Free Corinth Wildflower Seeds Offered at Garden Oct. 13

Gardeners and anyone who enjoyed this summer’s flower field behind Kroger will have a chance to take some of it home. Keep Corinth-Alcorn Beautiful (KCAB) is inviting the public to collect Corinth wildflower seeds for free on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the Margaret F. Shackleford Memorial Garden, according to an announcement shared Wednesday by The Alliance.

The seed harvest runs from 5 to 7 p.m., or until dark. Organizers will have free bags and instructions on site, so visitors don’t need to bring anything but their hands and a little patience.

Corinth Wildflower Seeds: Event Details

• What: Free wildflower seed harvesting
• When: Tuesday, Oct. 13, 5–7 p.m. (or until dark)
• Where: Margaret F. Shackleford Memorial Garden, on Fulton Drive behind Kroger in Corinth
• Cost: Free. Bags and instructions provided
• Hosted by: Keep Corinth-Alcorn Beautiful, a Keep America Beautiful affiliate

The Alliance, which serves as the Corinth and Alcorn County chamber of commerce and economic development group, posted the flyer with the hashtags #KCAB and #wildflowergardencorinth.

From Summer Blooms to Fall Seeds

The garden sits near the corner of South Tate Street and South Fulton Drive and drew plenty of attention this summer as its field filled with color. The Daily Corinthian reported in late August that the public was invited to pick flowers there for free through Aug. 31.

Now that the blooms have faded and dried, the flower heads hold the seeds for next year’s plants. The Oct. 13 harvest lets residents gather those seeds so they can start wildflower patches in their own yards, school gardens or church grounds. It also spreads some of the garden’s color around town.

As a Keep America Beautiful affiliate, Keep Corinth-Alcorn Beautiful focuses on litter prevention, beautification and community pride projects across the county. Events like this one invite residents to get outside and take part in that work in a hands-on way.

Tips for Planting Your Seeds

Organizers will hand out instructions at the event, and it’s worth following those first. Some general tips many gardeners use with wildflower seeds:

• Keep harvested seeds dry and in a paper bag or envelope, not plastic, so they don’t mold.
• Choose a sunny spot. Most meadow-style wildflowers need several hours of direct sun.
• Loosen the top layer of soil and clear grass and weeds so the seeds can touch bare ground.
• Press seeds lightly into the soil rather than burying them deep.

After a dry, hot early fall across Alcorn County, this weekend’s expected rain from the remnants of Tropical Storm Isaias could help soften hard ground before planting season.

Same Day as Corinth’s City Election

Oct. 13 is also Election Day for Corinth’s municipal general election, which includes the mayor’s race. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., so residents can vote and still stop by the garden on the way home for a bag of seeds.

For questions about the seed harvest, contact The Alliance or follow Keep Corinth-Alcorn Beautiful on Facebook.

Related: Corinth mayoral race: absentee voting steady before Oct. 13 | Isaias could soak Northeast Mississippi with 3 inches of rain

Source: The Alliance / Keep Corinth-Alcorn Beautiful