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Vol. 3, No. 6 — June 15, 2007
In This Issue:
Growing A Wildlife Habitat Garden
Magazine Excerpt: A Thorny Problem - Multiflora Rose
June To-Do List
Spotlight Special: Coconut-Lime Coneflower
Reader Contest: Banana Plant from Brent and Becky's Bulbs
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.
Growing A Wildlife Habitat Garden
When a garden matures it naturally becomes a home and haven to creatures both wanted and unwanted. From tiny aphids to grazing deer, not all wildlife is welcome in our garden. Too bad we can’t have a muscled bouncer with a clipboard and velvet rope at the entrance to our Eden, checking his list for only the approved wild visitors we welcome to share our paradise with us. What we can do is make our gardens more welcoming to certain species of wildlife and less to others.
Here are a few tips to make your home garden more hospitable to wildlife:
- Do not use chemicals – pesticides, herbicides, inorganic fertilizers, etc. should be banned from your garden.
- Reduce your turfgrass lawn. Create dense shrub and perennial borders for birds and other creatures to make a home in.
- Add running water. Until I added a pond and fountain to my garden I had hardly any visiting creatures outside of the usual city-bred kind. Once that pond went in, it was like a magnet for all kinds of wildlife from dragonflies to songbirds.
- Install not only those plant species that feed grown wildlife such as nectar flowers for butterflies, but also those plants that are hosts to their young such as milkweed, mallows, clover, and thistles.
- Tolerate some imperfection. This means when the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail caterpillars hatch and start chewing away on your willow, poplar, or alder, you must resist the urge to remove them if you want the grown butterflies to live in your garden and come back to lay their eggs later in the season.
- If you are going to actively feed birds, do so year-round. Maybe cut-back or vary the diet you feed in spring-fall, but do put something out so they make a habit of stopping by.
- Keep your domestic pets indoors or, at least, in check. Creating a wildlife habitat is not fair if it is a trap for a hunting dog or cat.
- Leave the seedheads on and perennial plants up throughout winter. A tidy garden is not a hospitable garden. Resist the urge to pick up every leaf, twig, and fallen seed immediately. They are needed for shelter, food sources, egg laying, and burrowing under. Just yesterday I learned that lesson again when a Cardinal raided a pile of weeds I’d pulled and left on the side of a path on their way to the compost bin.
For more information on wildlife gardening and to get your garden certified as a wildlife habitat, visit www.NWF.org.
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. Subscribe or renew for multiple years to save 10%, subscribe/renew for two years at $36 or three years for $54.
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Local Gardening Events
Here is a selection of upcoming events (June 15-July 15) in the greater DC area of interest to gardeners:
DC
Franciscan Monastery Garden Workshop: Roses
June 16, 9:30am-1:00pm
Mount St. Sepulchre Franciscan Monastery, 14th and Quincy Streets in the Brookland neighborhood of Northeast Washington, DC
This seminar will feature the monastery’s roses, a specialty of their gardens. Father Romano will speak on the Franciscan spirituality of the gardens and JoAnn Crystal will lead a local panel of rosarians.
Lunch is included in the registration fee.
Fee: $35. Preregistration is required.
For more information: call 202.526.6800 or go to: www.myfranciscan.org.
14th annual Hillcrest Garden Tour
June 16, 11:00am-2:00pmbr>
Meet at parking lot of East Washington Heights Baptist Church, 2220 Branch Ave., SE, Washington, DC
Bus transportation provided as several gardens are visited in Hillcrest. Refreshments provided at the end of the tour.
Fee: $15. Registration is required.
For more information: visit: www.hillcrestdc.com or call 202.582.3059.
The Glories of Summer
June 21, 10:00am
Washington National Cathedral, Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues, NW, Washington, DC. Meet at the George Washington statue on Pilgrim Road.
On the first day of summer, Cathedral Horticulture Manager Maureen Alonso will discuss how trees and woodland plants adapt to warmer weather as participants walk through the woods. She’ll also talk about how the woods restoration is helping trees to survive storms, droughts and excessive heat. Please wear sturdy water-proof shoes. Pets must be leashed. Walk cancelled in case of heavy rain.
Fee: $0/Free. Preregistration is not required.
For more information: call 202.537.2319 or go to: www.cathedral.org.
Celebrating America’s Public Gardens: A Sense of Place
Now through October 8, 12:00noon-1:00pm
United States Botanic Garden Conservatory, 100 Maryland Avenue, SW, foot of the U.S. Capitol
Visitors throughout the summer will find beautiful plants and seating areas on the Terrace for relaxing, but, best of all, will be able to “visit” other gardens that they might otherwise never have a chance to see in person
-- whether a bog garden of carnivorous plants, an urban garden, a desert display of cacti and other succulents, a serene Japanese garden, or a Hawaiian island garden, complete with thatch-roofed beach hut! Exhibit is outdoors on the Conservatory Terrace and in the National Garden.
