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Vol. 3, No. 5 — May 15, 2007
In This Issue:
Creating a Cutting Garden
Magazine Bonus: "Silvers" Book Review
May To-Do List
Spotlight Special: Maracas Brazilian Fireworks
Reader Contest: Wings of Fancy Live Butterfly Exhibit
Local Gardening Events
Welcome to the
Washington Garden Enews!
This is the free sister publication of Washington Gardener magazine.
Both the magazine and enewsletter share the same mission and focus — helping Washington DC area gardens grow — but our content is different.
In this monthly enewsletter, we will:
address timely seasonal topics and projects; post local garden events; and, include a monthly reminder list of what you can be doing now in your garden.
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The May/June 2007 Washington Gardener magazine is available now. If you subscribe by June 25, you can start your subscription with this issue. Single copies of this issue can be purchased directly from Washington Gardener. The issue is also on sale at area Borders, Barnes and Noble, and B. Dalton book stores plus many independent stores like the USNA's Arbor House. This issue's cover story is "Easy Care Rose Growing." Also in this issue: heirloom rose selection and care guide; native and invasive roses; a trip to the Bon Air Memorial Rose Garden; edible flowers; and, much, much more.
Creating a Cutting Garden
The cutting garden is simply a bed of flowers and foliage plants which the gardener has grown specifically to use in flower arrangements. Often situated at the backs vegetable beds, along the sides of houses, and skirting fence lines, the cutting garden is a practical alternative to the age-old gardener dilemma of not wanting to cut your most beautiful blooms from your carefully landscaped gardens.
When designing a cutting garden, there is no need to worry about the overall looks of the growing beds as you will be using it for continual materials for your flower arrangements. Pick a site with full sun and good drainage. Cutting gardens can be started from seed, much as you would your vegetable garden, or you can use divisions from your perennial plants. You may also purchase an assortment of annuals to add to the mix.
Your cutting garden can be a place for experimenting with new plants and colors that you would not have otherwise chosen in your landscaped beds. A few tips to make yours a success include planting in wide rows for easy harvesting, deadheading regularly to promote flower (nor seed) production, and choosing a variety of early, mid, and late season flowers.
When making selections of plants for a cutting garden, the plant choices are almost endless. You may want to stick to those annuals and perennials that are long-stemmed, sturdy, and do well once severed from their host plant. Here is a list of suggested cutting garden flowers and foliage plants suitable for growing the greater Washington metropolitan area:
- Artemisia
- Asters
- Black-Eyed Susan
- Celosia/Cockscomb
- Cosmos
- Dianthus
- Echinacea/Coneflowers
- Gladiolus
- Goldenrod
- Lavender
- Liatris
- Lilies
- Lisianthus
- Mums
- Peony
- Sages/Salvias
- Shasta Daisy
- Sunflower
- Verbena bonariensis
- Yarrow
- Zinnia
Of course, you can always supplement your cutting garden arrangements with flowers, grasses, branches, and foliage cut from other plants in your gardens, but having a growing bed dedicated just for cutting purposes encourages you to use them more and to not worry about the old "to cut or not" debate.
Happy Growing!
Kathy Jentz
Editor/Publisher
Washington Gardener
P.S. As of May 1, our annual subscription rate to Washington Gardener magazine increased to $20. As a special offer to readers of this Washington Gardener Enews, you may still subscribe at the $18 annual rate by clicking here. To extend the savings, subscribe for two years at $36 or three years for $54.
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Local Gardening Events
Here is a selection of upcoming events (May 15-June 15) in the greater DC area of interest to gardeners:
DC
Georgetown Garden Treasures: Tudor Place and Dumbarton Oaks
May 19, 11:00am
Tudor Place, 1644 31st St. between Q and R Streets in Georgetown, Washington, DC
Celebrate the beauty of spring in Georgetown! Join this popular annual guided tour of two of Washington, DC’s most historic and beautiful gardens. A wonderful opportunity to experience these landscapes with the people who know them best: Gail Griffin, Director of Gardens & Grounds at Dumbarton Oaks, and Mary K. Crow, Horticulturalist at Tudor Place. Learn how the gardens at Dumbarton Oaks and Tudor Place have evolved aesthetically since the 19th century and the challenges surrounding their preservation today.
