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Vol. 4, No. 4 — April 15, 2008
In This Issue:
When to Prune Spring Flowering Trees and Shrubs
Magazine Excerpt: Elevated Edibles
April To-Do List
Spotlight Special: Garden Splendor
Reader Contest: Leesburg Flower & Garden Fest Passes
Local Gardening Events
Welcome to the
Washington Gardener Enews!
This is the free sister publication of Washington Gardener Magazine.
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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 March/April 2008 Washington Gardener magazine is available now. If you subscribe by April 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 "No Yard? No Problem! Rooftop, Patio, and Balcony Gardens." Also in this issue: Temperate Tropicals; Seed Starting Basics; Photo Contest Winners; and, much, much more.
When to Prune Spring Flowering Trees and Shrubs
I don't think there is any gardening question I get more often than: "When can I prune plant X?" What many gardeners do not understand is that pruning encourages growth. When you cut a plant back, you are signaling to it that it is damaged or harmed in some way and regeneration is now needed. Think of the primeval forest, a deer comes along and breaks off yummy branches to eat. For the shrub or tree to survive, it needs to concentrate its energy on re-growing what was broken off. That energy is taken away from developing flowers, fruits, or root systems. Before making any cuts, ask yourself: do you want to encourage branch growth and at what cost?
So the million dollar question should not WHEN to prune, but WHY prune. Prune out what is dead, damaged, or diseased, but leave the healthy growth intact. If the plant is not impeding a path or blocking a window, leave it alone. If a shrub or tree is continually growing out-of-bounds and you are pruning it constantly, consider that it is planted in the wrong place. Move it or remove it. Then replace it with a plant that will naturally mature to within the space parameters you desire.
If you are pruning to rejuvenate a shrub, tree, or perennial, most of the time the answer to WHEN to do so is when the plant is dormant or just about to break out of dormancy. So for the majority of growing things in your garden that is late winter. This includes roses, fruit trees, perennials, etc.
For spring-blooming plants, the answer is to wait until the bloom cycle is finished. This is become in late winter they have already developed the flower buds that you will want to enjoy in spring. Pruning them along with all your summer/fall/winter bloomers will bring disappointment and a missed bloom period. The following plants should be pruned shortly after blooming this season:
- Azalea (Rhododendron species)
- Beautybush (Kolkwitzia amabilis)
- Bridal Wreath Spirea (Spirea x vanhouttei)
- Deutzia (Deutzia gracilis)
- Dogwood (Cornus)
- Filbert (Corylus)
- Flowering Crabapple (Malus species and cultivars)
- Fringetree (Chionanthus)
- Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia)
- Hawthorn (Crataegus species and cultivars)
- Bigleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)
- Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
- Magnolia (Magnolia species and cultivars)
- Mock Orange (Philadelphus coronarius)
- Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
- Quince (Chaenomeles speciosa)
- Redbud (Cercis)
- Rhododendron (Rhododendron species)
- Serviceberry (Amelanchier x grandiflora)
- Vibernum (Vibernum)
- Weigela (Weigela florida)
Happy Growing!
Kathy Jentz
Editor/Publisher
Washington Gardener
P.S. Our Washington Gardener Open Garden this year is being planned for the weekend of June 21. Keep watching this space for details.
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Local Gardening Events
Here is a selection of upcoming events (April 16-May 15) in the greater DC area of interest to gardeners:
DC
17th Annual FONA Garden Fair 2008
April 25 - FONA MEMBERS ONLY DAY: 12Noon-7:00pm
April 26 - Open to the Public: 9:00am-4:00pm
April 27 - Left Overs (if any) Sale: 12Noon-2:00pm
National Arboretum, 3501 New York Avenue, NE, Washington, DC
Attend the 2008 Garden Fair for a unusual selection of plants selected by our dedicated experts, gather growing advice from USNA curators and FONA gardeners extraordinaire, and enjoy activities celebrating all the promises that Spring gardening brings. FONA members enjoy early access on Friday, April 25. Here's a little secret: you can join right there at the event.
Fee: $0/Free. Registration is not required.
For more information: call 202.544.8733 or go to: www.fona.org.
