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Vol. 4, No. 1 — January 15, 2008
In This Issue:
New Year's Resolutions for Your Garden
Magazine Excerpt: Notable Natives Disliked by Deer
January To-Do List
Spotlight Special: Rhododendron of the Year
Reader Contest: Seed Exchange Passes
Local Gardening Events
Welcome to the
Washington Gardener 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 January/February 2008 Washington Gardener magazine is available now. If you subscribe by February 23, 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 "Dealing with Deer: Gardeners vs Bambi" Also in this issue: Great New Plants for 2008; Orchid Fever; Delightful Daffodils; Our Favorite Garden Tools; and, much, much more.
New Year's Resolutions for Your Garden
It’s a new year and a brand new start not just for yourself, but for your garden as well. A new growing season is on the horizon and now is the best time possible to take a good luck at improving your garden in 2008.
Here are 10 resolutions you can make to give a boost to your gardening skills, increase your enjoyment of this wonderful hobby, and make less work for yourself in the coming year.
1. Take a class. Whether you are overzealous pruner or a negligent fertilizer, there is a class out there to help you reform your ways. There are a number of free and inexpensive garden seminars being offered in the DC-area. Check with your local garden center, botanic gardens, and historic homes for their upcoming session listings. We list local events in each issue of this enewsletter as well posting additional ones to the Washington Gardener yahoo list serv. Some of my favorites are offered by Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD, the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, DC, and Green Spring Gardens in Fairfax, VA.
2. Join a local garden club or plant society. The key here is learning from other’s experiences. Why reinvent the wheel? Local garden clubs are full of veteran gardeners who love to share their plant knowledge with fellow members. Many host expert speakers and have a wide range of other activities from plant exchanges to tours of historic gardens. Plant societies are clubs that specialize in one plant variety such as Orchids or Dahlias. If you are crazy about one particular plant type, then this is the place for you to find fellow enthusiasts. Garden clubs and plant societies are easily found through an online Google search and list their events in local newspaper calendars. Most meetings are free to the general public and all welcome newcomers.
3. Read. Visit your local library and book store for beautiful gardening books filled with photographs and diagrams. Every avid gardener spends their winter months reading about and dreaming of spring gardens. A home library full of garden resources will inspire you. Also, subscribe to a few garden magazines that are chock full of timely articles. Washington Gardener magazine is the bi-monthly print publication for the greater DC region, but other excellent magazines include Horticulture, American Gardener, and Fine Gardening.
4. Journal. You know that pile of plant tags, seed packs, and clipped articles from garden magazine that just kept growing larger all last spring through fall? Well, now is the time to get it organized in your garden journal. Take an evening or two to staple them to pages and pop in a three-ring binder. Make notes as to what was planted where, what worked, what didn’t, and what you’d like to try new this year.
5. Take photos. Did you get a new digital camera for Christmas? Pull it out of the box and put it to great use this year by taking photos of your yard from various vantage points. Repeat this monthly. Print out and store them in your journal. Or just buy a disposable film camera each month and put the developed photos in a “garden album.” You’ll be amazed at the differences as you flip back through each month and be able to clearly see next winter what seasons are lacking color and interest in your garden.
6. Plan. Get out a pencil and paper and start sketching ideas for a new front border, additional flower beds, or a water feature. Think about the kinds of gardens you’ve visited. Which ones have made you sigh with envy? What styles have you’ve always admired? Dream big!
7. Get organized. Just as your basement, closets, and attic could use a spring cleaning, your garden shed could use the same. Start by taking inventory of your tools, pots, seed packs, etc. What are you missing? What do you have too much of? Maybe you can trade items with fellow garden club members. I recently did a major shed clean-out and was surprised to find I had over 200 plastic starter pots accumulated from plant purchases! Those will be donated to a grower at my local farmer’s market.
8. Share. Make it a point to introduce at least one other person to gardening this year. Surely you have a neighbor, relative, co-worker, or friend who has admired your garden. Let them in on a few of your “secrets.” Share seeds, tools, and maybe even some of your vegetable plot to get them started. A few years from now they may come back with a bounty to share with you!
9. Bring the garden indoors and bring the comforts of the indoors out. Look at ways to enjoy your garden year-round. Even in the DC climate, you can garden in the depths of winter by forcing bulbs or starting seedlings. In the height of the growing season, don’t just use the outdoors as a workplace. Set up spaces for you to stop, relax, and enjoy the fruits of your hard labors.
