Park Seed Memories

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.

GSTV Winner Says It's Seed Catalog Time in Minnesota

You meet the nicest folks playing gardening games! Once again, its time to give out prizes for the GardenSMART trivia contest, sponsored by Wayside Gardens. And happily for me, this meant that I had a chance to "meet"--via emails--Fran Dvorak, or "Granny Franny" as her email address puts it. Fran is a life-long gardener with wonderful stories to tell, so let me get out of the way and let you hear from Fran.

"I grew up on a farm in Minnesota, so I have been a gardener all my life. I have 4 brothers and 2 sisters, so there wasn't a choice to garden or not to garden, as a child. As an adult, I have always loved the outdoors and watching things grow and change with the seasons, and, of course, the harvest.

"My husband and I have been married 47 years. Our 4 children all live in Minnesota, as do our 5 grandchildren (3 of them in college), and in May, we will be great grandparents.

"We have a very shady back yard, so every year I rent a city garden plot for my vegetables. I donate vegetables to the food shelf and to our church for our Bazaar in August. I do grow a few tomatoes, lettuce, and some raspberries, in a mostly sunny corner of our back yard. Most of our back yard is shade plants.

"One day a few years ago, I noticed how flat everyone's yards are, so I built a small hill in our back yard right next to my fire pit. I have big plans to put some type of water or dry river feature on the hill. My hill is unique to the neighborhood.

"We are in the dead of winter in Minnesota. Two days ago, it was -20 degrees, with a wind chill of -40 degrees. This is the time of year that I take out photos of my flowers and plants from previous years, and put them up on my kitchen wall as a reminder that Spring will come eventually!

"This is also my favorite time of the year to look over all the seed catalogs. I am sure glad I didn't put my order in yet! I start many of my plants indoors. I usually have enough to share with my friends. In the fall, I share my pumpkins, gourds, and ornamental corn with the neighborhood children and adults. Thank you, again, for the gifts. I will continue to watch and learn from GardenSMART.

Fran Dvorak"

Fran, thank you so much for watching GardenSMART on public TV,  playing our game, and especially for sending me your story. I'm particularly impressed that you so generously share the fruits of your gardening with local charities. What a treat for the recipients! I hope you'll stay in touch, and possibly share pictures of your gardens this year. And I hope you have a wonderful time spending your $250 Wayside Gardens gift certificate. After all, you are the GardenSMARTEST!

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!

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!

Topsey-Turvey Tip for Protecting Precious Plants

Wayside Gardens is lucky to work with wonderful breeders and growers from around the world. For example, we are proud to offer products from Proven Winners Color Choice and even sometimes do joint promotions with them. Last year, Wayside Gardens and Color Choice offered professional garden writers an opportunity to trial some flowering shrubs in their own gardens. We were delighted to receive an email from garden writer Lorraine Ballato, who had a great tip for protecting tender plants that you plant late in the season. Here's what Lorraine told us:

"Once they're in the ground, I make sure these late-planted beauties get proper love and care until the ground freezes. Once the ground freezes, I place a nursery pot over the plant and hold it in place with a rock (lots of them in the Connecticut hills where I am). Then, like a magic trick, I remove the pot about March 1 and let the plant acclimate to the season, and we're off.  I've used this technique now for the last 2 years, and it has been very successful."

I wanted to share this nifty topsey-turvey tip with you, so I wrote Lorraine and asked for her permission. She was kind enough to give me the go-ahead, and she also provided more info for you:

"Hi, Claire!

"Glad to share my tip with other gardeners.  It has proven very successful for me in a range of situations.  Here's when I have used it and will plan to continue using it:

1.  Late season planting of irresistible bargains where I'm not confident of the plants' ability to get established before the season really closes;

2.  Foliage plants that take a long time to get going in the spring but for which I'm very impatient (see attached photo of heuchera 'caramel' [above] from being covered in fall 2006.  It emerged full and lovely in early spring 2007 and just got better!);

3. Newly rooted "starts" of plants I'm trying to propagate and protect from the elements as they get going;

4. Young shoots of plants that deer don't usually bother, but will try when the plants are small in the off-season just because they are right under their noses when the deer are "cruising."  One bite is all it takes to eliminate these young saplings.

I use the inverted containers in areas of the garden that aren't usually visible from passing neighbors and cars--only from the house or not at all, since it looks like an invasion from a foreign planet, especially with snow cover.  I also wait until the ground has frozen and ensure there is no mulch or anything comfy inside the container so rodents aren't tempted to make it their winter home."

Thanks, Lorraine! Maybe once you are snowed in, you can send us a snapshot of your "alien landscape." In case you are interested in knowing more about Lorraine, here's a snippet from her professional biography:

Since retiring from corporate America, Lorraine has been able to turn her passion for gardening into a second career as a free-lance garden writer and communicator.  She has contributed to the section on “woodies” for the White Flower Farm Spring catalogs, to a regular monthly column in a lifestyle magazine circulated to over 15,000 homes in northwest Connecticut, and to numerous other publications in the area. Lorraine continues to add to her horticultural knowledge through her work at a nationally-recognized mail order/retail nursery and as an Advanced Master Gardener.

Got a great gardening tip? Photos of favorite plants? Please share them by emailing to ckuhl@parkseed.com. I love hearing from you!