Franciscan Monastery Garden Guild Annual Plant Sale
April 27, 9:30am-6:00pm and April 28, 8:00am-3:00pm
Mount St. Sepulchre Franciscan Monastery, 14th and Quincy Streets in the Brookland neighborhood of Northeast Washington, DC
Because the special requests are ever increasing, the offering grows larger each year. Favorite vendors will be back again. This year they are paying special attention to the rose offering. Comparison shopping indicates our prices are 20-30% less than nursery prices. Each rose receives TLC from time of receipt in bare root status until they are offered for sale.
Fee: $0/Free. Preregistration is not required.
For more information, call 202.526.6800 or visit www.myfranciscan.org.
Flower Mart at the National Cathedral
May 2, 10:00am-6:00pm and May 3, 10:00am-5:00pm
Washington National Cathedral, Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues, NW, WDC
Washington's premier outdoor festival for garden enthusiasts and families is held at the Washington National Cathedral, sponsored by All Hallows Guild for more than 60 years to support the care of the 59-acre grounds surrounding the Washington National Cathedral.
All Hallows Guild has sponsored this popular two-day festival since 1939. Plants, herbs, foods, puppet shows, carousel rides, boutiques and entertainment are offered on the Cathedral close on Friday and Saturday, the first full weekend in May. 2008 is the first time that the Republic of South Africa.
Fee: $0/Free. Preregistration is not required.
For more information: call 202.537.2937 or www.allhallowsguild.org.
MD and PA
The 71st annual Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage
April 26-May 18
Gardens and homes throughout Maryland
The tours will be held in Talbot County (April 26), Kent County (May 3), Mount Vernon in Baltimore City (May 4), Calvert County (May 10), Washington County (May 17) and Oella in Baltimore County (May 18). Proceeds from Pilgrimage ticket sales will support designated preservation projects in each host community.
Fee: $30.00 in advance and $35 on the day of the tour. A portion of the ticket price is tax deductible. Registration is required.
For more information: www.mhgp.org or call 410.821-6933.
Silver Spring Garden Club's Garden Mart
May 10, 9:00am-1:00pm
Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton MD
The Silver Spring Garden Club's annual Garden Mart plant sale is for bargain-seekers and plant-lovers. Come early for best pick of annuals, perennials, shrubs, herbs, houseplants, wildflowers, and much more. This event is rain or shine.
Fee: $0/Free. Pre-registration is not required.
For more information: www.brooksidegardens.org.
Hummingbird Container
May 14, 9:30-11:30am and again at 1:00-3:00pm
Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton MD
Catch a 'jewel' in a pot! Have you always envied those beautiful, flying jewels, known as hummingbirds? Learn what is needed to attract them to your garden. This class will include both lecture and demonstration for turning your garden into a beautiful home for hummingbirds. Then plant your very own hummingbird garden in a pot to take home. Fee includes a 14-inch container, great hummingbird plants, and instructions for catching a hummingbird's eye. The instructor is Joan O'Rourke, Friends of Brookside Gardens.
Fee: $50. Pre-registration is required.
For more information, call 301-962-1400 or go to www.brooksidegardens.org.
VA and WV
The American Horticultural Society’s Spring Plant Sale
April 18, 9:00am-5:00pm and April 19, 9:00am-4:00pm
AHS River Farm, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA
More than 20 vendors will offer a variety of trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, and other plants. Local artisans also will be selling crafts and other unique items. The AHS will be offering Diamond Frost® euphorbia from the Proven Winners collection. All proceeds from the sale will benefit the gardens and grounds of River Farm.
Concurrent with the plant sale, the National Capital Area Garden Clubs, Inc. District II Flower Show, “All Things Bright & Beautiful,” will be held on April 17 from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. and April 18 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the estate house at River Farm. This show will feature more than 50 designs and 300 horticultural pieces grown by garden club members. It is free and open to the public.
Free to attend. Parking is free for AHS members and $3 for non-members. Pre-registration is not required.
Visit www.ahs.org or call 703.768.5700 ext. 114.
Historic Garden Week in Virginia
April 19-27, 10:00am-5:00pm
Gardens and homes throughout Virginia
From the James River Plantations to the Eastern Shore, rich mosaic of some of the country’s finest properties at the peak of Virginia’s springtime color. Sponsored by The Garden Club of Virginia, local events are scheduled from the Atlantic Ocean to the Allegheny Mountains and will span the centuries from the early 17th through the early 21st. Visitors interested in architecture and interior decorating will see beautifully renovated historic properties as well as stunning contemporary residences, exceptional artwork, and some of the country’s best collections of glass, china, and American, European and Asian antiques. Many houses have interesting family histories intertwined with the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and the Victorian era.
