Washington Gardener Magazine May 2015

MAY 2015 VOL. 10 NO. 3 WWW.WASHINGTONGARDENER.COM

WASHINGTONWWASWASWWASWWASWASHINGTOHINGTOgardenergthe magazine for gardening enthusiasts in the Mid-Atlantic region

Top Local Spots for Azalea

ViewingMay-June

Garden TasksKniphofia:

Red Hot PokerTomato Terms and

Types DefinedNew Strawberry

Cultivar

Meet Ari Novy, Executive Director of

US Botanic Garden

Easy Basil Growing TipsLocal Garden Events Listing

Garden Tours Round-UpExplore the Best Private Gardens in our Region

2 WASHINGTON GARDENER MAY 2015

RESOURCESsourc

Barry GlickSunshine Farm and GardensHC 67 Box 539 BRenick, WV 24966, USAEmail: [email protected] www.sunfarm.com

RARE AND EXCEPTIONAL PLANTS FOR THE DISCRIMINATING GARDENER AND COLLECTOR

Green Spring GardensA “must visit” for everyone in the met-ropolitan Washington, DC, area. It’s a year-round gold mine of information and inspiration for the home gardener. It’s an outdoor classroom for children and their families to learn about plants and wildlife. It’s also a museum, a national historic site that offers glimpses into a long, rich history with colonial origins. Located at 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alex-andria, VA. Information: 703-642-5173.

www.greenspring.org

Specializing in Garden Renewals & Renovations

Yard By Yard Makeovers, LLC7304 Carroll Avenue, #229Takoma Park, MD 20912

301-270-4642 [email protected]

www.yardmakeovers.comWe can reshape and beautify

neglected yards.

ooo o

o oNeed a Garden Club Speaker?

Washington Gardener Magazine’s staff and writers are available to speak to groups and garden clubs in the greater DC region. Call 301.588.6894 or email

[email protected] available dates, rates, and topics.

GoGardeners Garden Coaching

Elise StiglianoGarden Coach

[email protected] • 301-518-8333

www.gogardeners.com

A Cannabis Concepts Event....Washington, DC Cannabis

Cultivation SeminarSaturday, July 18, 2015 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM

Learn to grow cannabis from a experienced cultivator with experience growing legal can-nabis in Amsterdam. Visit: www.thecannabisconcepts.com

MAY 2015 WASHINGTON GARDENER 3

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INSIDEcontents

FEATURES and COLUMNSBOOKreviews 6-7 Seed Libraries, Container Gardening, Allergy-Fighting Garden and Stopping Asthma DAYtrip 8-9 Local Azalea Viewing SpotsGARDENtours 14-15 Spring 2015 Tour Listings EDIBLEharvest 16-17 Easy Basil Growing GuideNEIGHBORnetwork 20-21 Ari Novy, USBG Exec. Director NEWPLANTspotlight 11 Strawberry ‘Sweet Sunrise’PLANTprofile 18-19 KniphofiaTIPStricks 10 Tomato Terms and Types, New Master Gardener Web SiteDEPARTMENTSADVERTISINGindex 22BLOGlinks 11EDITORletter 4GARDENcontest 5LOCALevents 12-13MONTHLYtasklist 11NEXTissue 3RESOURCESsources 2

ON THE COVERPoplar Grove, the home of Charles Prillaman and Parker Jennings, on the Historic Garden Week in Virginia Garden Club of Fairfax Tour: Clifton/Fairfax Station, VA. In Our Next Issue:

JUNE 2015Dragonflies

Visit to Sunshine Farm in WVMicrogreens

and much more...Be sure you are subscribed to:

Click on the “subscribe” link at http://washingtongardener.

blogspot.com/

Click on the “subscribe” link

Win passes to 11th annual DC Green Festival Expo June 5-7 at the DC Convention Center! See page 5 for entry details. The contest entry deadline is 5:00pm May 29. o

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oDr. Ari Novy is responsible for leading and planning day-to-day operations and major programs at the U.S. Botanic Garden on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

Basil plants need enough space between plants and rows to allow for good air cir-culation. Photograph of ‘Thai Red’ basil by KitazawaSeed.com.

Kniphofia ‘Orange Vanilla Popsicle’ is the earliest bloomer in the Popsicle series. It is a rebloomer with short, grassy leaves and a compact habit. Photo courtesy of www.terranovanurseries.com.