10. Expand your garden interests. Go outside your comfort zone and widen your garden universe this year. If you always plant edibles, add some flowers. If you only do flowers, add in some edibles. Are you too afraid to grow “fussy” orchids or roses? Give one a try this year. I’ve personally never been taken with rock or alpine gardens, but I’m going to give one a try this spring. You never know what doors you may open when you go into new areas. Discover your next garden passion.
Happy Growing!
Kathy Jentz
Editor/Publisher
Washington Gardener
P.S. There is still time to enter the Washington Gardener Photo Contest! Entries are due before January 20. Go to Photo Contest Entry Form or the www.WashingtonGardener.com's Contests page for details.
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Local Gardening Events
Here is a selection of upcoming events (January 16-February 15) in the greater DC area of interest to gardeners:
DC
Orchid Talk
January 23, 7:15pm
DC Chevy Chase Community Center, 5400 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, DC
Carol Allen, Johnson’s Florist & Garden Centers’ orchid expert will talk about and demonstrate the cultivation of orchids, the handling, caring, watering, fertilizing, and re-potting of this tropical houseplant. She will discuss light, humidity, temperature, and watering requirements. This is a hands-on demonstration with live plants from the Johnson’s Florist & Garden Centers. Hosted by the Chevy Chase Citizens Association Garden Club.
Fee: $0/Free. Registration is not required.
For more information, email BBaldwing@yahoo.com.
An Alphabet Garden of Orchids
February 2 through April 13, 10:00am – 5:00pm
United States Botanic Garden Conservatory, 100 Maryland Avenue, SW, foot of the U.S. Capitol
An Alphabet Garden of Orchids will entice visitors to wander through, and linger in, an “alphabet garden” that celebrates the beauty and diversity of orchids. The exhibit invites an exploration of the world of orchids, from their astounding Adaptations to their environment . . . to orchids as a big Business among growers and merchandisers . . . to the critical Conservation of orchids . . . to the Zeal of orchid lovers worldwide.
Fee: $0/Free. Registration is not required.
For more information: call 202.225.8333 or www.usbg.gov.
Pruning for Professionals
February 13, 1:00-4:30pm (Repeats on February 20)
National Arboretum, Administration Building, 3501 New York Avenue, NE, Washington, DC
Skillful pruning can keep a tree or shrub healthy and attractive, while poor pruning can disfigure a plant for years. Instructors from the Arboretum and green industry introduce novice landscape maintenance professionals to the art and science of pruning ornamental trees and shrubs. Demonstrations and interactive problem-solving make this workshop informative and interesting.
Fee: $35 or $28 for FONA members. Registration is required.
For more information: call 202.245.2726 or go to: www.usna.usda.gov.
MD and PA
Washington Gardener Photo Contest 2008
January 1-19
Virtual/Online
This contest offers an opportunity for all photographers to present their best shots of gardens in the greater Washington, DC area. Contest entries will be judged on technical quality, composition, originality, and artistic merit. More than $500 in prizes will be awarded!
Entry Fee: $15 or $10 for Washington Gardener Magazine subscribers. Registration is required.
For more information, go to www.washingtongardener.com or call 301.588.6894.
Green Grows the Roof
February 2, 9:30-11:30am
Audubon Naturalist Society, 8940 Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase, MD
Although popular in Europe for some time, support for green roofs is now growing in our area. Rooftop carpets of living plants can help slow storm water runoff, cool surrounding air, absorb carbon dioxide and other pollutants, and provide habitat in our increasingly paved region. Join Audubon Society member Barbara Farron for a presentation on the green-roofed garden shed she and her husband Jim designed and constructed several years ago in Fairfax County. She’ll also provide information on green roof resources and green roof projects in our area.
Fee: $0/Free. Pre-registration is required.
For more information: www.audubonnaturalist.org or call 301.652.9188 ext. 16.
New Ways with Market Bouquets
February 6, 10:00am-12:00pm
Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton MD
If you have ever purchased a mixed bouquet of cut flowers and found that once the pretty paper is off and they are in a vase, the look is, well … just OK, then this is the class for you. Working in the Brookside "Lab," you will learn new and easy ways to transform your flowers into not one, but several mini bouquets to place together on a table or throughout your home. Please bring one small vase for your flowers; additional vases, tools for your use, and seasonal bouquets will be provided.
Fee: $40. Pre-registration is required.
For more information: www.brooksidegardens.org.
