AARP Online Community: dfleurs

dfleurs

Offline

Background

Name: Deborah

Gender: Female

Ethnicity: African American

Location:
Louisville, Ohio
United States

Work:
The first African American Master Nationally Accredited Landscape Design Critic. Became Emeritus in 2002. Currently, a ten(10) year garden professional at the Home Depot. Former garden & landscape design instructor Kent State University. Horticulturist for the Anheuser-Busch Corporation at Sea World of Ohio. Clubhouse gardener for the American Golf Corpoation for three (3) golf courses. National, state and local awards in horticulture and design. Worked with the staffs of Busch Gardens and Cypress Gardens

Hometown(s):
My hometown is Canton, Ohio, the home of the Professional Football Hall of Fame

Quote:
"Hand-in-hand with nature is my motto!

My Bookmarks (1)

About Me

Horticulture plays a tremendous role in my life.Growing, preserving and saving" edible antiques" and sharing these wonderful treasures with other gardeners has been without a doubt an important part of my career, as well as my life. Like other heirlooms, heirloom plants will vanish from the face of the earth, never to be apart of our lives ever again, if gardeners do not preserve these precious seeds. I am proud to be a gardener who saves these great plants for future generations to plant in their gardens. I also want to share these wonderful heirlooms with hungry people in need in our community and the world community. I have collected over 4,600 packs of seeds in the last 5 years. I gave these seeds to community gardeners, garden clubs, organizations, farmers, and individual gardeners who help to feed hungry people in our local community and all over the world.I can not think of a better cause for me to be apart of in gardening. I work toward a "greener" earth that works with Mother Nature and not against her. I believe each of us can help make our earth a better place to live!

Interests:

I was born and raised in football country, Canton, Ohio. I love football. I also like watching basketball. I love the hometown teams, the Browns and Cavs. I love listening to classical music and jazz.I still hold a F.C.C.radio telephone operator's license as a professional broadcastor. (Nick name on the radio "Black Velvet") I am also an interpreter of the deaf. I taught sign language for 8 years at a local university. I interpret for all of the deaf and hard of hearing customers who need assistance in the Home Depot where I work as a garden professional. My volunteer work is almost always tied into gardening projects. I love to teach other people gardening techniques. I lecture a great deal and give workshops, clinics and classes related to gardening. There is no difference in my work and my pleasure. My work is gardening and indeed it is also my pleasure. I am a real "Garden Nut" !

More About Me

My Photos (62)

Connecticut Field Pumpkin

Gray Speckled Palapye Cowpeas from Botswana, Africa

All My Photos

My Videos (0)

This user does not have any videos.

All My Videos

My Journals (18)

Shine On Harvest Moon

Journal #18

September 30, 2008

The Harvest Moon is always the full moon nearest the autumnal equinox. Legend has it that this moon appears to look bigger and brighter than the other full moons during the year. Native Americans are responsible for naming the fall moon the Harvest Moon. They also call the Harvest Moon the Corn Moon, or the Barley Moon, or even the Fruit Moon because this is the time when these crops are ready to be harvested. For most gardeners, this moon is what we should call the “Plentiful Moon”. This is what we have toiled and worked for all season in our gardens. We have an opportunity to reap our harvest from the garden.

About two weeks ago, I began to harvest the vegetables from my patio garden. It was my hope to have many seeds to add to my “Seed Bank” for my heirloom seed business. I have been very fortunate this season to have Mother Nature on my side. The weather held up very well for me and my garden turned out to be wonderful. The earlier months of May and June the weather here in temporal zone 5/6, was rather cooler than normal and wetter too. I fussed over my plants carefully keeping an eye on them and the other eye fixed upon the weather forecast. But my plants came through like champs and I was pleased with the early outcome.

About two weeks ago one of my farmers who was helping me to grow plants to build up my seed bank called me. He was very excited about the outcome of his garden. He asked me to come over and see the garden. He wanted me to see how the seeds I had given him for my African American heirloom collection had grown and flourished in his garden. This had been the very first time my farmer friend named Bill had ever grown heirloom plants.

I also gave Bill some other heirloom seeds to grow for himself to try out. Bill grew the famous Connecticut Field Pumpkin that dates back to 1774. It is considered the very first Halloween typed pumpkin. Connecticut Field is an old New England heirloom grown by the Native Americans. Bill said he had never grown pumpkins before. Next year Bill said he will devote a larger space for a pumpkin patch. Bill was also excited about the Black-eyed pea seeds that I had given him to grow. Black –eyed peas are native to African. Africans call them “Cow peas” The cow peas I gave Bill to grow are called Gray Speckled Palapye Cow peas. This variety is native to Botswana, Africa. Cow peas seem to grow better in the southern states, but the Gray Speckled Palapye Cow peas do well in the northern climates, as well. The seeds that Bill and I will share from the Cow peas will really add to my seed bank.

The pride of my African American collection is the African American heirloom pepper called the Fish Pepper. It is the show piece of my heirloom collection. I am known as a “Chilehead.” In other words, I love to grow hot peppers especially the ones with an African history. I did well this year with my Fish pepper. I will have many seeds to add to my seed bank.

It has been an outstanding year for me in my garden. I have a good reason to say:”Shine on Harvest Moon!”

*** See photos of the Connecticut Field Pumpkin and the Gray Speckled Palapye Cowpeas on my photos

Added: September 30, 2008
Views: 339 | Comments: 0 | Bookmarks: 0

All My Journals

Comments (1)