Other People’s GardensHere I am (pictured above) on yet another garden tour. This spring, I have spent far more time in other people’s gardens, than in my own and that is pretty typical of how my life is every April through June. Oh, I am not complaining! I love visiting other gardens and meeting all the lovely gardeners as well as chatting with fellow garden tour visitors. I just wish there were more hours in the day so I could spend those vital spring months tending my own home garden. What little time I do get for gardening is mostly spent on my community garden plot. I run over for an hour here and there just trying to keep up with harvesting the early spring crops and plant-ing summer edibles in time for them to settle in before the heat sets in. My home garden has to wait until garden tour season ends in mid-June and I normally don’t consider it “ready for company” until well into July.

In this issue, I share a page of highlight photos from this spring’s tours that have already taken place, along with a listing of upcoming tours. I hope you will get a chance to go on at least a few of these. They provide a wonderful chance to see what is working well in other local gardens, It is always nice to get outside and enjoy the beauty of our region and to get away from our regular routines. I always return from these tours full of ideas and renewed energy for tackling my own garden.

If you enjoy the tour photos you see here, please visit and “like” the Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine page. I post photo albums from each tour I visit there, as well as photos from other local gardening events that take place through-out the year, from local garden club plant swaps to visiting expert speakers. I hope you will stop by the page and comment plus share your garden photos, too!

Happy gardening!

Kathy Jentz, Editor/Publisher, Washington [email protected]

EDITORletter

CreditsKathy JentzEditor/Publisher& Advertising SalesWashington Gardener826 Philadelphia Ave.Silver Spring, MD 20910Phone: [email protected]

Call today to place your ad with us!

Ruth E. Thaler-CarterProofreader

Cover price: $4.99Back issues: $6.00Subscription: $20.00 Foreign subscription: $24.00

Address corrections should be sent to the address above.

• Washington Gardener Blog:www.washingtongardener.blogspot.com• Washington Gardener Archives:http://issuu.com/washingtongardener• Washington Gardener Discussion Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WashingtonGardener/• Washington Gardener Twitter Feed:www.twitter.com/WDCGardener

• Washington Gardener is a woman-owned business. We are proud to be members of:· Garden Writers Association· Think Local First DC· DC Web Women· Green America Magazine Leaders Network· Green America Business Network

Retail stores wishing to sell our publica-tion should contact Kathy Jentz at the contact information above.

To order reprints, contact Wright’s Reprints at 877.652.5295, ext. 138.

Volume 10, Number 3ISSN 1555-8959© 2015 Washington GardenerAll rights reserved. Published quarterly.No material may be reproduced without prior written permission. This magazine is purchased by the buyer with the under-standing that the information presented is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by the pub-lisher as to legality, completeness, or techni-cal accuracy.

All uncredited photos in this issue are © Kathy Jentz.

Kathy Jentz at Redlac Drive on Virginia garden tours. Photo by Sue Hauser.


READERcontt

Reader ContestFor our May 2015 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away 25 pairs of passes to DC Green Festival (prize value: $12 each). Celebrate the 11th annual DC Green Festival Expo taking place June 5-7 at the DC Convention Center, now three days long. Shop for everything you need to live a more sustainable lifestyle with over 200 green brands! Taste vegan and vegetarian food and beverages. There is something for everyone to enjoy including educational and inspirational presentations from well-known chefs and sustainable fashion designers, test drives in the new electric BMW i3, and pet adoptions through the Green Festival Saves Lives Campaign. Green Festival Expo will even be run on clean energy through sponsorship with Arcadia Power. Ride your bike to the DC Green Festival, bring your helmet to the box office, and receive free admission. Visit greenfestivals.org for more information and ticket specials. To enter to win the DC Green Fest Passes, send an email to [email protected] by 5:00pm on Friday, May 29, with “DCGreen” in the subject line and in the body of the email. Please also include your full name and mailing address. The pass winners will be announced and notified on June 1. See Washington Gardener Magazine at Booth #407 at the festival!

Caption Contest

Winning Captions: “Help, I’m drowning in yew.” ~ David Hobson

“From this angle, it looks like it might be saying, ‘Hi-ho! Kermit the Frog here!’” ~ Julie Blackwell

“When I’m calling yew-ew-woo-woo...” ~ Tom Jones

“For my next high jump, I’m practicing the swan dive.” ~ Carol Anne Simms

“Way down upon the Swanee River... when did it get so full of brush?” ~ Kevin E. James

“Don’t mind me, I’m just swanning around.” ~ Carin Berns

“I’m a sitting duck!” ~ Tyler James Jr.

“Just a little off the top, please.” ~ Joan Ames

“Feeling a bit green up at this height!” ~ Aaron Reeves

This swan topiary on a yew hedge is at Ladew Topiary Gardens in Monkton, MD. We asked our Facebook page followers: If it could talk, what would it say to the garden’s visitors? Look for more monthly caption contests at the Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine page.