VA and WV
Water Quality
January 24, 7:00-8:30pm
Central Library Community Room, 8601 Mathis Avenue, Manassas, VA
A Senior Naturalist for the Audubon Naturalist Society will present information on local streams and watersheds and the impact of development and landscape practices on our waterways. Local volunteer monitoring programs will also be discussed.
Fee: $0/Free. Registration is required.
Call 703.792.7747 to register. More details at www.pwcgov.org.
Teaming With Microbes
February 3, 1:30-3:00pm
Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria, VA
No one ever fertilizes the Redwood Forests. How did these trees live over 500 years and grow to 380 feet without Miracle-Gro or other chemicals? Jeff Lowenfels will show you how to successfully use the very same natural principles in your gardens. No more chemical fertilizers, pesticides and other nasty chemicals and a lot less work as Jeff shows you how to team with microbes. Jeff Lowenfels’ book “Teaming With Microbes: A Gardener’s Guide to the Soil Food Web” will be available for sale and signing after the lecture.
Fee: $10. Registration is required.
Call 703.642.5173 to register. More details at www.greenspring.org.
Cut Flowers at Home and in the Garden
February 13, 10:30am-12:00pm
AHS headquarters at River Farm, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA
Amy Stewart, author of New York Times best-selling Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers, will reveal the secrets for great cut flowers that she learned from the professional florists and horticulturists she interviewed while researching her book. Find out what it takes to grow cut flowers organically in your garden. Learn a few easy tips for flower arranging, and discover how to make flowers last longer—whether they come from your garden or your local flower shop. Light refreshments and a book signing will follow the presentation.
Fee: $15 or $12 for AHS members. Pre-registration is required.
For more information, call 703.768.5700 ext. 114 or visit www.ahs.org.
Washington Gardener Special Events
3rd Annual Washington Gardener 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. Pre-registration is suggested.
To register, go to: www.washingtongardener.com or call 301.588/6894.
2nd Annual Washington Gardener Philadelphia Flower Show Tour
March 5, Wednesday, 10:00am-10:00pm
Departing from and returning to downtown Silver Spring, MD
The Philadelphia Flower Show is the largest indoor flower show in the world. This year's theme is New Orleans Jazz. Enjoy the award-winning displays, hear a lecture, watch a demonstration, and shop the marketplace. Lunch is provided. Dinner is on your own. Surprises and prizes will be awarded along the journey. Wear comfortable walking shoes.
Fee: 90 ($5 discount for Washington Gardener magazine subscribers). Registration is required by March 1.
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 February 12 for the February 15 edition of this enewsletter featuring events from February 16-March 15.
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Spotlight Special: Rhododendron of the Year
Twenty-eight rhododendrons selected for their adaptability in eight regions of the United States have been awarded Rhododendron of the Year (ROY) honors for 2008. The purpose of the awards is to educate the public about the wide range of rhododendrons that can be grown successfully in people's gardens. To be selected for a ROY award a plant must have excellent foliage and flowers, have an attractive growth habit, prove itself hardy for the specific region and be pest and disease resistant.
For each region, the Plant Award Committee has chosen four plants - an elepidote and a lepidote rhododendron and a deciduous and an evergreen azalea. For our Mid-Atlantic region, they are:
- Elepidote Rhododendron: 'Mist Maiden' R. degronianum ssp yakushimanum form
- Lepidote Rhododendron: 'Weston's Aglo' R. minus compact form x R. dauricum hybrid
- Evergreen Azalea: 'Dream' R. simsii x R. mucronatum
- Deciduous Azalea: 'White Lightning' Natural hybrid believed to be R. arborescens x R. calendulaceum or R. cumberlandense
Details and photos of these selections are available at www.rhododendron.org.
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Reader Contest
For our January 2008 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, we are giving away passes to the upcoming 3rd Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchange on Saturday, January 26 at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD.
The event program includes stellar speakers: Gene Sumi, Homestead Gardens; Mark Smallwood, Whole Foods' Green Mission Specialist; and, Janet Draper, Smithsonian.
Each attendee receives a generous goody bag full of seed packs from companies such as Burpee and D. Landreth Seed Company among many other great garden items. Every attendee also gets a chance to win a selection of door prizes ranging from fruit trees from Edible Landscaping to watering cans from Gardener's Supply/Dutch Gardens.
This prize package is a set of two passes worth $20 each for a total prize value of $40.
To enter to win the Seed Exchange passes, send an email with "Seed Exchange Contest" in the subject line to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by January 23. In the body of the email include your full name and address. The Seed Exchange pass winner will be announced and notified on January 24.
