What's Happening in September at the GWC
Are weeds flowers? What do armies and gardens have in common? Why everyone needs a seed bank account. And more! Where? Only at the Gardeners of Wake County, of course!
The virtues of the weed are being discovered, from Berlin to New York to Raleigh. In the New York Times Style Magazine a recent story covered the trend. “It’s the story of the intrepid underdog,” says Emily Thompson, a floral designer in New York who builds her arrangements like narratives, out of unlikely encounters and occasionally belligerent characters: nettles, burdock, milkweed, wild grapes and cattails. "What a weed gives a floral arrangement is a sense of authenticity. This really had a life somewhere that wasn’t on purpose and hasn’t had a human intervention,” Thompson says. There now. Weeds are not only welcome but guests of honor, proliferating with our blessing across front yards and formal gardens, shacking up with more “respectable” flowers in grand floral arrangements and shaggy bouquets.
And while the weeds may be doing fine, this month's GWC guest speaker, Dr. Janice Swab tells us that industrial agriculture has made many crops less genetically diverse to the point that they are potentially more susceptible to disease, blight, and pests. Worldwide, biodiversity is diminishing at an unprecedented rate which has far-reaching consequences. The varied gene pool preserved by seed banks can help mitigate those consequences. When it comes to crops and plant varieties, Dr. Swab says, "Seed banks may be all that stand between us and disaster.” Be at the next GWC general meeting at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, October 16 at the Raulston Arboretum to hear Dr. Swab present a topic that every gardener will be interested in knowing more about.
Still not enough? This month's Clod-Hopper features a time machine - you'll see both the present and the future at our Club's Longview Project. You and your own garden will even have a chance to become involved! How? You'll only find out by reading this month's action-packed issue (see link above)! If you're not already a member of the GWC, join up! Everyone who loves gardens and gardening is welcome. Just follow the link below to get in on the gardening fun at Wake County's most exciting garden club!
And while the weeds may be doing fine, this month's GWC guest speaker, Dr. Janice Swab tells us that industrial agriculture has made many crops less genetically diverse to the point that they are potentially more susceptible to disease, blight, and pests. Worldwide, biodiversity is diminishing at an unprecedented rate which has far-reaching consequences. The varied gene pool preserved by seed banks can help mitigate those consequences. When it comes to crops and plant varieties, Dr. Swab says, "Seed banks may be all that stand between us and disaster.” Be at the next GWC general meeting at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, October 16 at the Raulston Arboretum to hear Dr. Swab present a topic that every gardener will be interested in knowing more about.
Still not enough? This month's Clod-Hopper features a time machine - you'll see both the present and the future at our Club's Longview Project. You and your own garden will even have a chance to become involved! How? You'll only find out by reading this month's action-packed issue (see link above)! If you're not already a member of the GWC, join up! Everyone who loves gardens and gardening is welcome. Just follow the link below to get in on the gardening fun at Wake County's most exciting garden club!
