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Vol. 1, No. 2 ??” February 15, 2005
In This Issue:
Starting Seeds Indoors
Forcing Branches Into Bloom
February To-Do List
What's Blooming
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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Seed Starting
Before we get into this month's feature story, I wanted to let you all know the March/April issue of Washington Gardener magazine has just gone to the printer. I can't tell you how excited we are! If you haven??™t already subscribed yet ??“ please do so today. Here is a little teaser from our first table of contents: Designing an Herb Garden, Finding Your Spiritual Nature, Finding Your Garden Spot, Dealing With Urban Air Pollution, Preventing Gardener's Back, and much, much more.
In addition, we have a great offer for our Charter Subscribers: you could win a free massage! Charter Washington Gardener advertiser, Rose Spa Services, has generously offered a gift certificate for a two-hour seated massage as our Subscription Campaign Contest prize. Won't that feel wonderful after a day of spring planting and yard chores?
All Washington Gardener charter subscribers are eligible to win. You must subscribe to Washington Gardener magazine by April 15 to qualify. Your paid subscription will be your automatic contest entry. The contest prize winner will be selected and notified on April 16. To subscribe and be eligible for the prize drawing, see the subscription details near the bottom of this enewsletter. To contact Rose Spa Services for details on their offerings which include massages, facials, manicures, and pedicures ??” email: blossomdc@yahoo.com or call: 301.379.ROSE. Indulge yourself or purchase for that special someone. Now back to our feature story...
I wear garden gloves for every chore I do, except for indoor seed starting. This is one task where it is just down-right fun to get your hands dirty. You can be a child again or start seeds with your favorite preschooler for even more enjoyment.
Seed starting gets you in touch with the gardening process from beginning to end. You'll be more invested in your "babies" when you start them off in life yourself, rather than buying a six-pack at your local home improvement center.
Seed starting is economical. You can start off with just a $1.29 pack of seeds, a sterile potting mix (seed starter blend), plastic wrap, and a clean styrofoam egg carton or use a clear plastic take-away food container. You can punch a few holes in the bottom for drainage and line with coffee filters to prevent soil leakage. The take-out containers have built-in clear tops, so need for the extra plastic wrap step.
You can get very involved in seed starting and invest in heat pads, light tables, etc. But I recommend you begin with a few easy varieties (such as zinnias and sweet alyssum) and just the basics:
1. Wet your soil and spoon it into your seed-starting containers.
2. Read the seed pack instructions and determine the plant depth.
3. Insert seeds gently into the soil. Add a layer of soil to cover the seeds.
4. Use a mister to water in the new seeds. Be sure the soil always stays moist.
5. Place the container on a layer of newspaper in a sunny window.*
6. Cover the container with a clear plastic top or plastic wrap until the seeds sprout.
7. Check the seedlings daily and mist as needed.
8. After about 8 weeks, harden them off by putting them outside for a few hours each day on a sunny porch and increasing their exposure time a bit every day.
9. After about 2 weeks of hardening, transplant your "babies" outside.
There are so many different complications to seed starting we can only scratch the surface here. For instance, some large seeds need soaking before planting and others have a tough coating that needs to be nicked. Over time you can experiment with different varieties and methods. The important thing is to get started and learn from experience.
*Note that some plants germinate in the dark. Check seed packs for detailed instructions.
Happy Growing!
Kathy Jentz
Editor/Publisher
Washington Gardener
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Local Gardening Events
Here is a selection of upcoming events in the DC area of interest to gardeners:
DC
Bonsai Repotting
February 26, 1:00-2:30pm
(Repeats on March 12)
Administration Building Auditorium, United States National Arboretum, 3501 New York Avenue, NE, Washington, DC
Join curatorial staff of the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum for this combined lecture and demonstration focusing on the horticultural and design issues of the critical repotting process.
Fee: $12. Registration is required.
For more information: call 202.245.4523 or www.usna.usda.gov
Introduction to Chinese Gardens
March 6, 2:00-3:00pm
Administration Building Auditorium, United States National Arboretum, 3501 New York Avenue, NE, Washington, DC
Learn the five key elements that comprise a classical Chinese garden to create a setting where visitors can learn, relax, and enjoy during this presentation from Dr. Thomas Elias, Director, U.S. National Arboretum.
Fee: $12. Registration is required.
For more information: call 202.245.4523 or www.usna.usda.gov
MD
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Contemplative Garden Design
February 16, 7:30-9:00pm
Long Branch Library, 2nd Floor Meeting Room, 8800 Garland Avenue, Silver Spring, MD
Gardener and artist Sam Noto will present a slide show-and-tell on the role of paths, plants, and garden features in Zen gardens of the Far East.
Free. Registration not required. Please bring refreshments to share.
For more information: contact Susan Harris at 301.270.5481 or harristakoma@erols.com. See also www.takomahort.org.
Basic Vegetable Gardening
February 20, 10:00-11:00am
Behnke Nurseries' Beltsville location, second floor Assembly Room
Cindy Brown of Green Spring Gardens Park says: "Dig in! Anyone can raise vegetables." Learn the basics and you're on your way to fresh, delicious home-growns.