Fee: $10 members ($12 nonmembers). Registration is required.
For more information: visit: www.tudorplace.org or call 202.965.0400, ext. 109.
The Leviathan, the Willow and the Wallflower: A Colorado Alpine Ecosystem
May 23, 12:00noon-1:00pm
United States Botanic Garden Conservatory, 100 Maryland Avenue, SW, foot of the U.S. Capitol
This lecture will offer a glimpse into Denver Botanic Garden’s satellite alpine rock garden located at 11,500' on Mt. Goliath. The garden, surrounded by 1,000-year-old bristle cone pines, is situated at the base of the mountain and serves as an integral part of the Dos Chappel Nature Center. Highlights will include photos of alpine flora, ancient pines, and panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains. Join Mark Fusco, Senior Horticulturalist, Denver Botanic Garden, as he discusses Colorado's alpine flora, and why Mt. Goliath is so important to Denver Botanic Garden’s mission.
Fee: $0/Free. Preregistration is required.
For more information: call 202.226.4082 or www.usbg.gov
Growing Lavender: Maintenance & Harvesting
May 26, 12:00noon
Washington National Cathedral, Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues, NW, Washington, DC. Meet at the Greenhouse located on South Road.
Grow amazing, gorgeous lavender plants. Nicole Schermerhorn, owner of A Thyme to Plant Herb Farm, will cover detailed information on growing and maintaining your lavender plants, including fertilizing, liming, trimming, pruning, and harvesting.
Fee: $5. Preregistration is not required.
For more information: call 202.537.6248 or go to: www.cathedral.org.
MD and PA
Happy Hosta Pot
May 22, 9:30-11:30am; Repeats May 22, 1-3:00pm
Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton MD
Joan O’Rourke, Friends of Brookside Garden, teaches you how to add drama to your deck or patio with this unique container of beautiful hostas (the perfect shade plant) in the best colors. And even better – you can place your hostas out of reach of deer! Instructions for care and feeding will be discussed. Fee includes all materials.
Fee: $40. Registration is required.
For more information: www.brooksidegardens.org
Secret Garden Tour of Annapolis’ Historic Districts
June 3, 1:00-5:00pm
Tour, ticket pick-up, and purchase day-of-tour at 132 Charles Street, Annapolis, MD
Visit 15 privately owned gardens in the neighborhood surrounding Annapolis’ Historic City Hall; Duke of Gloucester, Charles, Conduit, Market, and Green Streets. The very special miniature gardens of Gloucester Mews will also be featured. The unique gardens on this tour, each demonstrate the personality and needs of the individual garden owners with an interesting mix of sun and shade gardens of all sizes. As a special feature to this year’s tour, Andre Viette, a nationally known garden expert, author, and radio host will give a lecture and be available for Q-and-A, plus a book signing.
Fee: $25 in advance/$30 day of tour. Preregistration is not required.
For more information: www.hammondharwoodhouse.org or call 410.263.9443.
Native Plants in the Landscape Conference and Native Plant Sale
June 7-9
Millersville University, Millersville, PA
The Native Plants in the Landscape Conference mission is to increase the knowledge, propagation, cultivation and use of native plants in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. Registration fee includes main conference (pre-conference events are extra), housing, and all meals. The Native Plant Sale will be open to the general public during on Friday, June 8, 3:30-7:00pm and Saturday, June 9, 8:00am-12noon.
Fee: $205. Registration is required.
For more information, go to www.millersvillenativeplants.org or call 717.872.3030.
VA and WV
Spring Garden Day at Green Spring Gardens
May 19, 9:00am-3:00pm
4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA
More than 40 vendors of rare and unusual plants descend on Green Spring Gardens to fill your spring gardening needs! Friends of Green Spring (FROGS) receive 10% off plants in the Garden Gate Plant Shop. Don't miss this exciting annual tradition.
Fee: $0/Free. Registration is not required.
For more information: www.greenspring.org or call 703.642.5173.
Taste of River Farm
May 31, 5:30-7:30pm
George Washington’s River Farm, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA
An enchanting evening at River Farm featuring gourmet cuisine from Alexandria-area restaurants to benefit the American Horticultural Society’s The Growing Connection™ and Mount Vernon-Lee Education Partnership.
