SPECIAL GUESTS IN THE GARDEN
Loving Garland Green, stewards of the Garland Community Garden, hosted a tour of their garden for the Greater Dallas Organic Garden Club [GDOGC] on Saturday May 18, 2024.
It’s always fun and educational to get together with other gardeners and share gardening experiences. The members of Loving Garland Green agree with GDOGC, I’m certain, on almost everything having to do with gardens--from “organic is the way to go” to “you’ll learn something new every time you visit a garden, even your own garden.”
Their mission: “The purpose of the Greater Dallas Organic Garden Club is to promote organic gardening and related subjects through education and community outreach.”
Loving Garland Green has a similar mission: We too are organic gardeners and our mission is to “encourage the people of Garland to grow some of the food they eat.” We hope to accomplish our mission by example through our stewardship of the Garland Community Garden, established in April of 2014.
Don't discard expired packets of seeds! Plant them instead and see what happens. Gardening is nothing if not a grand adventure.
This year for our special theme we are encouraging people to not throw away their expired seed packets as seeds remain viable long after the expiration date on the seed package. There are two beds in the garden devoted to this purpose: One in the front of the garden features several sections that currently have the following: beans, okra [most of which has now been given away], watermelon, and mammoth dill--all grown from seeds that were at least three years old.
Then, there is a second bed featuring a tribute to old seeds near the back of the garden. This bed has a trellis and features German lima beans. This is our second year to feature this bed. Last year [2023] it was planted with beans that had been saved since 1996. The seeds were 27 years old. They were viable with a 100% germination rate. The seeds from the vines today were from seeds from last year’s crop and they too had a 100% germination rate. Jane Stroud, whose mother saved these seeds shared her personal story about them with the GDOGC members. The signage on the trellis features a photo of Jane’s mother and the story. You can visit the garden any time and read all about it if you like.
Have some fun this Sunday May 27! Attend a meeting of the Greater Dallas Organic Garden Club!
Both Davene Morgan, GDOGC President and Karen Wright, Volunteer Coordinator, emphasized that the public is welcome to join their group. The Greater Dallas Organic Garden Club meets the fourth Sunday of the month January through October at North Haven Gardens 7700 Northhaven Road, Dallas 75230 at 2:30 to 3 PM for refreshments and social time and 3 PM for the start of the meeting. Since 1993, the GDOGC has been promoting organic and sustainable gardening methods. Come be a part of a fun and informative club. Visit their website at GDOGC.org.