Fee: $0/Free. Preregistration is not required.
For more information: call 202.226.4082 or www.usbg.gov
MD and PA
Tree-iage: Tree Maintenance Day
June 16, 10:00am-3:00pm
Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton MD
Free outdoor demonstrations and expert advice on urban tree health care and maintenance, climbing hands-on pruning demonstrations. Experts will answer questions on tree care, pests and diseases. Dress for the weather and bring a blanket on which to sit during the demonstrations.
Fee: $0/Free. Registration is not required.
For more information: www.brooksidegardens.org
Washington Gardener Summer Solstice Open Garden Day
June 21, 4:00-8:00pm
826 Philadelphia Ave. (Rt. 410), Silver Spring, MD
Back by popular demand! Washington Gardener magazine will host one Open Garden Day this summer. Come by with your garden questions
See our trial gardens in progress. Renew or subscribe to the magazine in person. Purchase gift subscriptions. Single copies of our back issues and current issue also for sale. Pack of Eastern Native Wildflower seeds with any purchase
Light refreshments. Children's activities. Information table on various area garden events and groups. The Open Garden is rain or shine. Marking the Summer Solstice at exactly 6:06pm.
Fee: $0/Free. Preregistration is not required.
For more information: www.washingtongardener.com or call 301.588.6894.
Plant a Bog Container: Gardening with Carnivorous Plants
June 30, 10:00-11:30am
Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve, 1635 River Road, 2.5 miles south of New Hope, PA
John Mark Courtney will introduce you to the native habitats of carnivorous plants and show you how to grow these plants – and native
aquatics – in your own backyard container. Each participant will assemble a bog container to take home. Fee includes container, plants, and all materials.
Fee: $40 for members/$48 nonmembers. Registration is required.
For more information, go to www.bhwp.org or call 215.862.2924.
VA and WV
Perennial Series: Perennials In the Heat of Summer
June 23, July 21, and August 18, 9:30-11:00am
4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA
This series explores the world of perennials and their allies including their cultivation, propagation, and placement. Karen Rexrode, former owner of Windy Hill Nursery, equips you with lots of information through indoor presentations and an outdoor exploration of the gardens. Learn to identify the best perennials for shade and sun, and even learn about the tools needed to maintain them. Discover how to incorporate other plants to heighten the perennial experience. Sign up for one class or the entire series.
Saturday, June 23 - June Bloomers; Saturday, July 21 - Perennials that Thrive in High Temps; and, Saturday, August 18 - Perennials for the Dog Days of Summer.
Fee: $16 per class or $45 for the series. Preregistration is required.
For more information: www.greenspring.org or call 703.642.5173.
Butterfly Walks
Sundays through June, 12noon; July through September, 3:00pm
Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court, Vienna, VA
Walk into the winged world of butterflies with this introductory guided stroll with hobbyist/butterfly enthusiast Mona Miller. Learn how gardens attract these enticing, magical creatures. Participants may get to help release butterflies, when available. Rental binoculars are available. Meet in the visitor's center. Weather dependent; call to confirm walk plans. The walks are also a tour of the gardens and during the walks, participants learn about butterflies and the plants they use for nectar/host.
Fee: $0/Free for Meadowlark Garden members and children 6 and under. Nonmembers: $4; seniors and children (7-17), $1.50. Preregistration is required.
For more information: www.nvrpa.org or call 703.255.3631, ext. 0.
Sizzling Hot Summer Styles in Container Gardening
June 27, 7:00-9:00pm
6700 Azalea Garden Road, Norfolk, VA
Join Erin Shiver, McDonald Garden Center Landscape Designer, to explore the newest trends and hottest styles of container gardening - it doesn’t have to be just plants in a pot!
Fee: $16 ($10 members). Registration is required.
For more information, call 757.441.5838 or email www.norfolkbotanicalgarden.org.
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. CALL 703.395.1501 TODAY to book your spot.
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 July 12 for the July 15 edition of this enewsletter featuring events from July 15-August 15.
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Spotlight Special: Coconut-Lime Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea 'Coconut Lime' is the first white double-flowering Echinacea. This coneflower has a compact habit with over 20 blooms per plant! The plant was discovered by well known Dutch perennial plant breeder plant Arie Blom and just introduced to the market for sale this year.
Well-branched, sturdy flower stems are perfect for cutting. Blooms for two-three month period in mid- to late-summer. Graceful white petals encircle a spiky, lime-green cone, topped with a dash of brilliant orange. Grows to a height of 24-30" inches tall and 24" inches wide.
