Here are the speakers for the upcoming Washington
Gardener Seed Exchanges 2020. Seed Exchange attendees trade seeds,
exchange planting tips, hear expert speakers, and collect goody bags full of
gardening treats. For more information on the exchanges and how to
register, go here.
"Hardening off and Transplanting your
Seedlings"
Speaker: Debby Ward of Prior Unity Garden
Hardening off your seedlings is an important step to
ensuring they bound into growth and production when put unto the ground.
Hardening off refers to how we acclimate seedlings; who have been started
indoors, to their final outdoor environment, by slowing getting them used to
increased amounts of sun, wind and rain. If we do not harden off our seedlings,
they will experience what is called “transplant shock” and likely die, or at
least not grow well and thrive. Hardening off does require a bit of flexibility
and may be the most attention-intensive part of starting your plants from seed
indoors. Debby will share her best tips for success during that
process as well as for transplanting your seedlings once they are hardened off.
Debby Ward is Founder & Owner of Prior Unity Garden,
helping make your organic garden dream a reality, and has been gardening since
she could crawl. Her family always had food and herb gardens in which she
participated and she has continued that tradition. She loves
to help grow gardeners and taught for The Mason Sustainability Institute,
Master Gardeners of Fairfax County, and many local events and
organizations. She has focused on plants for food and medicine since
being a young adult and holds several certificates in medicinal herbalism and
has training in biodynamics, organic and native gardening. She values
biodiversity, community, healthy living soil, fresh organic food and the prior
unity inherent in all beings.
Speaker 2:
“Companion Planting for Pest Management in the Home Garden"
“Companion Planting for Pest Management in the Home Garden"
Speaker: Linda L. Jones, owner, Elements of Nature
Companion Planting is a method of growing plants in
proximity to each other because of their ability to enhance or complement the
other's growth or attract beneficial insects or repel insect pests. Companion
planting includes techniques such as trap cropping, spatial protection,
beneficial habitat, and nurse cropping.
She has presented on several diverse gardening topics and has led workshops
throughout the DMV since 2010, beginning as a master gardener intern.
She often incorporates tips on creative, effective and alternative ways to maximize growing potential and space. In addition she uses her knowledge of growing, food, herbs and flowers and incorporates them into designer and exotic loose leaf teas, lotions and other home arrangements and into her natural products and skin care line - all of which are available at www.elementsofnatureusa.com
She believes that “Through saving and sharing seeds we are all helping to spread hope and enrich lives across the world”
She often incorporates tips on creative, effective and alternative ways to maximize growing potential and space. In addition she uses her knowledge of growing, food, herbs and flowers and incorporates them into designer and exotic loose leaf teas, lotions and other home arrangements and into her natural products and skin care line - all of which are available at www.elementsofnatureusa.com
She believes that “Through saving and sharing seeds we are all helping to spread hope and enrich lives across the world”
Washington Gardener Seed Exchange 1
on Saturday, January 25, 2020, 12:30–4:00pm
National Seed Swap Day!
at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD
Registration is now open at
AND
Speaker 1:
"Seed Saving 101"
Speaker: Niraj Ray of Cultivate the City
With a little bit of space, time, and basic equipment,
saving your own seeds can be easy! Different types of seeds require slightly
different treatment to save them properly- learn about seeds that mature in wet
fruits, seed heads, pods, and more! We will also discuss how to keep certain
tender perennials alive through the winter for rapid propagation in the spring,
so you don't have to start from scratch each year.
Cultivate the City is an urban farming organization based
in Washington, DC. In addition to managing a network of school and corporate
gardens, CTC also runs a rooftop garden center and nursery where they start
most of their plants and hold weekly workshops. CTC focuses on growing
hard-to-find and ethnically and culturally important foods- they have been
practicing saving their own seeds for more than 5 years!
Niraj founded Cultivate the City
(CTC) in 2015 to inspire healthy and sustainable living by empowering
local communities with the tools, training and resources for urban agriculture
and vertical farming. CTC currently manages over 25 locations around DC,
including a rooftop farm at the Washington Nationals Stadium. Niraj holds a
B.S. in Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology from the Ohio State
University and a M.S. in Integrated Environmental Science from Bethune-Cookman
University. He is a 2013 National Wildlife Federation Emerging Leader Fellow
and formerly worked with the US EPA - Office of Water.
Speaker 2:
"The Lost Art of Plant Sharing: Taking Cuttings,
Saving Seed and Dividing"
Speaker: Carol Allen, Horticulturist
There was a time when you would admire a shrub or perennial in a friend’s garden and they would give you cuttings or root divisions for your garden. Unfortunately, the art of home propagation is rarely being passed down from generation to generation anymore. Enter Carol! She will give you guidelines on how to start with cuttings, seed gathering/planting, and how/ when to divide plants.
There was a time when you would admire a shrub or perennial in a friend’s garden and they would give you cuttings or root divisions for your garden. Unfortunately, the art of home propagation is rarely being passed down from generation to generation anymore. Enter Carol! She will give you guidelines on how to start with cuttings, seed gathering/planting, and how/ when to divide plants.
Carol Allen has been involved in many
aspects of gardening and horticulture since childhood and likes to describe
herself as a committable plant-a-holic. She has more than 25 years experience
in the horticulture industry with special interests in Integrated Pest
Management, landscape design, native plants, tropicals of many kinds, and
especially orchids. Carol enjoys helping people understand how to care for
their plants and holds a monthly diagnostic clinic in Washington, DC. After
serving a term of two-and-one-half years as supervisory horticulturist at the
United States Botanic Garden Conservatory, Carol returned to college and earned
a degree in horticulture. Fascinated by the interplay of pest and prey, Carol
continues her education on plant pests and diseases. She enjoys teaching people
how to outwit their garden pests with little or no pesticide application and
also authors the “InsectIndex” column in the Washington Gardener Magazine.
Washington Gardener Seed Exchange 2
on Saturday, February 1, 2020, 12:30–4:00pm
at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA
Registration is now open at