Topiary Swan photo by Kathy Jentz.

Local Gardening CalendarEach month includes a list of what to do in the garden for local DC-MD-VA and Mid-Atlantic gardeners, along with a gorgeous photo of a seasonal flower from a local public garden col-lection in our area. Go to http://www.cafepress.com/washgardener to order this new cal-endar for gifts and to treat yourself! Be sure to note on your order what month you want the calen-dar to start with. This calendar is a keeper that you can use for years!


up some pointers, too, as well as ben-efiting from the plant lists. One small disadvantage to the book is its British origin, but as long as read-ers are willing to translate words and phrases such as “aubergine,” “potting compost,” and (a new one for me) “Chelsea chop” (the technique of prun-ing back straggly perennials in early summer to encourage new growth), the prose is completely understandable. Occasional references to supplies not available in this country, or pests that are not common here, detract very little; you might want to double-check another source on suitability of plants to this climate. All in all, this is a nicely compact and fairly complete source for information about a trending topic. I don’t think anyone will be able to read it without wanting to pot up at least one growing thing.

Erica is a Montgomery County Master Gardener, runs the Grow It Eat It blog for the University of Maryland Extension, and grows vegetables in her own community garden plot and in the MG Demonstration Garden in Derwood, MD. She is the author of several novels; visit her web site at ericahsmith.wordpress.com.

The Allergy-Fighting Garden: Stop Asthma and Allergies with Smart LandscapingBy Thomas Leo OgrenPublisher: Ten Speed PressList Price: $22.99 Reviewer: Kathy ParrentIf you’re feeling weepy, sleepy, sneezy, or dopey and it happens every year at this time, this book will help give you relief by showing you how you can choose allergy-free plants for your gar-den. The best treatment for allergies and asthma, Thomas Ogren believes, is replacing male trees and plants with females. The author, a horticulturist with a master’s degree in agricultural sci-ence, has devoted over three decades to research on allergens and plants, bridging the gap between medicine and horticulture. Ogren’s interest in the subject grew out of his wish to help his wife, who suffered from both allergies

BOOKreviewsContainer GardeningBy Ian HodgsonPublisher: Mitchell BeazleyList Price: $19.99Reviewer: Erica H. SmithContainer gardening is becoming increasingly

popular, as many people who have small properties, or apartments with balconies, want to grow ornamentals or food plants. The publishing world has taken note, and there is no short-age of books on the subject. This one, from a UK publisher and the Royal Horticultural Society, would be a fine choice for someone getting started with growing in containers. The book covers general principles and specific techniques, as well as many examples of plants (edibles and ornamentals) that can be grown in con-tainers. It’s a compact and handsome volume, with many clear and attrac-tive photos and drawings. It provides a thorough overview, including: types of containers (pots, baskets, raised beds, window boxes, grow bags — even green walls!) and how to select them; best choices for vegetables, herbs, fruit, trees, shrubs, annuals, perenni-als, bulbs, indoor plants, and more; tips for buying and planting each of these; design basics; information about grow-ing media, drainage, feeding, watering, replanting, plant protection, using sup-ports, moving containers, pruning, etc.; and some pests and diseases that may be encountered. I like the practical approach to all the topics discussed. You won’t just learn how to pop plants into containers, but how to nurture them as part of your garden through a season or through many years. The author makes clear that, while many plants can be contain-er-grown, some will work better than others, and that production may be lower and water needs higher than with the same plants grown in the ground. The rewards of container growing are also made clear, but won’t happen without some work and thoughtfulness on the gardener’s part. Beginning container gardeners are likely this book’s main audience, but more experienced growers could pick

and asthma. He describes how to pre-vent allergies and asthma by removing the most common offending substance — pollen. Each of us has a threshold of how much exposure to allergens we can tolerate, so it can make a big differ-ence in the quality of your life to make adjustments to your immediate environ-ment. Both allergies and asthma have increased dramatically over the past few decades. In the 1950s, about two to five percent of Americans suffered from allergies. By 1999, 38 percent of the population did and that number is still climbing in some urban areas. In the U.S., asthma is the number one chronic disease among children. According to the author, most urban and suburban landscapes are planted with male trees that produce pollen. In the 1940s, the USDA began recom-mending male trees to urban planners and nurseries and home gardeners as an easy solution to the “messiness” caused by female trees that produce fruit. Then, in the 1960s and ’70s Dutch Elm Disease swept across the country, killing millions of trees. Many of those fallen trees were replaced with male trees. The problem, as Ogren describes, is that male trees produce pollen. (Lots and lots of the stuff!) Females produce seeds or fruit and sometimes nectar. And they not

only produce no pollen, but they trap and remove pollen from the air, so the systematic replace-ment of female trees with males over many decades has coin-cided with the dramatic increase in allergies and asthma. It is, he says, yet another example of manipulating large ecosystems without anticipating the harmful side effects.

