Posted on: March 20, 2020 | Written By: Doug Oster |
A WWII poster promoting Victory Gardens.
“Victory Gardens are back,” says Linda Gordon, sales coordinator for Lake Valley Seed, comparing the reaction to the coronavirus by gardeners to the gardens created during both great wars. “We can hardly keep up with the orders,” she added. Lake Valley is a wholesale company whose seeds can be found at garden centers and nurseries around the county. She was actually too busy to even be interviewed, just like every other seed company I contacted. Many were so slammed they were unable to respond.
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds was started in Jere Gettle’s bedroom when he was a teenager in 1998. Over the last two decades, he’s witnessed the trials and tribulations of growing his business into one of the biggest seed companies in the world. “Never seen anything like this in our life,” Gettle said via email. “Unbelievable volume of orders, many items have sold out. We are using next few days to regroup and try to get on top of the volume of things we got to catch up on.”
Jere Gettle and his family at Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Back, Jere, Emily , front, Sasha, Ella, Malia and Cyan Gettle. Photo courtesy Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Dagma Lacey and Gary Ibsen run TomatoFest, a company that offers 650 different heirloom tomatoes to gardeners. Most of the seeds they grow are donated to schools and others who need help.
This photo was on display at the Tower of London when Everybody Gardens editor Doug Oster visited. It showed a victory garden in the moat during WWII.
During WWI and WWII, families around the world started a movement to grow their own food at home and in public spaces as a way to support the war effort. In London the moat around the Tower of London was converted into a huge garden. They were combined with rationing to reduce the burden on the food supply. It was also a morale booster as gardeners felt good about helping fight the war from home.
If seeds can’t be found locally, they can be ordered online. Here’s the Ultimate Collection of Seed Sources according to Everybody Gardens readers.
Doug Oster is editor of Everybody Gardens, a website operated by 535Media, LLC. Reach him at 412-965-3278 or doster@535mediallc.com. See other stories, videos, blogs, tips and more at everybodygardens.com.