Fee: between $10-$35 per event. Registration is required.
For more information, call 804.644.7778 or visit www.VAGardenweek.org.
Workshop: Living Wreaths
May 3, 1:30-3:30pm
Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria, VA
Bruce Nash, horticulture instructor at Northern Virginia Community College, creates this unique living wreath using succulents and herbs as inspiration for the class. Known for their striking forms, unusual colors and easy-care, succulents and herbs are fun plants to combine. Participants create a wreath of their own to take home with them. Plants, soil and containers provided.
Fee: $50. Registration is required.
Call 703.642.5173 to register. More details at www.greenspring.org.
Washington Gardener Special Events
The Capital Beltway Azalea Show
April 18-21
Behnkes Nurseries, 11300 Baltimore Avenue (U.S.1), Beltsville, MD
The Capital Beltway Azalea Show, the first in the series, provides a unique opportunity to view a huge collection of azalea, rhododendron and mountain laurel varieties unparalleled in the region. Attendees of the 4 day event will be treated to large, exquisitely landscaped show beds filled with all manner of spring blooming woody ornamentals. Many exotic and unusual varieties will be available for purchase. Special guest horticulturists, vendors, growers and master gardeners will be on hand to answer questions and dispense advice. An opening reception and Boordy Vineyards wine tasting is planned for the evening of Friday, April 18th, 6:00 to 9:00 pm.
Behnke Nurseries and Washington Gardener Magazine are working hard to make these events fun while retaining their “serious horticulture show” status. Raffle drawings and native plant sales to benefit Earth Share, free event logo t-shirts, vendor giveaways, live music and lots of county-fair-style food and drink will provide fun for the whole family.
Fee: $0/free. Registration is not required.
For more information: 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. PLEASE NO ATTACHMENTS! Our next deadline is May 12 for the May 15 edition of this enewsletter featuring events from May 16-June 15.
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Spotlight Special: Garden Splendor
A new line of premium, "luxury" garden plants is being marketed in our region. Garden Splendor® – Garden Splendor® is making hundreds of amazing “trialed and true” perennials, annuals, vines, shrubs, and trees available to consumers at independent garden centers throughout the Mid-Atlantic region in 2008. They are offered during prime blooming periods and in generous sizes so gardeners can easily envision and utilize them in appropriate spaces in the garden.
Over 500 varieties of perennials, ornamental grasses, patio plants, shrubs and vines have been selected as part of the premium line of Garden Splendor® plants, including nine Showcase varieties for 2008:
- Clematis ‘Daniel Deronda’
- Coreopsis ‘Pinwheel’
- Echinacea ‘Pink Double Delight’
- Geum ‘Mango Lassi’
- Hakonechloa ‘All Gold’
- Heuchera ‘Peach Flamb?’
- Mukdenia ‘Crimson Fans’
- Silene ‘Rolley’s Favourite’
- Veronica ‘Goldwell’
Each plant comes with an attractive, anodized “Remember Me” plant ID tag/ garden marker that will not disintegrate in cold, heat, or rain. Entire landscapes can be created from this wide selection of classy, elegant and dependable plant material. And, homeowners can learn all they would like to know about plant selection, planting tips, and more at www.gardensplendor.com.
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Reader Contest
For our April 2008 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, we are giving away passes to the upcoming Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival Saturday, April 19 through Sunday, April 20, 2008 in historic downtown Leesburg, VA.
Over 110 vendors will be on display, featuring landscape designs, gardening supplies, outdoor living items, plants, flowers, herbs, and more. Stroll through the streets and take in the sights and sounds of spring-time. Whether gathering ideas for your new outdoor patio, stocking up on gardening supplies, or searching for a perfect gift for the avid gardener in your life - this event will have something for everyone!
This prize package is a set of two passes worth $3 each for a total prize value of $6.
To enter to win the Leesburg Flower and Garden Fest passes, send an email with "Leesburg Flower Contest" in the subject line to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 6:00pm on April 16. In the body of the email include your full name and address. The pass winner will be announced and notified on April 17.
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April To-Do List
Here is our comprehensive garden task list for gardens in the greater DC metro region for April 16-May 15. Your suggestions and additions to this list are most welcome:
- If you started seeds last month, thin them and start the hardening off process.
- Start some more seeds -- especially try flowering annuals like impatiens and petunias.