Fee: $45 AHS members/$55 nonmembers. Preregistration is required.
For more information: www.ahs.org or call 703.768.5700, ext. 114.
Watershed Friendly Garden Tour
June 3, 1:00-5:00pm
Various properties in Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, and Falls Church, VA
Tour local properties that feature watershed-friendly elements, such as cisterns, rain barrels, rain gardens, backyard wildlife habitats, and native species. Talk with local residents about their experience making their garden more watershed-friendly!
Fee: $5 donation requested. Registration is not required.
For more information: www.arlingtonva.us or call 703.228.6427.
Special Event: Washington Gardener Longwood Gardens Tour
Washington Gardener Longwood Gardens Tour
June 19, 8:00am-11:00pm
Leaving from and returning to West Falls Church, VA and downtown Silver Spring, MD
Join Cheval Force Opp, Garden Tours, and Kathy Jentz, Washington Gardener Magazine, for a day at Longwood Gardens, one of the world’s premier horticultural showplaces. Exquisite flowers, majestic trees, dazzling fountains, opulent conservatory,
starlit theater, thunderous organ -- all describe the magic of Longwood Gardens.
Fee: $99.00 each or $95.00 each for current Washington Gardener Magazine subscribers. Preregistration is required.
For more information: www.chevalsgardentours.com or call 703.395.1501.
For even more area garden event notices than we can't possibly squeeze in here, become a member of our free online discussion group. To join the email list serv, just send an email to: WashingtonGardener-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
To submit an event for this listing, please contact: editor@washingtongardener.com and put "Event" in the email subject head. Our next deadline is June 12 for the June 15 edition of this enewsletter featuring events from June 15-July 15.
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Spotlight Special: Maracas Brazilian Fireworks
Maracas Brazilian Fireworks (Porphyrocoma pohliana) is new for 2007 from Ball Horticultural Company's Simply Beautiful® program.
Maracas shows off attractive variegated foliage plus bicolor purple/pink flowers. This heat-loving tropical shade plant performs well outdoors in summer mixed containers. It can be used as a bedding plant or groundcover too. It’s great for hard-to-plant areas in deep shade, such as the foot of a tree or alongside the house. Good choice as groundcover too.
Providing brilliant color in full shade, tt grows to a height of 6 to 8 inches and spreads 8 to 10 inches. Maracas Brazilian Fireworks is a heat-loving plant. The warmer the temperature is, the faster the blooming time. It is disease-free and drought-tolerant.
The foliage is a variegated silver and green. Put it alongside blue-green hostas and bright-colored begonias. This plant is also suitable for indoor gardens. It is related to the shrimp plant as well as the old-fashioned Jacobinia.
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Reader Contest
Washington Gardener is giving out several pairs of passes (worth $5 each) to the annual Wings of Fancy Live Butterfly Exhibit. Running daily now through Sunday, September 16, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Brookside Gardens South Conservatory, the exhibit will feature live butterflies. Come witness the butterfly life cycle as tiny eggs hatch into crawling, chewing caterpillars, which then encase themselves in jewel-like chrysalides and emerge as sipping, flying adult butterflies. Learn about the best annual and tropical plants, and hardy shrubs that are used as nectar sources to attract butterflies to your own garden.
To enter our contest, send an email to editor@washingtongardener.com by May 31 with “Wings of Fancy” in the subject line. Include your full name and address in the email body. We will select the winners at random from among all the entries on June 1.
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May To-Do List
Here is our combined garden task list for May 15-June 15 compiled from the previous May 2005 and May 2006 issues:
- Cut back spent tulip and daffodil blooms, but not the foliage!
- Divide and replant crowded daffodils.
- Feed your roses and new plantings with slow-release fertilizer sparingly.
- Provide supports for fast-growing perennials such as delphiniums, peonies, and lilies.
- Tie up clematis and other fast-growing climbing vines.
- Hose off aphids, white flies, or spider mites on your roses or other perennials.
- Deadhead spent blooms on your annuals and perennials to encourage re-flowering.
- Water newly planted shrubs, trees, and perennials to your garden.
- Weed regularly.
- Go on a local house and garden tour to see what is working on other's area home gardens.
