713: Kathy Jentz on National Seed Swap Day.
promoting biodiversity in our gardens and farms.
In This Podcast:
Kathy Jentz started National Seed Swap Day to officially celebrate and encourage something farmers and gardeners have been doing for hundreds of years – trading seeds. She chats with Greg about the origins of the event, what happens at a modern swap, and what the many benefits are for both new and experienced gardeners. (HINT: It’s not just about the seeds!) Kathy provides valuable information for anyone thinking of attending or organizing a seed swap.
Our Guest:
Kathy Jentz is editor and publisher of the award-winning Washington Gardener Magazine, based in Washington, DC. She is also the editor of three plant society journals: the Water Garden Journal, The Azalean, and Fanfare, and she hosts the popular GardenDC Podcast, which was recently named Best DC Podcast.
Kathy is co-author of The Urban Garden: 101 Ways to Grow Food and Beauty in the City and has a new book, Groundcover Revolution coming out soon, which is available for pre-order now on Amazon. Her mission is to turn black thumbs green. A life-long gardener, Kathy believes that growing plants should be stress-free and enjoyable. Her philosophy is inspiration over perspiration.
Listen in and learn about:
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- How a trained journalist rediscovered the gardening roots she had taken for granted
- The ultimate reward for her patience – a thriving community garden right across the street!
- Her interesting internships with local associations
- Putting journalism and gardening together to create Washington Gardener Magazine for the DC area Washingtongardener.blogspot.com
- How winter was the inspiration for Seed Swap Day
- Making Seed Swap Day, the last Saturday of January, an official holiday
- Putting the emphasis on in-person seed swapping
- Kathy’s goal of at least one in every country and every state
- What Kathy’s Seed Swap Day looks like – speakers, seeds, and sharing stories
- Education is a very big part of the day
- Expiration dates – it matters for lettuce
- Learn how to attend or host a seed exchange on seedswapday.com
- More than just seeds – The other things you might find at a seed swap
- Aha! moment – Learning that pawpaw seeds break all the seed saving rules
- Find space to grow where you think there is none in her book, The Urban Garden: 101 Ways to Grow Food and Beauty in the City
- Her newest book, Groundcover Revolution, provides alternatives to turf grass and includes a very helpful chart
- The importance of having and choosing the right ground cover
- GardenDC Podcast – For zones 6, 7, 8. Each hour episode includes: a 45 minute interview with an expert on a single topic, a plant profile, and the last word – a segment inviting any gardener anywhere to give a last word on any garden related topic.
As well as:
Her failure – Communicating with those who are very anti-plants in the front yard instead of grass
Her success – The magazine, because it led to everything else
Her drive – Self-diagnosed ADHD and FOMO (fear of missing out)
Her advice – “Take it easy on yourself, not trying to do everything at once.”
Books written by Kathy:
The Urban Garden: 101 Ways to Grow Food and Beauty in the City
Groundcover Revolution coming in February 2023, available for pre-order now
Kathy’s Book recommendations:
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
How to reach Kathy:
Website: seedswapday.com or seedswapday.blogspot.com
Twitter: @wdcgardener
Instagram: @wdcgardener
UrbanFarm.org/SeedSwapDay
*Disclosure:
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