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Vol. 3, No. 11 — November 15, 2007
In This Issue:
Plants for the Holiday Season
Magazine Excerpt: Versatile Viburnums
November To-Do List
Spotlight Special: Hydrangea Forever & Ever® Together
Reader Contest: Brookside's Garden of Lights
Local Gardening Events
Welcome to the
Washington Gardener Enews!
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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 November/December 2007 Washington Gardener magazine is available now. If you subscribe by December 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 "Gardening with Children: Growing Little Gardeners" Also in this issue: crafting with native materials; the American Indian Museum's native landscape; Kid-Friendly Vegetables; Indoor Bulb Forcing Techniques; and, much, much more.
Plants for the Holiday Season
As we get wrapped up in hectic holiday preparations over the next month, thoughts of gardening go out the window. Here is a tip to indulge your neglected plant-lust and get a bunch of items on your holiday “to do” list addressed in fell swoop -- plants are the perfect gift! With one trip to your favorite garden center or nursery, you can give everyone on your gift list a beautiful, easy-to-care-for holiday plant that they will treasure.
Package your plant gifts in a pretty pot or tie on a fancy bow. Be sure to attach care instructions and an offer to help those with a self-described “black thumb.” Plant gifts should not be a burden, but a long lasting gift that reminds the recipient of the giver for years to come.
Here are some traditional and not-so-traditional holiday season plants to consider buying for gifts or your own holiday d?cor:
- Amaryllis (Amaryllis Hippeastrum)
- Bleeding Heart Plant (Clerodendrum thomsoniae)
- Bromeliad (Bromeliad guzmania 'Claret’)
- Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera Bridgesii).
- Cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum)
- Christmas Rose (Helleborus niger)
- Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides)
- Jerusalem Cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum)
- Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana)
- Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla)
- Orchid (Phalaenopsis amabilis)
- Ornamental Pepper (Capsicum annuum)
- Paperwhites (Narcissus tazetta)
- Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima)
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
- Stromanthe (Stromanthe sanguinea 'Triostar’ or ‘Tricolor’)
Don't forget that ANY bulb can be forced now in time for the holidays or gift giving. You could create a red/white/green themed pot of tulips or go for trendy holiday decor color combos such as pink and deep purple tones. See the “Indoor Bulb Forcing” article on pages 6-7 of the current November/December 2007 issues of Washington Gardener Magazine for full instructions.
You may be seeing those painted or glittered poinsettias in stores around town. Why not DIY (do it yourself) and apply spray glue and glitter to inexpensive ornamental cabbage, kale, gourds, squash, pansies, or amaryllis? This could be a fun family activity especially for young children as there is no “wrong” way to throw on the glitz.
In the greater DC metro area, Mother Nature is winding down her more flamboyant outdoor activities and taking a much needed break for the winter. While she heads south, we gardeners head inside to our catalogs and online searches to dream about expanding our planting beds in the next growing year. We console ourselves with a bit of indoor gardening. Don’t forget in all the holiday rush to buy a new indoor plant or two for yourself as well as many of the loved ones on your gift list.
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 (November 16-December 15) in the greater DC area of interest to gardeners:
DC
Holiday Wreath Workshop
December 8, 10:30am–12:30pm OR 1:30–3:30pm
United States Botanic Garden Conservatory, 100 Maryland Avenue, SW, foot of the U.S. Capitol
Begin your holiday season by creating a beautiful and fragrant wreath for your door or mantle. The USBG will provide a mix of lush evergreens, cones, and ribbon. Feel free to bring any berries or additional decorations for your wreath. Please bring your own pruners to the workshop.
Fee: $40. Registration is required.
For more information: call 202.225.8333 or www.usbg.gov.
Victorian Kissing Ball Workshop
December 9 and repeated on December 16, 1:00pm
National Cathedral at the Greenhouse, NW, Washington, DC
Create this traditional favorite from Cathedral boxwood and trimmings. These annual workshops are a holiday tradition here at the Cathedral Greenhouse. The participation fee includes fresh boxwood directly from the Cathedral grounds. Candles, candle holders, ribbons, mistletoe, and florist foam are all included.
Fee: $35. Preregistration is required.
For more information: call 202.537.6263 or go to: www.cathedral.org.
Bonsai Winter Silhouettes
December 8-16, 10:00am-3:30pm
National Arboretum, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, International Pavilion, Special Exhibits Wing, NE, Washington, DC
Once the foliage drops in the fall, the inner beauty of bonsai and penjing comes alive. The architectural lines and inner framework of the trees become apparent. This winter exhibition of trees from the permanent collections will show the timeless structure of these aged beauties in a formal setting. Take a moment from your holiday schedule to enjoy these quietly, elegant national treasures.
Fee: $0/Free. Registration is not required.
For more information: call 202.245.2726 or go to: www.usna.usda.gov.
