Raleigh nursery sends out new apology letter seeking to end catalog cover controversy
A Wake County nursery has issued a formal apology for its satirical seed catalog cover, explaining at length that its biannual political spoof did not endorse, condemn or even acknowledge QAnon, the far-right conspiracy theory.
In a lengthy Jan. 28 letter addressed to gardening friends, owner Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery asks for an end to the “disheartening controversy” over the latest Plant Delights catalog. The “Plant Parenthood” cover shows a cartoon President Joe Biden reading to children from the “Kama Seedtra,” while a winking Vice President Kamala Harris showed children the “seedtra” positions.
Though the nursery has long used satirical cartoon covers, this one outraged many people who saw a connection to far-right QAnon conspiracy theories that erroneously tie Democrats to a pedophilia ring. They also didn’t plant drawings bearing an uncomfortably close resemblance to sex toys.
In an earlier interview with the N&O, Avent explained that the cartoon was meant to reference the grandfather character in “The Princess Bride” reading to children about plant reproduction, and that he had never heard about QAnon until the storm erupted with criticism from left and right.
“There has never been any politically leaning intent,” Avent wrote in his Jan. 28 letter. “There is also no intent to portray racism, the abuse of children, or anything else which we find unequivocally abhorrent.”
For more than 20 years, Avent has commissioned satirical covers for the catalogs.
In 2012, he spoofed Penn State University, aided by Raleigh artist Jack Pittman, who also drew “Plant Parenthood.”
The catalog showed assistant coach and convicted sex offender Jerry Sandusky chasing three boys. Sandusky was dressed as the cowardly lion from “The Wizard of Oz” and sporting what appeared to be a Penn State logo. The cover triggered an investigation for possible trademark infringement, not to mention backlash from alumni and threats significant enough that Avent called police.
In his recent apology letter, Avent wrote, “Let us all continue to fight societal injustice with passion, but also take time to listen, understand, laugh and love.”