- Do not set out seedlings or tender annuals until after Mother's Day (traditional last frost date for our entire area).
- Water during dry spells.
- Prune winter damage on evergreens.
- Make compost tea and use on seedlings.
- Turn your compost pile
- Sharpen tools.
- Prune flowering shrubs, such as forsythia, lilacs, and azaleas, when they finish blooming.
- Repot and fertilize houseplants.
- Set aside a few hours each weekend for attending garden shows and tours.
- Cut your Daffodils for indoor bouquets -- do not combine daffs with other flowers in one vase. They give off a toxic substance they may kill your other blooms off prematurely.
- Weed by hand to avoid disturbing newly forming roots.
- Soil preparation -- add lime, compost, etc. as needed.
- Walk your garden -- look for early signs of fungal disease.
- Divide perennials and herbs. Pot up extras to give away.
- Fertilize new growth.
- Plant and prune roses.
- Transplants small trees and shrubs.
- Buy or check on your stored summer bulbs (such as dahlias and caladiums). Pot them and start to water, if you want to give them an early start on the season.
- Prune fruit trees as their buds are swelling. Check for dead and diseased wood to prune out.
- Build a raised bed for vegetables. Add lots of manure and compost.
- Buy an indoor plant to liven up your office space. Try an orchid or African violet.
- Start fertilizing your indoor plants.
- Cut back and clear out the last of your perennial beds and ornamental grasses.
- Mulch beds with a light hand.
- Feed birds and provide nesting materials (try dryer lint) as well as houses for the start of their family season.
- Plant a tree for Arbor Day or Earth Day.
Have a wonderful 2008 growing season!
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Magazine Excerpt: Elevated Edibles by Cindy Brown
No Yard? No Problem! Living in an urban area has many benefits, but owning a house with a yard usually isn’t one of them. Discouraging for a wanna-be gardener perhaps, but instead of throwing in the trowel, why not bring bits of terra firma up to your level? Transform patios, balconies or rooftops into verdant acres, or at the very least, a few square feet of green. Evaluate the space available, consider its assets and limitations, and then think inside the box. Actually, think inside containers — all shapes, sizes, and materials. Before dashing to the store to buy a passel of pots, let’s develop a plan.
A Weighty Issue All gardeners should analyze their site, make a list of wants and needs, and then determine what plants will both please the gardener and thrive in the existing conditions. Edible plants should be on everyone’s desirable list. Is there anything more worthy of a gardener’s loving attention? When space counts, what is more appealing — a luscious, scarlet tomato or a hosta? But don’t stop with the “love peach,” all types of edibles can be grown in containers. The site’s physical characteristics are the main limiting factors. Your budget is also a major factor. If matching Italian terra-cotta pots filled with figs, kale, and cardoons are on your must list, you will be very fashionable, but your wallet will be much lighter. Good looks and expense aren’t the only considerations
when choosing containers. How much weight can your deck, balcony, or rooftop sustain? Before dragging out numerous pots and filling them with heavy potting soil, you better find out your weight limitations. Ask your super or property manager if your sky-high garden will stress the structure. And don’t forget to factor in the added water weight. A properly watered container could be twice the weight of a dry pot. Besides adding weight, consider what happens to the excess water. After all, when is the last time you watered a pot and all the water stayed contained? Will your deck withstand daily drenching? The neighbors downstairs probably won’t appreciate a daily waterfall. Even worse — what if the ceiling fails and you drop in with a salad mix for dinner? Apologies pardon some mistakes, but what
kind of apology is necessary for a leaky ceiling? Will a bushel of zucchini be enough to express regrets?
Weathering the Elements Simple things surface gardeners barely consider may cause you to scratch your head pondering a solution. Even if you’ve considered what impact water will have on your structure, have you thought how you are going to provide water? Think about squeezing through a window, up the fire escape and around the rooftop air conditioner units. Carrying buckets from the kitchen sink to the balcony or rooftop is exhausting. One trip would never be enough. Multiple trips, every day, 150 days a year — how committed are you to fresh basil? After a week of watering, you’ll want to simplify the process...
Read the rest of this article and learn about sources for growing easy edible containers in the March/April 2008 issue of Washington Gardener magazine.
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Next Issue
The May 15, 2008 issue of Washington Gardener Enews will describe the growing needs of Temperate Tropicals.
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Edited by Kathy Jentz
Contact: editor@washingtongardener.com or 301.588.6894.
©Washington Gardener 2008
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