Much of the book serves as a tuto-rial on the sex lives of trees and plants. And it turns out that the love lives of plants are just as complicated as those of humans! Dioecious plants are sepa-rately sexed. Then there are monoe-cious (unisex) plants that reproduce on their own and grafted plants that are neuter. There are also androidioecious, gynodioecious, and polygamous plants! To simplify and keep track of a plant’s allergenic effects Ogren devel-


oped a rating system he calls the Ogren Plant Allergy Scale (OPALS), now used by the USDA. The book contains 3,000 plant listings, each rated 1 to 10. Since few nurseries or garden stores include the OPALS index on plant labels, the author has written this book as a guide to take with you. If you are worried that changing to females will be bad for the birds, bees, and butterflies, Ogren says the sterile male airborne-pollinated environments we’ve created have coincided with the decline in butterflies and honeybees. He claims that allergy-free gardens and landscapes with female plants are actually better for pollinators. As for Ogren’s wife, the changes in their landscaping have freed her from the fear, fatigue, and misery she once faced.

Kathy Parrent is a freelance writer and amateur nature photographer. She was trained as a Master Gardener and runs “Green Thumb to the Rescue” on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/GreenThumbToTheRescue.

Seed Libraries and Other Means of Keeping Seeds in the Hands of the People By Cindy ConnerPublisher: New Society PublishersList Price: $19.95Reviewer: Teresa SpeightFirst and foremost, Cindy Conner — sign me up. Everyone needs a seed library in their community. Why? As it is repeated throughout this wonderfully information-filled, compact book: “who-ever controls the seeds, controls the food supply.” Eleven chapters of usable content, ranging from a short history of the seed saving movement, information about the role of public libraries, how to get a seed-saving movement started where you are, and, of course, how to keep the enthusiasm going. Cindy also offers alternate ways to share and save seeds, to keep this movement at the forefront of the horticultural com-munity. One of my favorite sections in the book is Chapter 3: The Role of Public Libraries. I can see how this could be the perfect combination for educating the community on seed saving and sharing. Cindy Connor shares with her

BOOKreviews

audience how Andrew Carnegie was not able to afford a subscription to the library as an impoverished child. After becoming wealthy, he built librar-ies to foster change in the community and make knowledge available to all. In 2012, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh — Main Seed Library was born. It is a public seed library and seed bank that offers public interaction via classes and programming. This proj-ect is a model for more seed libraries to form around this country. Developed through trial and error, seed libraries are certainly a learn-as-you-go process. Cindy creates a literal quilt, where each square demonstrates how ben-eficial a seed library is to communi-ties. Libraries are meant to be places where one can learn about many things. Libraries are already part of our community and our tax dollars pay for them, so why not use them to their maximum potential? By incorporating seed libraries into our existing public libraries, we keep seeds in the hands of the public, without chemicals or big business. The theory behind this move-ment is simply amazing. This book provides some resources that are useful if starting a seed library is something you are considering for your neighborhood. There are laws that could determine whether this is an option, depending on where you live. Some places require that the seed have a specific germination rate and

are store-bought. One library had these rules; however, they also sponsored a seed swap for their patrons, thereby still engaging the community and add-ing a different touch to the seed library and what it has to offer. As we sow seed this season and save seed of our tried and true crops, the content of this book is like a blueprint for seed-saving success. Seed saving is a great way to build community and I definitely recommend this book as a must read for our seed-saving/-sharing efforts.

Teresa Speight is a native Washingtonian, who resides in District Heights, MD. She owns Cottage In The Court Landscape Consulting. She owes her interest in gardening to her father and the Central Rappahannock Master Gardeners, who taught her how to be a true “steward of the land.” She can be reached at [email protected]. o

Love Reading?These books were reviewed by vol-unteer members of the Washington Gardener Reader Panel. We are looking for a few additional vol-unteers who live in the greater Washington, DC, region to serve on our Reader Panel. This will consist of about two email exchanges per month. Reader Panelists may also be asked to review new garden-ing books and test out new garden plants, tools, and seeds. To join the Washington Gardener Volunteer Reader Panel, please send an email with your name and address to: [email protected]. We look forward to having you be a vital part of our local publica-tion and its gardening mission. o


