P. Allen Smith awards Arkansas winner of Bonnie Plants cabbage program

Congratulations Third Grader Lauren Motley of Daisy Bates Elementary of Little Rock Who Grew a 15.94 Pound Colossus! 

Little Rock, AR— Wednesday, April 25, 2012 - Award-winning designer, gardening and lifestyle expert P. Allen Smith will honor the Arkansas Winner from 2011 of the Ninth Annual  Bonnie Plants 3^rd Grade Cabbage Program. The award ceremony is Thursday, April 26 at 9:30 a.m. at the Daisy Bates Elementary School in Little Rock with Smith giving the award in person.   Zach Taylor, representing the Arkansas Agriculture Department and Cathy Ellis,  of the Bonnie Lonoke Growing Station will be attending the ceremony as well.

Smith says, “One of my greatest joys is getting kids excited about gardening. Their unfettered enthusiasm is infectious and it's fun to share their sense of wonder and amazement in seeing plants grow. I also happen to think gardeners are great people and the world needs more of them!  The Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program is a fun way to nurture a child's gardening talents.” Smith continued, “Plus -- I just love the idea of kids all over the country growing gigantic heads of cabbage.  I like to think of it as the cabbage version of Hands Across America.”

As one of the first companies to sponsor a national vegetable gardening initiative for kids, Bonnie Plants has delivered nearly 11 million cabbage plants nationwide, fostering an interest in gardening, healthy eating, and the environment along the way. Now in its 10^th year, the Bonnie Plants 3^rd Grade Cabbage Program was started with the mission to inspire a love of vegetable gardening and an interest in the environment in young people. As part of the program, Bonnie Plants awards a $1,000 scholarship to one student in each state. Teachers submit a class winner and a child is chosen by each state’s Director of Agriculture.

“The joy of gardening and the satisfaction of growing healthy food are gifts that kids never outgrow,” says Stan Cope, President and CEO of Bonnie Plants and grandson of founders Livingston and “Miss Bonnie” Paulk. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to share these gifts with the next generation of gardeners.”

Bonnie Plants chose cabbages for the program - because it was the first plant sold by Bonnie Plants in 1918. These mega- cabbages are known for producing giant, oversized heads, making the process even more exciting for kids. Some kids have grown cabbages weighing more than 50 pounds!

Bonnie Plants worked with a 3rd Grade Teacher to develop lesson plans appropriate for students in 3rd Grade classrooms across the country. These lesson plans take into consideration the teaching requirements for 3rd Grade teachers in subjects such as Math, Science, Health & Nutrition, and Social Studies. Each free lesson plan includes instructions for teachers and sample worksheets for students. You may download a copy at http://bonniecabbageprogram.com/teachers/lesson-plans

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About P. Allen Smith

P. Allen Smith is an award-winning designer, gardening and lifestyle expert and host of two public television programs, P. Allen Smith's Garden Home, P. Allen Smith’s Garden to Table and the syndicated 30-minute show P. Allen Smith Gardens. Smith is one of America's most recognized and respected design experts, providing ideas and inspiration through multiple media venues. He is the author of the best-selling Garden Home series of books published by Clarkson Potter/Random House, including Bringing the Garden Indoors: Container, Crafts and Bouquets for Every Room and Seasonal Recipes from the Garden. Allen is also very active on social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Allen’s Blog and YouTube as well as on the new eHow Home channel. His design and lifestyle advice is featured in several national magazines. Learn more at http://www.pallensmith.com.

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About Bonnie Plants

Headquartered in Union Springs, Alabama, Bonnie Plants is the largest

producer of vegetable and herb plants in North America, with 65 growing

stations serving 48 states, regionally, nationwide. Established in 1918 by

Bonnie and Livingston Paulk, the company is still family run by the grandson

of its founders. Bonnie provides a wide variety of vegetables and herbs in

biodegradable, plantable pots, saving more than a hundred million plastic

pots from landfills each year. Bonnie is committed to providing high

quality, vigorous plants to consumers and to green gardening. Bonnie Plants

are available at garden retailers across the country. For more information

please visit www.bonnieplants.com.