MD and PA
Behnke's Holiday Open House
November 17, 12:30-4:00pm
Behnke Nurseries' Potomac, MD location
Shop for unique gifts and decorations and choose from greenhouses filled with Behnke Signature Poinsettias. Select decorations and gifts from our Christmas Shop and enjoy light refreshments accompanied by Celtic music. They'll also have local craftspeople exhibiting and selling their wares.
Fee: $0/Free. Registration is not required.
For more information: www.behnkes.com or call 301.937.1100.
New Trends in Thanksgiving Centerpieces
November 20, 10:00am-12:00pm
Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton MD
Do you love the colors and textures of a Thanksgiving centerpiece, but have trouble fitting a traditional long and low centerpiece on your holiday table with all the food? The trend in dining d?cor is to use several smaller flower designs rather than one large centerpiece to maximize placement on your crowded table. You will create multiple small floral designs to enhance your holiday feast. You may bring 2 or 3 SMALL, LOW containers (perhaps dessert bowls that match your china) or use the ones provided. All flowers, seasonal materials such as gourds and wheat, and use of tools will be provided.
Fee: $42. Preregistration is required.
For more information: www.brooksidegardens.org
Holiday Greens Sale 2007
December 1, 10:00am–4:00pm
Adkins Arboretum, 12610 Eveland Road, Ridgely, MD
Fresh local greens, decorated wreaths, swags, roping, boxwood trees, and natural materials will be on sale to deck the halls for a beautiful Eastern Shore holiday.
Fee: $0/Free. Registration is required.
For more information, go to www.adkinsarboretum.org or call 410.634.2847.
VA and WV
Christmas Trees of Loudoun
December 1–21
Heritage Farm Museum, 21668 Heritage Farm Lane Sterling, VA
Ring in the holiday season with a celebration of local Christmas trees. Learn about the agricultural resources in your own back yard. Learn about tree varieties and care. Co-sponsored by the Loudoun Christmas Tree Growers Association and Loudoun County Economic Development.
Fee: $0/Free with paid museum admission.
Details at 571.258.3800 or www.heritagefarmmuseum.org.
Holiday Trees Display
December 3-24
River Farm, 7931 East Boulevard Dr., Alexandria, VA
Visitors are welcome to view River Farm’s Estate House in full holiday regalia. The Yacht Haven Garden Club will adorn the house inside and out with festive, fragrant trimmings, and local floral designers from Flowers Unique, The Blossom Shop, and The Enchanted Florist will creatively decorate River Farm’s indoor holiday trees this season. Please note, River Farm will be closed from December 25 through January 1.
Fee: $0/Free. Registration is not required.
For more information, call 703.768.5700 or visit www.ahs.org.
Gardeners’ Holiday Open House
December 9, 12:00Noon-4:00pm
Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria, VA
Enjoy free refreshments, holiday music, and view the beautiful decorations fashioned by our talented volunteers and staff. Do you have last minute shopping to do? Forget the malls; Green Spring's Garden Gate Gift Shop has a fabulous collection of gardening tools, apparel, and books available. Or perhaps their selection of fine teas, cookbooks, and tea paraphernalia will help complete your gift list.
Fee: $0/Free. Registration is not required.
Call 703.642.5173 to register. More details at www.greenspring.org.
Special Event: Washington Gardener 3rd Annual Seed Exchange
Washington Gardener 3rd Annual Seed Exchange
January 26, 2008, 12:30-4:00pm
Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton MD
Save the Date! Save Your Seeds! This year, Washington Gardener Magazine partners with Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD, to Celebrate National Seed Swap Day! Learn ~ Swap ~ Network.
Fee: $20 or $15 for Washington Gardener Magazine subscribers. Registration is required.
To register, go to: www.washingtongardener.com or call 301.588/6894.
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 December 12 for the December 15 edition of this enewsletter featuring events from December 16-January 15.
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Spotlight Special: Hydrangea Forever & Ever® Together
The Forever & Ever Hydrangea collection will expand in 2008 with the addition of Forever & Ever® Together (Hydrangea macrophylla 'REI 05' - PPAF). As with the previous introductions from Zelenka Nursery -- the original pink Forever & Ever, Forever & Ever Red, and Forever & Ever Double Pink -- this new variety also exhibits the generous feature of blooming on old wood and new wood.
This new variety from breeder Roji Irie of Kyoto, Japan, exhibits large 8" mophead blooms comprised of many individual double flowers that emerge light green in early summer. It does best in partial shade (morning sun with afternoon shade). The delightful color transition begins as the flowers progress from pink or blue (depending on soil acidity) throughout the summer maturing to rich violet or red by season's end. This compact grower -- 25" tall, 25" wide at maturity -- is hardy to zones 5 through 9. This is a must-have variety for growing in containers, beds, and borders.
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Reader Contest
For our November 2007 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, we are giving away five passes to the Brookside Gardens' Garden of Lights. Each pass admits one car load of people and includes a 10% discount at the Brookside Gardens gift shop, Marylandica.
This illuminated outdoor winter garden walk electrifies the landscape with over 600,000 tiny colored twinklers. The creative spirit of Brookside Gardens and its staff shines through in the original art forms of plants, animals, and fountains that are interpreted in a very festive but secular manner for all to enjoy during the holiday season. The light show is open on selected dates through January 6 and closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas night and New Year's Eve.
