#heirloomplants — Public Fediverse posts

#Gardens that Nurture #Culture

Spring 2022

Excerpt: "Growing one’s own food became more appealing and, in some cases, a greater necessity to many in this pandemic era. #NativePeoples have long tended gardens that have provided their communities with #sustainably grown foods, #MedicinalPlants and #NaturalMaterials. Today these much-needed sources of local, healthy foods are also places to cultivate and preserve #CulturalTraditions.

" 'Even some Native cultures—like #foraging cultures—that didn’t historically garden now see it as a helpful use of land and time and money because they can efficiently produce the kinds of foods that people need to stay healthy,' said Elizabeth Hoover. Of #Mohawk and #Mikmaq descent, she is an associate professor of Environmental Science, Policy and Management at the University of California in Berkeley. Researching this trend, she drove 20,000 miles in 2014 to talk with dozens of #AmericanIndian gardeners and food advocates.

"In western North Carolina, David Anderson works as the horticultural operations supervisor at the #JessieOwleDugan #NativePlant and Greenhouse Facility of the Eastern Band of #Cherokee Indians. The complex includes three #greenhouses, 30 raised growing beds, a 3-acre nursery and 5 acres of fields dedicated to producing crops specifically for their seeds. It also has 330 acres of field that can be leased to enrolled tribal members who wish to garden or farm.

"While the facility does generate funds for the tribe, it also preserves culturally important species to get them into the hands of tribal members to plant. It focuses on growing traditional plants, such as #grapes, #elderberry, #WildStrawberries, #blackberries, #huckleberries sochan and #cohosh. In 2021, the greenhouse also grew #hickory saplings, which once mature, can to provide wood that can be used to make stickball sticks, artworks and other traditional projects. 'We serve our community with plants for home, for farmers, and for restoration,' said Anderson."

Read more:
https://www.americanindianmagazine.org/story/gardens-that-nurture-culture

#SolarPunkSunday #TraditionalFoods #NativeAmericans #CulturalPreservation #GrowYourOwnFood #Resilience #FoodSecurity #HeirloomPlants #SeedSaving

My Grandmother's Heirloom Peonies are doing great, in their third year after being transplanted. #pennsylvaniagarden #pennsylvaniagardens #centralpennsylvania #pennsylvania #garden #gardens #gardening #gardener #gardeners #peony #peonies #peonybush #peonybushes #heirloompeony #heirloompeonies #heirloomplant #heirloomplants #plants #planting #fecund #growing #growingseason #spring #summer #hot #warm #warming #warmweather #clement #beauty

My Grandmother's Heirloom Peonies have been in the family far longer than I. Central Pennsylvania. #pennsylvaniagarden #pennsylvaniagardens #centralpennsylvania #pennsylvania #garden #gardens #gardening #gardener #gardeners #peony #peonies #peonybush #peonybushes #heirloompeony #heirloompeonies #heirloomplant #heirloomplants #plants #planting #fecund #growing #growingseason #spring #summer #hot #warm #warming #warmweather #clement #beauty

Joe Ball stands proud amongst Mrs. McKee's Yuccas and Nana's heirloom Peonies. Blooming will be early this year. #pennsylvaniagarden #pennsylvaniagardens #pennsylvaniagardener #pennsylvaniagardening #garden #gardens #gardening #gardener #fecund #growing #growingseason #growingseasons #yucca #yuccas #peony #peonies #heirloomplant #heirloomplants #heirloompeony #heirloompeonies #flower #flowers #flowering #bloom #blooms #blooming #bud #buds #spring #persephone #persephonesreturn

A step-by-step guide to #SavingSeeds

by Maud Powell, March 2010

"Summer and autumn are the seasons when many gardeners and farmers are out in their fields collecting vegetable, fruit and flower seeds for the next season. Seed saving is an excellent way to engage in the worldwide movement to preserve some of the older 'heirloom' varieties of seed.

"During the past two decades, many seed companies have consolidated, and regulations regarding the patenting of seed varieties have been loosened. As a result, seed companies routinely drop older varieties for newer ones, which are usually hybridized and/or patented.

"Organized grassroots #SeedSaving efforts, as well as inspired gardeners and farmers, have done an excellent job of saving many heirloom varieties.

"Seed saving is also a great way to develop seed lines that are well adapted to a particular environment. Saving seed from the healthiest plants year after year enables growers to select for traits that are most suitable for their growing conditions.

"Finally, seed saving encourages a deeper understanding of the life cycle of plants. We rarely see certain vegetable plants, such as lettuce, onions and carrots, in the reproductive stage of their lives. Saving seed provides growers with an education in plant genetics and breeding, which is usually left to universities and seed companies. Following are the four basic steps to saving seed."

Read more:
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/flowers-shrubs-trees/step-step-guide-saving-seeds

Español version:
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/es/gardening/flowers-shrubs-trees/step-step-guide-saving-seeds

#SolarPunkSunday #HarvestTime #Harvesting #SeedSavers #FoodSecurity #GrowYourOwn #SeedExchange #SharingEconomy #OSUExtensionService #OregonStateUniversity #HeirloomSeeds #HeirloomPlants