Our “Audubon Center for Birds of Prey” program was educational and exciting!! A big Thank You to Daisy Fiore, Sr. Educational Coordinator, and her assistant Sabrina! The organization manages sanctuaries that cover thousands of acres along with two popular nature centers; Audubon’
s Center for Birds of Prey and Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. We were also honored to meet two of their Ambassador Birds!
HISTORY OF NATIONAL SEED SWAP DAY
National Seed Swap Day is celebrated on the last Saturday in January, which is January 28 this year, to honor the great U.S. tradition of swapping seeds with neighbors. The final week of January lays the chilly winds of winter to rest and signals the coming of spring — a season of cherry blossoms, outdoor picnics, and fresh plantations. As the plants and trees shed their final bounty, communities gather to plan for the next year of harvest. Mark this brand new season by swapping seeds and sharing warmth with your community on National Seed Swap Day On National Seed Swap Day, we reinvigorate our love for gardening by swapping seeds with our neighbors. It is a great day to remember that nature is our ultimate currency. The food we eat represents the lives we live. And when communities come together to exchange this valuable gift, we reaffirm our promises of mutual belonging and self-sustenance.
National Seed Swap Day was established by “Washington Gardener Magazine” editor, Kathy Jentz, who organized the first seed-swapping event in Washington, D.C., on January 26, 2006. (Did you hear her on Better Lawns and Gardens Saturday? Listen to the podcast online if you missed it at betterlawns.com) The success of the event inspired other states to join and, in the following weeks, the final Saturday of January was officially declared as National Seed Swap Day. But this tradition goes back further than 2006.
The seed barter is a thousand-year-old practice. Traders carried seeds with them as they traveled across the globe, and established connections with foreigners by exchanging each other’s precious collect. Some of the most popular U.S. grains, fruits, and vegetables were brought to us by European and Dutch colonizers.
Swapping seeds is essential to our biodiversity, and it popularized the practice of gardening. The love for home gardens and urban farming has been on the rise since the 2000s, as people began delving into the trend of organic consumption and ethical harvesting. More than half of metropolitan families and suburban dwellers maintain a garden in America and spend billions of dollars in the pursuit of gardening.
This National Seed Swap Day, share your love of gardening with the world and give your gardens the promise of a new tomorrow.
by Octive 
Healey
As a follow-up to our posted Event of our November Program Presentation, Samuel Baker and Gabriel De Gaglia from “Wriggle Brew” company was fabulous! A fine group of young college grads have developed and are now distributing an organic amendment for the soil and roots of gardens and beds of any kind, “Wriggle Brew”!! The presentation was very informative and the attendees were able to purchase Wriggle Brew to see the fantastic results in our own gardens. I used Wriggle Brew in my normal watering of potted and bed plants and see amazing results already! The company website is: www.wrigglebrew.com, you can learn about the new fantastic product and the product is available for sale on-line.
Join us!! Become a member of The Orlando Garden Club! The Orlando Garden Club members invite you to join us at the monthly meetings and enjoy the fabulous line-up of guest presenters. The program begins at 10:30 AM. Watch for our new program schedule here and on facebook!
Starting the Garden club Year out with a bang!! Join us at our monthly general membership meeting! Find out what we are all about and enjoy our monthly program! September 16, 2022 at 10:30 am
Program: “A Volunteer’s tour of Yosemite National Park”
Presented by Orlando Garden Club member, Ruth Heine. She and her husband volunteered in Yosemite
National Park for eleven years, from May thru October. Ruth will discuss the many plants and animals
living in the park, including the giant Sequoia trees, water falls, bears, coyotes, birds and meadows. She
will also share her adventures as a park volunteer living off the grid in a 30 foot fifth-wheel RV. As
volunteers, Ruth and husband John supported many wide-ranging activities, to name a few: shoveling
ash from fire rings, rebuilding the horse stables, building picnic tables, camp ground hosts, grant writer,
mother and father of the bride and frequent problem solving. Best of all, they lived among extraordinary
natural beauty, experiencing the diversity of Mother Nature’s offerings in Spring, Summer and Fall.
District VII will host a fall Flower Show the first weekend in October, October 7/8th. The Flower Show will be held at the Orlando Garden Club location!! “Mask Up” is the theme. There will be a variety of floral design entries. Visit the show and find out what the Orlando Garden Club is all about!!!