Second Annual Seed and Scion Swap, Jan. 25 at the Decatur Rec Center

Gardeners of all experience levels are invited to celebrate National Seed Swap Day with experts, members and friends of Decatur’s Wylde Center, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at the Decatur Recreation Center, 231 Sycamore Street.  The free event is from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. and includes a presentation at 10:45 a.m. by Grant Olson, public programs manager of the Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa.  Olson will talk about how to plan a home garden for seed saving.  http://wyldecenter.org/events/seed-and-scion-swap/

 Seeds will be packaged in envelopes with labels containing the name of the plant, cultivar, date seeds were purchased or saved, planting instructions, days to maturity, growth habits, special details and contact information for the person who provided the seeds.  Those who have not saved seeds to share are welcome to participate and may choose to bring purchased seeds to add to the assortment.  Gardeners planning to attend are asked to sign up in advance and list the types of seeds and/or scions they will bring to swap: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C44A4A928A75-2ndannual1.

 “This is our second annual Seed and Scion Swap,” said Andrea Zoppo, public program manager of the Wylde Center.  “We’ll be joining with garden lovers across the nation who gather each year on the last Saturday of January to exchange seeds, ideas, scions (cuttings from fruit trees), and information.  The event is a great way for gardeners to meet each other, learn what varieties grow well in this area and have the chance to take home some seeds they might not have planted before.  We’re also really excited to welcome Grant Olson to the event.  He works with schools and other groups to teach people the value of genetic diversity in our food system and how each of us can participate in preserving this diversity through what we grow in our own gardens at home,” she said.

 In addition to the Wylde Center, the Seed and Scion Swap is co-hosted by the City of Decatur, Park Pride and Slow Food Atlanta, and Revolution Donuts will sell coffee and donuts during the event’s first hour.  Experts will be on hand to talk about how to save seeds and how to graft cuttings.  Participants will be able to choose from heirloom seeds and scions, seeds from local gardens and even purchased seeds.  Tables will be set up for tomatoes, summer vegetables, flowers, herbs, winter vegetables, bulbs and miscellaneous seeds and cuttings.

 About the Wylde Center

 In 1997, an idea took root in the Oakhurst area of Decatur, Ga.  Neighbors Sally Wylde and Louise Jackson envisioned a community garden where children could learn about the natural world and enjoy hands-on gardening activities.  With the purchase of a half-acre of property at the corner of South McDonough St. and Oakview Road, the Oakhurst Community Garden was born.  From this small seed of an idea, the Oakhurst Community Garden blossomed and grew, and quickly became one of the area’s most popular gathering spaces, offering individual garden plots, educational programs, a destination for school field trips and other youth groups and social activities for all ages.

 Today, supported by members, foundations, corporations and donors, the non-profit has been re-named the Wylde Center to honor its co-founder and to better encompass its expanded range of properties and programs.  The Wylde Center oversees four distinctive outdoor spaces including the Oakhurst Garden, a year-round educational program for all ages, social events and the Decatur City Schools’ Farm to School Program.  Staff and volunteers engage children, families and individuals in activities designed to develop creative skills in sustainable urban living, organic gardening, health and nutrition.  The non-profit has grown from a Decatur-based organization to one that is providing environmental educational services for metro Atlanta.  Despite its robust growth, the Wylde Center has stayed true to its original mission of cultivating vibrant greenspaces for everyone to enjoy and inspiring communities of environmental stewards.  www.wyldecenter.org

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