stokesias. Enjoy the enclosed pictures with me.

Thanks,
Leatrice T.
Oceanside, NY

Gosh, Lee, thank you so much for taking time to let us know about your positive experience. And thanks especially for the pictures--your garden is just lovely! Your kindness gave everybody in Customer Service a big smile! You see, when we get great letters and pictures like these, we put them on a big bulletin board in the stairwell leading up to the Customer Service department. That way, everybody can see and enjoy them as they start their workday.

Right now, I'm working on a project with the Customer Service team, so I've had a chance to learn more about what their life is like, taking orders and "meeting" our customers on the telephone every day. It's fun and it's challenging--lots of products and computer systems and procedures to master! (By the way, if you live anywhere near our National Headquarters in Greenwood, SC, we are hiring Customer Service team members now, as we get ready for the holiday rush.  Check it out at: www.greatjobsparkseed.com.)

And thanks again, Lee! We'd love to have more stories and pictures from you. And from any of our great gardening friends around the country. Send your garden memories and photos to me at ckuhl@parkseed.com.

Calendula: Herb of the Year 2008

Calendula's Mom would be proud, if plants had moms. As I reported back in November, the Herb Society of America (HSA) selected its top ten herbs, and Calendula was one of the winners. I recently found out that Calendula has been selected for another top honor: Herb of the Year for 2008, so named by the International Herb Association.

I found this out because Tina Marie Wilcox and Susan Belsinger were kind enough to email me and share this great information. Here's what Tina and Susan had to say:

"Hello,
"I was just reading your blog on the Park Seed site. I see that you write about herbs and have recently done a story on the Herb Society of America. Susan Belsinger and I are on the Board of the International Herb Association, are also active members with the HSA, and are authors. In the interest of networking, if any of the links below contain information useful to Park Seed, please feel free to use, with credit where credit is due.

We are celebrating Calendula: herb of the year 2008--it is a wonderful herb for the skin, tasty in recipes--and adds golden color to our gardens.  Check us out:

www.herbcompanion.com -- click on "Calendula officinalis: Herb of the Year 2008" for calendula in the kitchen with recipes--there is even a golden king cake for Mardi Gras celebration!

www.herbsforhealth.com -- click on "Calendula: Golden Petals" for history, lore, and medicinal information about this ancient potherb, as well as recipes for our favorite oil, salve, tincture and more.

www.grit.com -- click on "Sow Your Own!" for all you need to know about how easy and fun it is to grow herbs and other plants from seed.

Enjoy! And let us know if you have any questions.

Warm regards,

Tina Marie Wilcox, IHA President [corrected 2/8]
Susan Belsinger

Tina and Susan, thank you so much for taking time to write and especially for sharing these great websites. You've opened whole new vistas for herb neophytes like me. The recipes certainly caught my attention, as well as the historical aspects of calendula cultivation and use.

Thank you also for explaning that it's the International Herb Association that selects the Herb of the Year, not the Herb Society of America. I'm going to go right now and put a correction in my November post. As you say, give credit where credit is due!

Do you have an herb garden? Please send pictures to me at ckuhl@parkseed.com so I can post them here for all to enjoy.