It is heat-, drought-, and mildew-resistant. Like other Echinacea it attracts butterflies and produces a dramatic seedhead in fall. Thrives in intense heat & humidity of Texas so we're hoping it does just as well in the DC region!
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Reader Contest
Washington Gardener is giving out one Musa basjoo (Japanese banana) courtesy of our good friends at Brent and Becky's Bulbs. All we ask in return is that the contest winner give it a good home and let us know every six months or so how it is doing for them.
This banana plant is cold hardy to zone 5 and grows 6'-10' tall. Right now, it is a tiny one foot high baby just waiting for the DC-area's summer heat and humidity to set in. It prefers wet soil and part- to full-shade. This can be container grown and sends out large, true green leaves.
To enter our contest, send an email to editor@washingtongardener.com before June 21 with “Banana Plant” in the subject line. Include your full name and address in the email body. We will select the winner at random from among all the entries on June 21.
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June To-Do List
Here is our combined garden task list for June 15- July 15 compiled from the previous June 2005 and June 2006 issues:
- Water newly planted trees and shrubs weekly or as needed.
- Contact an arborists to have your trees' health inspected.
- Check on your container plants daily and keep them well watered.
- Celebrate the Summer Solstice on June 21 with a cool drink out in your garden or in ours (see EVENTS listing above).
- Watch for insect and disease problems throughout your garden.
- Mow in the early evening and cut off no more than one-third of the grass height at one time.
- Leave grass clippings on the ground to provide nutrients.
- Add barley straw to your pond to improve water clarity.
- Take cuttings from azaleas and roses to start new plants.
- Harvest herbs to use in salads and summer dishes.
- Try a few new tropical plants on your patio.
- Shape your evergreens.
- Look for slug trails in the early morning and put out slug bait as needed.
- Tie-up climbing roses and other wandering vines.
- Fill in bare spots in the garden with annuals.
- Deadhead spent flowers to encourage reblooming.
- Prune flowering shrubs as their flowers fade. Last chance to do so for fall blooming camellias.
- Spray roses with Neem oil every two weeks.
- Start a sunflower patch with help from a few kids.
- Harvest strawberry beds daily.
- Cut a few flowers to enjoy at your workplace.
- This is the perfect time to apply grub control.
- Change the water in your birdbath daily and throw in a mosquito dunk in any standing water.
- Put in supports for tomatoes and tall-blooming plants such as dahlias.
- Order spring flowering bulbs.
- Take photos and update your garden journal.
- Inspect your garden hose for leaks and tighten all connections.
- Weed.
- Sow beets and squash for fall harvest.
- Prune boxwoods.
- Sharpen your lawnmower blade.
- Avoid pesticides or any chemicals near your water garden.
- Harvest herbs just before flowering.
- Make hummingbird food by boiling two cups sugar in four cups water.
- Turn compost pile.
- Clean up fallen fruit.
- Cover berries with bird nets.
- Work in morning or early evening to avoid intense sun and humidity.
- Fertilize your azaleas and rhododendrons and monitor them closely for any lacebug damage.
- As the heat and humidity move in, take it easy and leave the big projects for this fall. For now concentrate on maintaining the beds you've already established and nurturing your new plantings.
Have a wonderful 2007 growing season!
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Magazine Excerpt: A Thorny Problem - Multiflora Rose by Shawn D. Askew
Rose lovers would argue that their beloved plants in the Rosa genus could never be disdainfully considered weeds. The classic definition of a weed is “a plant out of place.” When multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) is growing where it is not wanted, “weedy” characteristics are not hard to identify.
Introduced from Asia in the mid-1800s, multiflora rose was widely distributed in the eastern US for erosion control and natural fencing to contain livestock. Wildlife preference for food and cover were later recognized and plants were again distributed for wildlife conservation, especially game birds.
As with most plants commonly considered weeds today, the multitude of desirable plant traits found in multiflora rose, such as tenacious growth, prolific fruit production, and the ability to easily propagate without human toil, are the very attributes that make the plant hard to exclude from areas where it is not wanted.
Like most roses, multiflora rose is a thorny, perennial shrub. Plants can reach 15 feet via arching stems (canes) that are covered with curved prickles. [Warning, scientific content: roses don’t actually have thorns as thorns (often found on cacti) are modified stems or leaves.] Roses have prickles, which are protrusions of the outer “skin” or epidermis of the rose cane that are more similar to modified hairs. (It just doesn’t feel like a hair!)...
Read the rest of this article including how to rid your property of this thug in the May/June 2007 issue of Washington Gardener magazine.
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Next Issue
The July 15, 2007 issue of Washington Gardener Enews will cover Cultivating a Fragrance Garden
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Edited by Kathy Jentz
Contact: editor@washingtongardener.com or 301.588.6894.
©Washington Gardener 2007
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