16A
LIFESTYLES / The Charlotte Post
Thursday, May 15, 1997
Gardening takes on new meaning with antiques
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10A
Iowa, which has a collection of
more than 18,000 types of heir
loom seeds.
“It has only been since the
cheap nickel packet of seed that
it became easier to buy seed
than to save it.”
Whealy and his wife, Diane,
were among a handful of people
in the nation to save heritage
seeds when they opened their
exchange in 1975. They had just
two varieties of seed: one from a
pink German tomato and the
other from a purple morning
glory, both handed down by her
Bavarian grandfather, they said.
Now, the 8,000 members of the
Whealys' seed exchange pay $25
a year to receive a catalog and
other publications.
And Underwood, who turned a
lifelong hobby of collecting seeds
into a business in 1993 after a
debilitating accident, found her
self with a mailing list of 11,000
in less than four years.
“People are interested in histo
ry and like the idea of being able
to grow something that they
know was in Thomas Jefferson’s
garden,” Whealy said. Other
unusual items, he said, are
beans and com said to be the
descendants of seeds once car
ried by the Cherokee.
Like anthropologists in search
of the past, Underwood and
Whealy rely heavily on oral and
family histories.
They require that seed contrib
utors submit a written history,
which may include newspaper
articles and gardening awards,
describing the plant, how it was
used and how long the family
has had it.
In addition, many of the fiarits
and vegetables do not look, smell
or taste like typical produce and
cannot be found at garden out
lets and in mainstream garden
ing catalogs, collectors say.
Before making a particular
seed available to other garden
ers, they grow the seeds for two
or three seasons to make sure
that they consistently produce
as expected. Modern seeds, if
they grow at aU, typically don’t
perform reliably because they
have been treated and altered,
collectors say.
The Pennsylvania-based
Burpee seed company bas
combed its archives and store
rooms to compile its first catalog
devoted exclusively to heirlooms,
some of which date to the com
pany’s foimding more than 120
years ago.
Among Bmpee’s most popular
heritage items is a pumpkin
from France that is said to have
been used by the artist who
drew the pumpkin coach for
Cinderella.
“It’s not that great of a pump
kin in terms of size and quanti
ty, but it is the pumpkin used for
the carriage, and right there I
got you interested,” said George
Ball Jr., president and chief
executive officer of Bmpee.
“Society has changed so fast in
the last 10 years; the Internet
and other pressures, that when
people go into their gardens,
they want to go into a different
time,” Ball said. “It’s all a part of
going back to our grandmother’s
and grandfather’s way of doing
things.”
Others would simply call it
getting in touch with roots.
10% Off every
thing in store
East Town Market
3116-F Milton Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28215
'fashions
Designer Hats, Suits, Dresses
& Costume Jewelry
704-535-0092
Monday - llmrsday: 10am - 7pni
Friday; 10am - 9pni
Saturday: 10am - 7pm
COVER TO COVER
Classic tome
a must read
CONTINUED FROM PG 10A
his autobiographical “Black
Boy” and to his essays on
black culture.
Fabre and Ellen Wright
present Richard Wright in
astounding color and depth
by bringing his lesser-
known works to the fore
front. In “F B Eye Blues,”
Wright writes of the horror
and frustration of the con
stant scrutiny he received
at the hands of the FBI
because of his supposed
leftist leanings.
The book also excerpts
Wright classic nonfiction
works, “The Outsiders,”
“Native Son” and “The
Long Dream.”
Definitely a must read.
Prostate cancer risk high
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12A
bladder is empty.
If you think you may suffer
from BPH, it’s nothing to be
ashamed of. By age 60, more
than half of all men, and eventu
ally most men, will develop
BPH.
Each year, an estimated one
million men are treated for BPH
in the U.S., with about 350,000
men needing prostate surgery.
Treatment for BPH cost an
estimated $5 bilUon each year,
and as the U.S. population ages,
these costs will increase.
National Institutes of Health
is sponsoring a nationwide study
to determine if long term use of
medications will prevent the
progression of BPH, thereby
eliminating the need for surgery.
It is important that African
Americans be involved in clinical
studies, yet most do not partici
pate. Less than one percent of
the men involved in several
highly respected and often cited
studies in the late 19808 and
early 1990s were Black, Stone
said;
“We are concerned that health
care policy makers will continue
to use data based on studies of
large numbers of Caucasian
males to make decisions for
those who are at the greatest
risk for prostate cancer,” Stone
said.
To find out if you are eligible to
participate in the nationwide
project (800) BPH-1221.
’There are 17 medical centers
around the country that are
involved in the study a
You must be 50 years or older
and have not previously been
treated for BPH or prostate can
cer. All treatment and medica
tions are provided free of charge.
If you have
trouble receiving your
subscription to the
Post please contact us
at
704-376-0496
Thank you
If Your Nalls Aren’t
Becoming To You^ You
Should Be Coming To
Joyce and Faith,
NA1I5 BY JOYCE
Since 1985
4801 N. Tryon St. #F
596-5031
Remerhher Mom on Mother’s Day
• Shop By
Treat Mom to one of?oUr
specialties, Includes a dbxt^
silk roses (choice of col6rs)
for a lasting n}emory
CARDS ACCEPTED - /
' 'Acrylic Nails
Hot oil manicure ihassage.'
(Includes trearmeatfpr cuticles) ;
facial-vsraxing;. ■ '
Tired, aching Jfeejf
Relax and enjoy isbotHiug
pedicure. (Ihclu^si^t and leg
mas^age^^
* 12years experience
‘ licensed'ftcl’inicians
•sRropetsterilixationand
; ■Gt(trCe(hficjte,,awllable
•Na'Dtllu ..o,.!' f.
PROMS: 2096 I .
WRDDINO PAR'atejzwoirsorrix^;®
TOURINGS • ANKIJ-TS • UNIQUIi NAIL DESIGNS
AMERIC4N DRY CLEANERS
iMPi.tD i i;
)i rm; momti
“Billy”
I
I
I
WtaiAM “Bnrr” liNNEY I
Maintenance Engineo; Billy linney is a |
10 )ear Afcteran. Bom in Hdendafc, CA in
the Mojasc Desert Tfentory he new fees I
inMkfiaixl,N.C
Hedoesa^3lendidjobasniainiEnaiKe |
en^neei; and is Hied by an.
WhenoDW3ikersarcckwn,hejotesiD |
pick than np.
BUly is manied tus 4 chikfam and 3 I
granddiildtea The femily atiencb Gtccn
MoncrialBepdstChuichinChadoae. I
Hs hobby is woddng on cats and sman
engines.
20%
OFF
,1997 ;
Monday ■ Saturday
Minimum $7““ After Discount
We Work Saturdays Too!
0>u|>Ofi IMfwst Acconiqpany Ordiei::
♦Full Price After 30 Days • (704)333-6111
11806 N. Graham ■ Next to Hutchison Shopping Center^
The Olive Law Firm
40 Years of Service to Carolina Families
Jon H. McCachren
C. Randolph Emory
Laura B. Butler
Taunula C. Grayson
LEON OLIVE
LEE OLIVE
Experienced. Knowledgeable. Resourceful. Prepared. Michel C. Daisley
The Olive Law Firm
Personal Injury Attorneys since 1957
200 Queens Road
377-9222
C. Daniel Pruitt
Usa B. Tralnor