- Pinch back mums, salvias, and other late season bloomers to encourage bushy not leggy growth.
- Check pots and containers daily for water needs.
- Plant dahlias and cannas.
- Direct sow annual flower seeds.
- Thin vegetable seeds sown directly in the garden.
- Move your houseplants outdoors for a summer vacation on your porch.
- Put out slug traps around your vulnerable edibles and hostas.
- Prune back forsythia, spirea, and other early spring blooming shrubs.
- Check for black spot on your roses -- remove and discard and affected leaves in the trash, never back into your garden or in your compost -- apply a fungicide with neem oil every two weeks during the growing season.
- Cut some flowers to enjoy inside -- make a small arrangement for every room.
- Sow squash and melon seeds.
- Plant seedlings (or direct-sow) sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.
- Fertilize azaleas and rhodos, if needed.
- Divide crowded perennials and share them.
- Turn your compost pile.
- Start a water garden.
- Mark and photograph your bulb plantings now, while they are still visible.
- Keep a sharp eye for fungal diseases and pests.
- Replace cool-season annuals with heat-loving ones.
- Be vigilant for mosquito breeding spots, any standing water from a bottle-cap to blocked gutters, and clean them out immediately. Ask your surrounding neighbors to do the same.
Have a wonderful 2007 growing season!
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Magazine Bonus: "Grey and Silver Plants" Book Review by Jim Dronenburg
Book Review: Grey and Silver Plants
by Mrs. Desmond Underwood
Since the authors of Elegant Silvers (reviewed in the May/June 07 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine) quoted Mrs. Underwood’s work as the previous work on the subject, I thought I’d review it as well. It is a good companion volume to that work. Out of print, but available very cheaply from abebooks.com. The shipping was more than the cost of the book.
Don’t expect, from a specialty book of the early '70s, the sheer breadth of plant material that you can get today. The thrust is different. Mrs. Underwood deals here primarily with leaves that are white from silvery hairs on them, as for instance the Artemisia tribe. And she deals with them in large part as material not only for a border show, but for cutting and arranging. Your humble reviewer is not into arranging, being of the “cram” school (i.e. you check the inside diameter of the top of your vase, you cut as much as will expand the circle of your fingers holding them to that diameter, and cram). For those who are into flower arranging, this book seems a valuable aid in conditioning the foliage of the various plants. Certainly it’s worth the money.
My favorite garden-book-reviewer theme is “British conditions are different,” but, in point of fact, silver foliaged plants are, on the whole, drought tolerant and water intolerant, and must have good drainage. This holds as true for us now as for her then in England. Some of the listed plants are actually much easier in the greater Washington region, as we have the heat that they need to ripen. Others do worse, as muggy heat can melt them right out. Again, good drainage helps. The book also specifies in detail what kinds of soil each plant likes, and suggests when and how to trim them, divide them, set them out, etc. For the 75 plants listed, it’s a very good growing guide. Of particular note is Mrs. Underwood’s own notation of hardiness under various conditions; if you do well with plant
“A”, for instance, look at the other plants with the same conditions of hardiness and you may do well with them, for the same reasons. It sounds quite sensible and practical. Don’t expect it always to be spot-on, of course, in our climate, but it should be a good ball-park guide.
Do not expect pictures. In my copy there are exactly four color drawing plates, period. It would probably be well to have this book in hand and go to a nursery that has a good selection of silver perennials and/or herbs, and look at the actual plants. Do use your imagination. What you see in the spring in its little pot is usually not what you’ll see out of the same plant in the late summer, or the year after.
Some of the plants profiled are, in fact, hardy neither for her nor us. She was a nursery person and had a greenhouse at her disposal. On the other hand, we cheerfully bed things out and rarely take them in…. wasteful, but we only have so many windows in a given house. The book is well worth getting as a companion to Elegant Silvers.
Read more book reviews by Jim Dronenberg and our other volunteer reader panelists in the May/June 2007 issue of Washington Gardener magazine.
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Next Issue
The June 15, 2007 issue of Washington Gardener Enews will cover Growing A Wildlife Habitat Garden
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Edited by Kathy Jentz
Contact: editor@washingtongardener.com or 301.588.6894.
©Washington Gardener 2007
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