To enter for the Garden of Lights passes, send an email with "Garden of Lights" in the subject line to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by November 30. In the body of the email include your full name and address. The five pass winners will be announced and notified on December 1.
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November To-Do List
Here is our combined garden task list for November 15-December 15 compiled from the previous November 2005 and November 2006 issues of the Washington Gardener Enews:
- Switch your deer deterrent spray, if you've been using the same one for several months.
- Have your soil tested at least once every three years.
- Cover carrots and other root crops with straw to extend the harvest season.
- Deadhead spent mums and plant them (if still in pots).
- Leaf drop on established evergreen shrubs and rhododendrons is normal this time of year.
- Bulb foliage already starting to surface? Don't fret. It is also normal and will not impact next year's blooms.
- Check for vole problems and set out traps.
- Caulk and seal your home to prevent wildlife coming indoors.
- Protect fig trees from freezing by piling up leaves around them.
- Clean the leaves of your indoor houseplants to prevent dust and film build-up.
- Collect plant seeds for next year's planting and for trading.
- Turn off outdoor water valve and store hoses.
- Store terra cotta pots in a shed or protected areas.
- Prune and mulch hybrid tea roses.
- Harvest last of your vegetables and till compost into the beds.
- Plant garlic for harvest next spring.
- Force spring bulbs for indoor blooms this January by potting them up, watering thoroughly, and placing them in your vegetable crisper for about 10 weeks.
- Remove this year's fruiting raspberry canes down to the ground from raspberries.
- Clean out your ponds and compost annual plants. Move hardy plants to deeper water. Cover with netting to block falling leaves.
- Clean, sharpen, and store your garden tools.
- Reduce fertilizing of indoor plants.
- Set up a humidifier for indoor plants or at least place in pebble trays.
- Vacuum up any ladybugs that come in the house.
- Rotate houseplants to promote even growth.
- Pot up Paper Whites and Amaryllis for holiday blooming.
- Water evergreens and new plantings to keep them hydrated this winter.
- Fertilize your lawn and re-seed if needed.
- Transplant trees and shrubs.
- Continue to divide and transplant perennials.
- Rake leaves and gather in compost piles.
- Start feeding birds to get them in the habit for this winter.
- Attend a local garden club meeting.
- Turn your compost pile weekly and don't let it dry out. Work compost into your planting beds.
- Plant evergreens for winter interest.
- Weed.
- Take a break from holiday stress to enjoy your garden.
- Do not place live wreaths or greenery in between your door and a glass storm door, especially if the doorway is facing south. This placement will “cook” the arrangement on a sunny day.
Have a wonderful 2007 holiday season!
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Magazine Excerpt: Versatile Viburnums by Kate Tyndall
Blossom, berry, and fall color — viburnums hit the trifecta for a deciduous shrub. No wonder they rank high on gardeners’ list of must-have plants.
However, there are a couple of considerations to bear in mind before you buy. Viburnums are ample shrubs, typically as wide as or wider than they are tall. This means you will need to give them adequate room to display their charms. If you can’t supply that, don’t buy one. And if you want those handsome berries, be aware that some viburnums will need a pollinator — another viburnum — to set fruit. When it comes to fruiting, Phil Normandy, plant collections manager of Wheaton’s Brookside Gardens, which has a nice viburnum collection, adds a cautionary note: “If you have a lot of wildlife in your area, you aren’t going to see those fruits for more than 10 minutes.” Normandy says he’s even seen chipmunks climbing up in the shrubs to get at the berries.
Members of the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae), the genus viburnum is a big one, with about 200 species worldwide. More than half of them are native to North America. Some viburnums also have a heady fragrance.
These easy-to-cultivate, good-looking shrubs bear clusters of white, or sometimes pink, flowers in the spring. In our area, viburnums generally bloom in April and May. Leaf and plant height and shape vary widely among the viburnums, depending on species. There are viburnums with maple-shaped leaves, pleated-looking leaves, and rounded leaves. Leaf margins can be smooth or toothed. Foliage might be leathery, felted, or hairy, and leaf margins can be smooth or toothed.
When it comes to size and shape, viburnums possess a similar variety. Gardeners can choose from the upright spreading shape of the native arrowwood viburnum, the horizontally layered shape of the doublefile viburnums, or the dogwood-tree-sized native blackhaw viburnum. Of the latter (V. prunifolium), Normandy says, “It’s gorgeous if you have the room for it. Preserve it if it’s on your property.”
Not fussy about soil type....
Read the rest of this article and get more tips on Viburnum care and selection in the November/December 2007 issue of Washington Gardener magazine.
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Next Issue
The December 15, 2007 issue of Washington Gardener Enews will investigate Gardening by the Rules
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Edited by Kathy Jentz
Contact: editor@washingtongardener.com or 301.588.6894.
©Washington Gardener 2007
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