Happy Mother’s Day all you amazing humans who care for the young, the old, the ones who need help…well all of us! Anchored In Flowers is happy to be back in collaboration with our Knights of Columbus again this year to provide a little token of appreciation and joy for all those who attend mass this weekend.
This year we opted to order plugs from a regional nursery who specializes in plugs for nonprofits. With our growing resources, we decided it would allow for the healthiest plants and fit our ability to care for the plants with better outcomes. This means, the seeds are started in their nursery and grown in trays with small compartments until the are a tiny, but robust little seedling. This the most challenging part of the process and works best with specific types of greenhouses and tending of the plants. These were then shipped to us and we transplanted them into the pots you received.
Speaking of pots, we changed it up this year. We aim to reduce our plastic consumption as well as other areas of negative environment impact. We have tried different types of vessels including peat and coconut coir. Peat is a nonrenewable resource that we are working to eliminate on our farm. The coconut coir was challenging to work with and was quite messy. So…this year we landed on cow pots! Yep, pots made from cow manure. These pots are made in the United States and are 100% biodegradable. Just plop your little plant, pot and all, right in the ground! Check out more about these pots at www.cowpots.com
Marigolds serve a variety of purposes in our garden. You can use these plants in just about any grow setting from the field to your porch, and see the benefits. Marigolds have a strong scent that repels many pests such as aphids, tobacco worms, cabbage horn worms and certain nematodes. Their blooms attract pollinators and those beneficial insects such as lady bugs. If you want to bring these joyful little blossoms into your home, cut early in the morning and choose the ones that are just about half open. The more you cut, the more they will bloom, so don’t be afraid to carry some of these inside or share with friends. Marigold seeds are easy to harvest when the plant begins to fade. Simply gather them in a small baggie, let them dry out and pop them in the freezer to sow next year!
The drawing on the card is by one of our very own SMS students. Thanks you, Merry, for sharing your skills with us!
We pray you all have the most blessed of Mother’s Day.