A celebration is planned from 1-4 p.m. Aug. 22 at the God’s Glory Fellowship Hall, 7300 Pike Road, St. Marys.

Bennett is a 1945 graduate of Parkersburg High School.

She married the late Robert “Bob” Bennett on June 15, 1951. The couple had four daughters and would go on to have many grandchildren and great-grandchildren as well as nieces and nephews.

A friend to all and a pillar of her community, Bennett co-founded a Brownie Girl Scout troop with her treasured, long-time late best friend, Eloise Allman. Bennett was an active Core Road School homeroom mother where she was known for making cinnamon Valentine cookies for every student in the school.

Bennett also served her church community where she volunteered with the Bible school for more than 40 years. Her faith remains at the center of her being and she credits her trust in the Lord as the key to a long life.

A long-time West Virginia University fan, Bennett enjoys rooting for the West Virginia Mountaineers, especially during football season.

She enjoys good food, including spicy shrimp. Bennett also has a sweet tooth and enjoys ice cream and treats like blackberry cobbler.

Bennett believes, in reaching the 100th milestone, that age is “just a number.” A celebration is planned for family and friends, Bennett enjoys receiving cards. Send birthday cards to The Heritage at St. Marys, 1809 N. Pleasants Hwy, St. Marys, WV 26170.

Mamie was born June 26, 1926, in Spencer and spent her early years in Roane and Calhoun Counties. During World War II she contributed to the war effort as a “Rosie Riveter” while employed at Curtis Wright Defense Plant at Columbus.

She married John Dawson in 1947 and they made their home in Calhoun County where they raised their family. They moved to Wood County in 1979.

They were married for 68 years until John’s death in 2016. She had previous attended Edgelawn United Methodist church.

She currently resides at Wyngate Senior Living in Parkersburg where she continues to share her wonderful hugs with family and friends.

They were married at Stout Memorial United Methodist Church on June 25, 1966.

Frank retired from Shell Chemical and Patty retired from State Farm Insurance.

They have three children; Barbara (Marty) Vierheller of Vienna, Shari Metz of Parkersburg, and Bryan (Erin) of Vienna. They have three grandchildren; Ben Vierheller, Ethan Metz, and Morgan Metz.

They enjoyed a 60th anniversary dinner at Colombo’s Restaurant hosted by their children.

They were married on June 21, 1986, at the home of Clyde and Betty Casto in Parkersburg. Douglas Sr. is the son of the late Clyde and Betty Casto. Christina is the daughter of Linda and the late Clifford Stull.

They are blessed with three children, Douglas Jr. (Kelly) Casto, Andrew Casto and Rachel (Eric) Miller. They are the proud grandparents of Emma, Douglas (III) and Rose Casto and Rowan Miller. A small family gathering will be held to celebrate this milestone with them.

The bride is the daughter of Scott and Julie Carpenter of Vienna and granddaughter of Larry and Connie Brown. She has three brothers, Ryan Carpenter (daughter, Briar), Kyle Carpenter (fiancée, Kirstyn Cline) and Brady Carpenter.

The groom is the son of Brent and Jeri Smith of Williamstown and grandson of Joyce Sigmon. He has one brother, Chase Smith (wife, Lacey Smith, and son, Wesley Smith).

The maid of honor was Kristen Cullum, friend of the bride. Bridesmaids included Kassandra Corbitt, friend of the bride, and Megan Radcliff, cousin of the bride. The best man was Chase Smith, brother of the groom. Groomsmen included Johnathan Carpenter, son of the bride, and Peyton Hughes, cousin of the groom.

The couple honeymooned in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Many loved ones were remembered in spirit, watching over the celebration from Heaven.

Anna Jarvis sent 500 white carnations in honor of her mother to the first formal Mother’s Day service. Over the next few years, Jarvis worked to make Mother’s Day a national holiday and President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day in 1914. Carnations became an integral part of this movement, and today are still the most popular flower associated with Mother’s Day.

As the official Mother’s Day flower, carnations symbolize piety, faith, and the timeless beauty of motherhood. In particular, white carnations symbolize pure, unconditional love and remembrance of mothers who have passed away. Over 100 years ago, carnations were chosen because they were the favorite flower of Anna Jarvis’s mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis.

“Its whiteness is to symbolize the truth, purity and broad charity of mother love; its fragrance, her memory and her prayers.” Jarvis explained in a 1927 interview with Parents’ Magazine.

Carnations (Dianthus caryophyllus) are just one type within the diverse genus Dianthus. Dianthus have always been a favorite among gardeners due to their sweet, spicy scent and beautiful blossoms. The Greek botanist Theophrastus named these plants Dianthos or “divine flower”. This combined the Greek words dios (devine) and anthos (flower).