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January To-Do List
Here is our comprehensive garden task list for gardens in the greater DC metro region for January 15-February 15. Your suggestions and additions to this list are most welcome:
- Prune any dead or diseased wood.
- Plant frost-tolerant trees.
- Cut off the flower stalk on your amaryllis once the flowers fade.
- Keep poinsettias in a well-lit area - but out of direct sun and away from drafts.
- Buy a few new house plants.
- Fertilize your winter-blooming house plants – such as Violets – cut back on fertilizing all others.
- Give your house plants a quarter turn every few weeks.
- Build a compost bin.
- Repair your shed.
- Repair and paint your fences.
- Clean out your cold frame.
- Collect large plastic soda bottles to use as cloches*.
- Clean and refill bird feeders.
- Wash and refill the birdbath or set out a shallow bowl of water in icy weather.
- Check on stored bulbs and seeds.
- Buy seeds and order plants from the new garden catalogs.
- Prune summer bloomers such as hydrangeas, rose-of-sharon, crepe myrtles, and butterfly bushes.
- Till and add organic matter to annual/vegetable beds.
- Weed – especially look for fast-growing vines such as honeysuckle, autumn clematis, bittersweet, wild grape, Virginia creeper, and poison ivy.
- Place a floating ball or a small plastic soda bottle filled two-thirds full with water and a tablespoon of salt in your pond to stop it entirely icing over especially if you have fish. When ice has formed, remove the ball or bottle by pouring hot water over the surface.
- Insulate outdoor containers by wrapping them with bubble wrap or landscape fabric.
- Take a walk and look for deciduous woody ornamentals that create striking silhouettes during the shortest days of the year. Look for Harry Lauder’s walking stick, corkscrew willow, and weeping cherry. They could be great additions for your own garden as well.
- Check that newly planted trees, shrubs, and perennials have not been heaved out of the ground due to freezing and thawing cycles.
- Take hardwood cuttings from willow and dogwood.
- Look for evidence of pest or fungal damage.
- Clean out your greenhouse and wash those windows.
- Set out your live potted evergreens from holiday decorating in a protected outdoor space to harden off pre-planting.
- If we do get snow in the DC area, gently dislodge snow from trees and shrubs with a broom to prevent damage to branches.
- Start hardy herbs, onions, cabbage, pansies, and perennials.
- Clean and tidy up pots and seed trays to a get good start in February.
- Use leftover holiday greens and cut up tree branches to mulch beds and create wind-breaks.
- Do not step on frozen soil in flower beds or lawns.
- Keep all houseplants out of drafts and away from heat vents.
- Use de-icer sparingly or use a nonchemical substitute such as sand, grit, or kitty litter.
- Volunteer at a local public or historic garden.
- Paint a few terra cotta pots in spring-like colors.
- Pot-up any leftover bulbs that did not make it into the ground by now and force them for indoor blooms.
*A cloche is a clear, bell-shaped cover used to protect tender plants from frost.
Have a wonderful 2008 growing season!
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Magazine Excerpt: Notable Natives Disliked by Deer by Sylvan Kaufman
When you walk into a mature woodland, you should see many layers of plants — tall canopy trees, smaller understory trees, and tree saplings, and at ground-level, new tree seedlings, wildflowers, and shrubs. In woods where deer are overly abundant, only tall trees, understory trees, and any plants unpalatable to deer remain. You can see through the woods, and branches start above the reach of a deer’s mouth.
Deer have had a devastating impact on wildflowers in some places. Not only do they eat the plants, but they also make way for invasive plants like garlic mustard to come in. Deer have been around our region for thousands of years, so you may wonder why native plants aren’t better defended against them. Deer populations now are higher than they were before European settlement. Deer populations crashed as settlers hunted them for meat and to protect their crops so that by 1880, the only deer remaining in Maryland lived in the western-most part of the state. It wasn’t until the 1930s to 1950s that deer populations in Virginia and Maryland began increasing again as deer were re-introduced to different parts of the states and game laws encouraged conservation.
Some native plants are well defended against deer. Crush and smell a leaf of the Paw Paw tree, Asimina triloba, and you might wonder how anything could eat it! The smell has variously been described as like used motor oil or very strong green pepper...
Read the rest of this article and learn about other deer-resistant native plants in the January/February 2008 issue of Washington Gardener magazine.
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Next Issue
The February 15, 2008 issue of Washington Gardener Enews will share Growing Dwarf Citrus Trees
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Edited by Kathy Jentz
Contact: editor@washingtongardener.com or 301.588.6894.
©Washington Gardener 2008
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