Mad Dworschak-Victory Gardener Extraordinaire, Part of Five Stories to Brighten Our Spirits

The Bright Side of Lockdown in Peachtree Corners

We can all relate to the surreal feeling brought on by the coronavirus as we struggled with being caught in this bizarre new world that was difficult to believe yet impossible to ignore. We couldn’t help but feel shocked as it unfolded — it was unprecedented — although there had been a dreadful buzz in the air heading straight for us from miles away.

As our nation is sieged with controversy, climbing death rates, trepidation and uncertainty, I wanted to find some uplifting, local COVID-19 stories that would serve to brighten our spirits. This is part 4 of 5 stories to be posted.

One of the great perks of living in Peachtree Corners is our proximity to Atlanta and its many trendy hubs like Old Fourth Ward, just 20 miles away. Mad Dworschak hails from Dunwoody/Sandy Springs where her family still lives, but she has been an Atlantan since starting her career as a graphic designer.

Mad on the move on social media and her victory gardening website

Dworschak had been looking forward to a more nine-to-five schedule after having worked around the clock shifts at CNN. Six months into her new job at the Atlanta Department of City Planning, the coronavirus turned the whole world on its ear.

Abiding by stay-at-home orders, she turned to cultivating a hobby she has always found comforting — gardening. Normally, it gave her something to do at the end of the day but working from home with “… everything shutting down right as spring started springing up,” was kismet for the birth of her flower and vegetable garden this year.

A New Year’s Resolution

Dworschak had already committed to a focus on surviving and thriving in 2020, while going through a difficult personal time last winter. She had intended to expand her edible gardening, unaware at the time that she’d be thrust into it on the heels of a global pandemic disrupting our lives so profoundly.

Inspired by the author of “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat,” Dworschak adopted the term. “She said plant a little Victory Garden if you’re nervous about having enough food because nothing dresses up a can of beans like some fresh herbs,” Dworschak recounted.

COVID-19 made it apparent how fragile food security is and how quickly losing a job could cause a family to struggle. “I think people latched on to the concept. They remember the poster of the woman holding a cabbage, “Grow Your Own Garden for Victory!” We all feel helpless right now, but this is at least something we can do,” she said.

Free Seedlings

Initially, Dworschak set out a cardboard sign in front of her 1920s duplex located across from where Dr. King went to school, with the scrawled message ‘Free Seedlings!’ “I put out extra seedlings on the street for people to take as they wished. I later designed and painted a more eye-catching sign,” Dworschak said.

 The timing of her project could not have been better. “Seeds have always been about abundance and hope, wishing for a better tomorrow.”

Instagram updates from @madness.design.atl and passersby resulted in a steady stream of seeds and seedlings being shared with neighbors. Building connections with the community has been beneficial.

“This little program I’ve started made me feel better. I love that I can help others too,” Dworschak said.

Sowing the Seeds of Cheer

A firm believer that it’s impossible to spend a few minutes in a garden and not be amazed, Dworschak hoped to spread some much-needed joy. “Anyone who’s even just a little bit of a gardener and going through something knows there is unending poetry from things coming up from the ground, flowers blooming and food coming off of a plant.”

“We may not have the most abundant gardens, and we’re all scared, but we have something in common now,” she said. Neighbors are posting pictures of their own gardens and plants that have blossomed as a result of her giveaways.

Dworschak responds with pointers on how to care for them. She has received some very kind notes and is routinely tagged on Instagram by excited neighbors thanking her for the basil, dill, okra and kohlrabi plants they scored from her little stand.

What’s Growing in the Garden

“This is my private growing area,” Dworschak said, pointing to her front porch covered in baby sprouts waiting to be given away and planted.

The interplanting of vegetables with flowers makes a cheery garden in a walled front yard. This year, she has enjoyed planting what’s easy and fun to grow.

Nasturtium: “One of my favorite things this year is this cool-looking flower. It grows like a bunch of lily pads sticking up out of the ground and has orange flowers. Both the leaves and flowers are edible. It’s great in salads. It’s got a spicy, peppery flavor, like arugula.”

Better Boy Tomatoes: “My grandmother grew these when she lived here in the 1960s. She swears by them. They’re very conventional but how can you say no to grandma?”

Roma and cherry tomatoes

Okra: “I’m excited about my okra. I was captivated by the story: okra was brought to America by slaves who had it braided into their hair as sort of a food insurance policy for when they got to the new land.”

Cherokee Trail of Tears Beans: “They are an heirloom variety brought from Tennessee all the way to Oklahoma by the Cherokee Nation during the Trail of Tears. They were a promise for tomorrow.”

Sunflower: “I grew that monster from a little seed. It’s bigger than I am.”

Cosmos flowers: “They’re wonderful and prolifically self-seeding. If you plant them, expect them to fall on the ground and make new ones next year. Which is great, if that’s what you want.”

Mulberry tree: “You can see the ground is littered with mulberries. They kind of taste like blackberry’s poor cousin came to town. They’re a little milder.”

Mulberry Jam

Families are enticed to bring buckets and pick as many mulberries as they can. Dworschak’s front and back yards are covered in the berries that fall to the ground from two towering trees. When folks wonder if they should collect so many, she assures them there are millions for the taking.

“They taste great if you make an easy jam. I didn’t even use pectin. I just put 6 cups mulberries, ¾ cup of sugar and a little bit of water on the stove. You cook it on low for a long time. It condenses, and you have an amazing jelly. I put it on top of ice cream and Oreos. It’s awesome,” she beamed.

Sourcing

Home Depot or ACE Hardware are where Dworschak buys her seeds when she’s not shopping her favorite online heirloom store, Baker Creek. “Any real gardener knows that the best source of seeds is other gardeners; it’s a networking community,” she chuckled.

Perennials on the property, like cannas and irises, keep dividing. “I’ve been able to thin them out and give them away as well,” Dworschak said. Her neighbors were pleased to give the tropical-looking plants new homes.

Mission Green Thumb

She loves demonstrating how easy it is to grow seeds from home: “Take toilet paper tubes, put them upright in a big salad container and fill with soil. Then soak dry chickpeas and kidney beans from the grocery store for 24 hours, and they sprout. Plant one in each tube, and in 3 to 5 days you should have seedlings! This is a kind of magic!”

Food Resources

Dworschak fosters a sense of unity with her Victory Garden effort, but it’s also about contributing to food security. Whether you need help or would like to contribute during COVID-19, there are great resources for free and reduced-price food, grocery delivery and farmers’ markets. Visit madness.design/COVID19 to learn more.

Follow her on Instagram @madness.design.atl where Dworschak will continue to post updates about new seed and plant drops. She posts in advance, so if there’s something you’d like to pick up, you’ll have notice: “Tomorrow at 8:30am, lots of kale and bell peppers,” for example.

Insider tip:She usually saves one of everything that she puts out for the inevitable person who arrives just a little too late. “It’s nice to be able to make someone’s day,” Dworschak said.

The Graphic Designer

I’ve planted the seed (wink) in Dworschak’s mind about creating a Peachtree Corners Neighborhoods Map. You may have seen her coveted urban chic Atlanta Neighborhoods Maps. We should have one for Peachtree Corners, don’t you agree?