The Romans brought Dianthus to Europe and England, and from there these plants were eventually brought to the New World. Dianthus can be annuals, biennials and perennials. More than 300 species and hundreds of hybrid varieties exist.

All members of the Dianthus family are referred to as “pinks”, from the Latin word pinct, meaning pinked or scalloped. Dianthus are often called “border carnations,” while Dianthus caryophyllus are the large, traditional florists’ carnations. Dianthus height can vary from two inches to three feet tall, but most garden varieties are 10 to 20 inches tall.

Dianthus flowers have five petals and come in a variety of colors including all shades of white, pink, yellow and red, with a huge variety of flower shapes and markings. Most produce richly fragrant flowers in the spring or summer, sometimes blooming until the first frost. The leaves are often glaucous grey-green or blue-green.

Sweet William, a member of the Dianthus family, have been cultivated for at least 1000 years. It is a biennial but can reseed They were brought over to the American colonies from England very early. They were a staple of English cottage gardens. In addition, they were highly valued for ease of cultivation, vibrant blooms and esteemed for their heavy, clove-like fragrance.

Sweet William was one of Thomas Jefferson’s favorite ornamentals. Jefferson wrote in his garden book that “sweet William began to open” at his childhood home, Shadwell, on April 16, 1767. He later planted them in his famous oval flower beds at Monticello in 1807. This species is often associated with early American Gardens and continues to be cherished for its red, pink, and white blooms

Sweet Williams are tender perennials, but many gardeners treat them like biennials replanting every two years. The single Sweet Williams were commonly cultivated by most households in England for hundreds of years. Double varieties were much rarer, but they did exist as far back as the 16th century.

Dianthus should be planted where they will receive at least 6 hours of full sun each day. Avoid over-watering to reduce root-rotting diseases. Plant Dianthus 12 to 18 inches apart. The crown must be level with the surface of the soil. Dianthus will not tolerate wet soils. In addition, it needs good air circulation and should not be heavily mulched. It is winter hardy to Zone 5.

Dianthuses multiply readily, have a spicy fragrance and make good cut flowers. Furthermore, they are deer resistant. Remove spent blooms on tall varieties, or shear back mounding plants after bloom to encourage rebloom and keep these plants healthy. After the first killing frost, cut stems back to an inch or two above the soil line.

Dianthus is a very diverse plant and can contribute to garden design in many ways. Dwarf varieties can be used as edging for a border, in containers or in in rock gardens. Medium-to-tall varieties are effective in flower borders, in gardens for cut flowers, and in front of shrubs.

Dianthus is also a culinary flower. Crystallized petals are used for decorating cakes, while fresh petals can be used in salads, pies, and sandwiches. It is important when using dianthus for culinary purposes to remove the petal base, which is quite bitter.

These are a few Dianthus recommended for the valley.

Sweet William, of course. A biennial covered with spicy-smelling, bicolored flowers in late spring. It grows 12 to 18 inches tall. Sweet William’s reseeding behavior can provide new plants year after year.

Allwood Alpinus Group Dianthus are hardy to zones 4-8, 12-20” tall, and come in various color, flowering all summer. Recommended cultivars include ‘Becky Robinson’, ‘Doris’, ’Mars’, and ‘Mrs. Sinkins’.

Cheddar and cottage pinks are perennial forms of Dianthus. Native to Cheddar Gorge, England, they have spicy clove-scented flowers and face upward for maximum color impact. Their foliage is blue-gray or green. Some varieties grow as low as 2 inches, others as tall as 16 inches. The low-growing varieties work well in rock gardens.

‘Firewitch’ is a Dianthus selected as the Perennial Plant Association Plant of the Year in 2006. This German cultivar is one of the bluest-foliaged, hardy, longest flowering and most heat tolerant many types of Dianthus. It has single, vibrant magenta-pink blossoms that are nearly fringed on the edges.

Mother’s Day is almost here, now go out and buy mom some flowers! Contact me at the Wood County WVU Extension Office 304-424-1960 or e-mail me at jj.barrett@mail.wvu.edu with questions. Good Luck and until next time, Happy Gardening!

2026 marks Americas 250th Anniversary. Compared to today, colonial gardens were an essential component of survival, located near the house to prevent starvation and treat illness. Gardening meant feeding your family and having a ready supply of medicine. Kitchen gardens were a vital source of daily nutrition.

In many instances, gardening today is a hobby or a way to get fresh, great tasting and nutritious produce from your backyard. It is often a pursuit intended for enjoyment, to reduce stress and provide both exercise and a connection to nature, rather than for survival.

First let me say there were no specific “herb gardens”. Many consider these “kitchen gardens” because they were very practical and served the purpose of providing food, medicine, seasonings, and fragrance. Herbs were mixed in with vegetable plantings. However, pungent herbs were separated from vegetables.

