News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Six blue ribbons, four red ribbons, two third place ribbons and two honorable mentions. Quite a haul for Magness Library Director Brad Walker. In his spare time, he grows flowers.
Walker took the 14 honors at the Tennessee Gesneriad Society’s annual event.
“One of the most common plants people knows is the African violet,” Walker said. “It’s one of the Gesneriad in our group. And African violets, you know, everyone grows them. My grandmother had the old Optomera set that was named after the States, and she had all of them but three. I think they were really large, beautiful plants. And my grandmother was kind of the reason I got into growing plants in the first place because they were just fascinating to me that you could take a leaf off something and just grow a whole new plant that would bloom identically.”
Walker said winning the award is fun, but more fun is to sit around with those who also enjoy growing the flowers. The Gesneriad family includes more than 3,200 species of plants.
“We gave away a lot of plants for free,” Walker said. “And so we tell people and describe to them how to grow the plants, what kind of lighting they need, what kind of dirt, how much to water, and all the various components. But it’s always a great thrill to win and know that your plants have actually done well enough to show if you get any ribbons. But to actually win the sweepstakes or the Best in Shows is always wonderful. I actually have a collection. We also get painted mugs, every Best in Show. And the sweepstakes get these hand painted mugs. Well, they’re coffee cups, teacups, and there’s a whole range of them that a lady did for the last 25, 30 years.”
