Grow Your Own

     Besides growing another container vegetable crop in 2020, I will continue to gown my own impatiens from the seeds I gather and dry this fall.  Impatiens are a staple of the suburban landscape, and it's extremely easy to harvest their seeds.

Pretty!
I grew these impatiens from 2018's seeds.

Impatiens produce seed pods at the end of the season.  When the pod gets plump and develops distinct ridges, it's time to carefully pinch it off the plant.  Use a light touch because pressure will cause the pod to explode, spraying seeds all over.

I spread the pods out on paper towels and I cover with another towel.  The pods with dry and pop.  The towel that you placed on top will keep the flying seeds contained.  After the seeds have dried (I usually forget about them for weeks and weeks), separate the seeds from the dried green pod material, and store the seeds in an envelope.

You can separate by color.  If you pick pods from a red flowering plant, you get a red flowering plant next year.  I haven't observed any deviation from that, but I suppose there could be some cross pollination that produces a color that varies from that of the parent plant. 

     Impatiens are like weeds.  The seeds germinate quickly, and they grow fast.  Oh, you can also snip cuttings off of a mature impatien plant, stick them in some dirt, and they will take root.

     Cool Fact:  Impatiens are also know as Busy Lizzie plants because of the way the seeds shoot out of the pods.

Dog Shaming

Pretty much says it all.

Underground Railroad Museum of Burlington County

     Louise Calloway founded the Underground Railroad Museum and operated it for several years in Burlington, New Jersey.  After the museum closed in the spring of 2013, the Burlington County Freeholders announced that her collection would be permanently exhibited at Smithville.  The museum is a part of the Burlington County Parks System.
     I recently visited the museum.  The displays inform the visitor of the Afro-American experience in the Americas, from indentured servitude to slavery to establishment of the escape network known as the Underground Railroad to the American Civil War and elimination of slavery.  The Underground Railroad ceased operation during the Civil War.  From this point, the museum's displays feature stories of prominent Afro-Americans up to the present day.
     The museum hours are Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Admission is free, but donations are accepted.  Picture taking is usually not allowed inside the museum.

     Here is a link to a document about the Underground Railroad published by the New Jersey Historical Commission:

https://dspace.njstatelib.org/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10929/24563/h6732002.pdf?sequence=1

Th Underground Railroad Museum of Burlington County

Some local safe havens or "stations" on the Underground Railroad were the Elisha Barcklow House in Moorestown, Dr. George Haines House in Medford, and the present day Burlington Pharmacy in Burlington.  Many other local places are rumored to have been part of the escape network. 

The Museum's Brochure