Plant exchanges May 2, 13 at German Coast Farmers’ Market grow love of gardening
Published 2:19 pm Wednesday, April 22, 2015
- German Coast Farmers’ Market President Marilyn Richoux, far left, is seen sharing her love of all things plants with attendees at a recent plant exchange.
DESTREHAN — When Marilyn Richoux speaks of the German Coast Farmers’ Market, she spins a tale of the region’s history and birth.
The story can come in the form of questions.
• Do you know the early German settlers helped save the colony (now St. Charles Parish) and New Orleans from starvation many times over?
Vendors and patrons go over what is available at a recent German Coast Farmers’ Market gathering at Ormond Plantation on River Road in Destrehan.
• Do you know they arrived, having been promised many things that did not come to fruition and had to eke out a living by clearing the land, battling hurricanes, the Mississippi River’s frequent overflowing and many diseases?
• Do you know most of the farmers that attend the German Coast Farmers’ Markets are direct descendants of the very first settlers and are helping carry on the agricultural tradition in St. Charles Parish?
The German Coast Farmers’ Markets are open from 8 a.m. until noon Saturdays at Ormond Plantation on River Road in Destrehan and from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays at the St. Charles Plaza Shopping Center on Highway 90 in Luling.
The idea for development of a market originated with the German Coast Community Heritage Group seeking to celebrate the living traditions passed on informally within the community by families and community members.
“It is good to see that the Market is helping in carrying on this tradition and that the southern tradition of gardening lives on,” Richoux said.
Richoux, German Coast Farmers’ Markets president, said yearly plant exchanges take place at the Farmers’ Market and benefit novice and veteran gardener, alike. They are held every spring and fall at the East and West Bank locations.
The next will be held May 2 on the East Bank and May 13 on the West Bank. All plants are welcome, and a prize is offered to the person bringing the most unusual or rare Southern plant — ones local grandparents had in their yards and are not often seen at garden centers.
All well-established plants in half gallon or larger containers will be welcome.
Botanical and popular names of plant (if known) and care instructions should be provided.
Sharing cuttings has also become very popular.
Participants should arrive by 10 a.m. May 2 with exchange to take place at 10:30 a.m. and on May 13th at 3 p.m., with the exchange to take place at 3:30 p.m.
James Gill, local horticulturalist, attended one of the early markets 11 years ago.
“I brought one of my paternal grandmother’s favorite plants for exchange but I did not know its name,” Richoux said. “James Gill recognized it immediately as Jewels of Opar and told me it was one of his favorites. If one does not know the name of a plant but would like to bring it, identification is not necessary. Usually, someone there will recognize it and will be happy to provide the name.”
Richoux said when the exchanges began response was sparse, and she felt participants seemed unsure or not confident enough with their offerings.
“We realized that we needed to keep it simple and to reassure the public that no one would be tested as to knowledge or level of gardening skills,” she said. “The objective is to share the love of gardening and treasured plants, which Steve Bender, senior writer for Southern Living Magazine, and Felder Rushing, seventh generation Mississippi gardener, describe as ‘pass-alongs.’”
Pass-alongs are plants that have survived in gardens for decades by being handed from one person to another.
These botanical heirlooms, such as flowering almond, blackberry lily and night blooming cereus, usually can’t be found in neighborhood garden centers.
The exchanges’ focus is to encourage a love of gardening and a bit of enhancement regarding various plants.
“First timers should not be timid or apprehensive about joining in exchange,” Richoux said. “The purpose and focus is to share and encourage the many benefits of gardening and preserve the tradition and history of southern gardening. Most participants are beginners or amateur gardeners who are eager to learn.”
As a special interest at the exchanges, the book, “St. Charles Parish – Louisiana – A Pictorial History,” is available at the welcome booth.
For further information, visit germancoastfarmersmarket.org.
