The Persephone Season
By Michael Marrapese, January 2010 In Greek mythology, beautiful Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter, was kidnapped by Hades and taken to the underworld. Demeter, goddess of the harvest, was despondent. Zeus demanded their daughter’s release, but because Persephone had eaten a pomegranate given to her by Hades, she was bound to return to the underworld for a part of each year. During that time Demeter refused to let anything grow. The concept of winter began. Today, in defiance of the myth, many backyard gardeners and commercial farmers are pushing their harvests into the winter months. At West Coast Seeds, Mark Macdonald reports a burgeoning interest in winter gardening. This last summer he’s seen seed sales continue right through to […]
» Read more