Larger vegetables such as snap or pole beans, sweet corn and pumpkins were grown in the larger, outlying fields. Fruit trees were incorporated into the garden from outside edges to focal points in the center of the garden squares

Most European and colonial gardens developed from Tudor and Medieval gardening styles. Colonial gardens in the United States were quite diverse, drawing influence from early immigrants and their own heritage. Colonists from France, England, the Netherlands and Germany created gardens that reflected traditions from their homeland.

Plants brought to the Colonies included vegetables, herbs, flowers, bulbs, and fruit trees. They were placed in gardens with plants native to the United States, including tobacco, corn and other vegetables, trees, flowering shrubs, vines, and wild flowers.

Corn was a major food source for the colonies and Native Americans. Colonial families grew quite a bit for corn for making corn meal. Native Americans had been using corn ground into meal and flour for years in their cooking and people in the colonies quickly adapted growing this staple food.

A surge in popularity for cornmeal occurred around the American Civil War. Corn was plentiful and cheap, and corn bread and other dishes made from cornmeal were a quick and simple meal.

Gardens differed depending on the colonists’ needs. Garden dimensions were proportional to the size of their family. In rural areas gardens were planted around structures such as buildings, fences, livestock pens, walkways, and surrounding work areas. Most colonists did not place plants around the foundation of the home, his practice emerged later in the Victorian era.

Most colonial gardens were about function and efficiency. Gardens would be laid out in square or rectangular shaped raised-beds framed with tree saplings. This allowed gardeners access to the entire gardening space. Plants were usually in tightly packed rows to save space and walkways were created from soil, gravel, or crushed clamshells, and surrounding each bed.

Hedges or picket fences surrounding the garden to protect plants from animals and damaging wind but some would use wooden fences. A larger, central walkway leading to the focal point in the garden that was usually a well or similar stone feature.

Colonists also took advantage of hills on their property and planted crops such as peas, lettuce, and radishes earlier in the season on southern-facing slopes to take advantage of the warmer soil.

When planting a garden colonists considered things such as sunlight and shade, proximity to water, and honey bees. Most gardeners had beehives very close to the garden to promote pollination and help plants to flourish. Herbs and flowers were also used as ingredients in many perfumes and soaps made in the colonies.

Caring for an herb garden was a vital part of colonial life. Harvesting, drying, and storing properly was important because dried herbs held their essence for less than six months. Planting, wedding, and harvesting were all important aspects of care.

Many cooking and seasoning herbs were grown in colonial gardens. Rosemary, thyme, basil, chives, mint, sage, marjoram, savory, and oregano were tasty and aromatic herbs that were frequently cultivated.

An important use of herbs was for medicine. Horehound was popular for gastric upsets and sassafras was important for dental cleanliness. Cinquefoil, an astringent, was used for night sweats. Coriander was used for gastrointestinal problems and bad breath.

At the time of the Revolutionary War, most colonists with a kitchen garden grew medicinal herbs such hyssop, lavender, comfrey, and fennel, interspersed with vegetables and flowers in their garden. Soldiers at this time would pack a number of herbs that worked best on ailments they normally experienced including chamomile, mint, licorice, yarrow, horsetail, and sage.

Beans, squash and cabbage were popular garden vegetables. Greens were often listed in colonial recipes. These included kale, mustard, Swiss chard, and turnip greens.

Parsnips, carrots and potatoes were grown and often boiled or cooked into stews. Gardens that contained small vegetables such as leaks, onions, garlic, carrots, and cabbage herbs, and flowers were placed near a house door to allow quick and easy access.

There were a variety of flowers and flowering shrubs in the colonial garden including azaleas, sunflowers, hydrangeas, roses, English ivy, clematis, holly, and lilies. Columbine, crocuses, bee balm, grape hyacinth, evening primrose, star-of-bethlehem, and tulips were others grown. Flowers were also used as decorations in homes, churches, taverns, hair, and clothing.

American Founding Father President Thomas Jefferson was an avid gardener. The English pea was his favorite vegetable, and he grew 23 different varieties in his garden at Monticello. Jefferson also documented harvesting lettuce every month of the year and urged gardeners to sow a thimbleful of lettuce seeds every week from early spring to September.

George Washington was also an innovative farmer and gardener. He experimented with improving soil health through crop rotation and composting. Due to market fluctuation and soil nutrient depletion, Washington transitioned Mount Vernon from tobacco production to growing crops such as wheat, peas, and potatoes. In addition, he planted huge vegetable gardens and fruit orchards.

Planting a colonial or kitchen garden will give you a glimpse into the rich history of gardening here in America. A mix of plants and traditions from “Old World” Europe and the “New World” of North America shaped gardening and culture in our great country.

Contact me at the Wood County WVU Extension Office 304-424-1960 or e-mail me at jj.barrett@mail.wvu.edu with questions. Good Luck and until next time, Happy Gardening!