Free. Registration recommended.
For more information: 301.937.1100 or www.behnkes.com/.
VA
Capital Home & Garden Show
February 24-27
Dulles Expo Center, 4368 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly, VA
With spring right around the corner, homeowners will find everything needed for all their gardening and landscaping projects, as well as their decorating and remodeling tasks. More than 600 exhibitors spread throughout two giant buildings are available to offer advice, ideas and inspiration for any home project anywhere outside or inside the house.
Admission is $9 for adults, $3 for children ages 6 to 12, and free for kids 5 & under. Tickets can be purchased at the Dulles Expo Center box office during show hours.
For more information: www.CapitalHomeShow.com
EcoSavvy Gardening Symposium
February 26, 8:30am-4pm
Green Spring Gardens, Alexandria, VA
Rainwater Runoff and Erosion Solutions; Native Plants for The Northeast: The Best Plants for Difficult Locations; Ecology For Gardeners: Keeping Our Gardens Green; and, Bay Friendly Gardening: Healthy Soil Makes Healthy Plants.
Registration of $35 required. Space is limited. Call 703.642.5173 to register.
For more information: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks
To submit an event for this listing, please contact: editor@washingtongardener.com.
Our next deadline is March 12 for the March 15 edition of this enewsletter.
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What's Blooming
It has been an odd Winter. We are already seeing the first signs of Spring already around the region.
From January 15-February 15 in Northern Virginia and DC, many readers report crocus, Winter aconites, snowdrops, and pansies.
Many of the same are abloom in suburban MD, along with pink heather, Hellebores, and lots of bulb foliage peeking out.
Way up in Brunswick, MD, a Winter jasmine has been blooming for the last few weeks.
Let us know what is blooming in your garden during this next month. Please include your name, city, state, plant(s), and the dates of bloom. Send to editor@washingtongardener.com by March 12 and we??™ll note it in our March 15 issue.
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February To-Do List
It is still winter, but we've been getting some unusually warm days that let us get out into the garden for some clean-up and prep work. Pick and choose from the following list and do them as time, weather, and inclination allows.
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Prune any dead or diseased wood off trees and shrubs.*
Fertilize trees, shrubs, and evergreens.
Prune roses.
Begin tilling beds (when the earth is dry enough to work) and work in compost.
Plant or transplant trees or shrubs including berries, roses, and evergreens.
Feed the lawn with a spring lawn fertilizer.
Protect tender plants by covering them with some type of cloth material, if an unusually cold day or night is forecast. Be sure to uncover them as soon as it warms up.
Weed.
Trim ornamental grasses such as liriope, mondo, and pampas.
Dividing overgrown or crowded perennials such as daylily and shasta daisy.
Watch houseplants for insect activity.
Clear out perennial beds of any dead plant parts and debris.
Clean and organize the garden shed.
Clean, sharpen, and oil the tools. If not done last Fall.
Walk your yard and check plants for heaving and place them back into the ground. Placing more mulch to prevent further heaving.
Apply dormant oil spray to ornamentals and fruit trees before dormancy breaks.
Keep birdfeeders filled and provide a source of water.
Check and tune-up power equipment (mowers and trimmers).
Build garden furniture.
Spread new gravel on paths.
Mulch bare areas.
Design new beds and gardens.
Pick up a gardening book or magazine.
Dust your house plants with a slightly damp cloth.
*Last issue we recommended pruning your hydrangea. Reader Carol Parker noted: "Deadwood pruning is fine, but I would not recommend pruning green stems of hydrangeas unless you want to severely limit the number of blossoms. My next door neighbor used to prune his hydrangeas every winter and they never bloomed until he stopped. I have also noticed that a late freeze will kill budding blossoms and will drastically limit the number of blooms."
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Forcing Branches Into Bloom<
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Can??™t wait for Spring? Neither can most gardeners and that??™s why branch forcing is so popular at this time of year. There are not very many garden tasks as easy as branch forcing and with such great rewards. Pictured here are some Forsythia branches I cut from bushes in my yard less than three weeks ago. They have been blooming prolifically for the last few days.
Other branches suitable for forcing are: bittersweet, any fruit tree, quince, willow, spirea, redbud, and witch hazel.
Just cut a few long branches with a sharp pruner. Choose a tall, sturdy vase and fill it with warm water. Remove any buds that will be below the water line. Re-trim the ends by cutting at a diagonal just before putting them in the water. Some people go the extra step of crushing the stem ends with a hammer or splitting them a few inches up their length to allow more water to enter the stems.
Bonus Tip: Use forced branches for an ???Easter tree??? by hanging store-bought or hand-decorated eggs* from the branches.
*Be sure to blow out the egg contents and clean them thoroughly before decorating and displaying.
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Next Issue
The March issue of Washington Gardener Enews will cover Growing Your Own Easter Basket.
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Edited by Kathy Jentz
Contact: editor@washingtongardener.com or 301.588.6894.
?©Washington Gardener 2005
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