What is a spring in the Mid-Atlantic without abundant azalea blooms? Masses of bright blossoms make for a wonderful sight after a long, cold winter. Sure, they can be over-used at times, but the reason we love them so much is because they are so success-ful and reliable in our gardens. Azalea season runs from April through June with early-, mid-, and late-season blooming shrubs. (Though tech-nically, with the new re-blooming variet-ies, the flowering season can extend through fall.) Be sure to re-visit some of these locations through-out the several weeks of bloom so you can enjoy the changing mix of colors as different vari-eties wax and wane. Washington Gardener Magazine recently asked local azalea fans for their favorite bloom viewing spots in our region. “I’ve always enjoyed the ride along Prosperity Avenue between Little River Turnpike and Route 50 in Fairfax

DAYtrip

Top Local Spots for Azalea ViewingBest Blooms in the Region

County, VA. Many homes have beauti-ful, mature azaleas,” said Rick Bauer,president of the Northern Virginia Chapter, Azalea Society of America. “My first place vote will always go to the National Arboretum,” said Mike Welsh, city gardener for Takoma Park, MD. “It has everything: a great col-lection, many different forms and varieties, wonderful lay of the land for viewing, and a central location. By far, a fascinating lore and history. It gets better, year after year. All one needs do is to go and look at the faces of whose visiting and witness first-hand their expressed pleasure and their interac-tion with those beautiful azaleas.” Mike’s gardening domain is the parks of Takoma Park, which is well-known for its many beautiful azaleas, in both private and public gardens. The loca-tion is the former home of Benjamin Y. Morrison, the famed horticulturalist who was the founder and first director

of the National Arboretum. Morrison is noted for cross-breeding different strains of azaleas to produce the Glenn Dale azaleas, which are prevalent today throughout the eastern United States. Morrison lived near Piney Branch Road and many of his Glenn Dale introduc-tions can be seen throughout the city’s private home gardens and public parks. “Azaleas have a glamorous presence that few other plants have; beautiful azalea viewing can be anywhere and everywhere,” added Mike. Indeed, most all of these azalea-view-ing suggestion are free and open to all. A few are on private property and we ask you to respect the home owners by not trespassing and staying in the pub-lic right-of-way to take any photos.• Brighton Dam in Brookeville, MD, has more than 20,000 azaleas and is provided by the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. • Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD,

by Kathy Jentz


features more than 300 varieties of azaleas represented by 2,000 plants.• Landon School in Bethesda, MD, hosts an annual Azalea Festival on the first weekend of May. The Perkins Gardens include 15,000 azaleas.• The U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, DC, is where thousands of azaleas cover the flanks of Mount Hamilton in a blaze of color. You can track what is in bloom and when at: http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/collections/azaleablossom.html.• McCrillis Gardens in Bethesda, MD, was the private collection of an aza-lea gardener before being given to Montgomery County parks in 1978.• Franciscan Monastery in Washington, DC, features a hillside of azaleas in its 40-acre grounds.• Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens in Washington, DC, includes hundred of azaleas sprinkled through-out the many garden rooms. • Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA, has a small collection of natives and some Asian varieties.• Rachel Carson Conservation Park, in Olney, MD, is known, in part, for Rachel Carson’s famous wild azaleas (pinx-ters), which are in full bloom in mid- to late-May. • Norfolk Botanical Garden in Norfolk, VA, contains an azalea collection with more than 50,000 plants represent-ing more than 550 species in full bloom. They also host an annual Azalea Celebration Week in early May.• Cylburn Arboretum in Baltimore, MD, is known for its Azalea Trail and offers guided walks on occasion.• Maymont in Richmond, VA, includes a Japanese Garden with spectacular combinations of azaleas, Japanese Maples, and spring-flowering trees.• Annmarie Garden in Solomons, MD, has about 500 shrubs in its Glenn Dales collection established in 1997 and tended by volunteer gardeners. Did we leave any of your favorite local azalea viewing spots off this list? Let is know where you go to be amongst “he royalty of the garden,” o

Kathy Jentz is editor/publisher of Washington Gardener. She can be reached at [email protected].

Y ou Can Make a Difference. . .

Plant an extra row in your garden and deliver the harvest to a local food bank or shelter. The need is great!

With your help, PAR can continue to make a difference for America’s most vulnerable.

Call our toll-free number (877.GWAA.PAR) or visit our website at www.gardenwriters.org/par for more information.

by Sharing Your Harvest

DAYtrip


TIPStricks

New Web Site by Fairfax County Master Gardenersby Pat DickeyThe Fairfax County Master Gardeners Association has launched a new pub-lic web site, Fairfax Gardening (www.fairfaxgardening.org), with a focus on gardening information for Northern Virginia, particularly the climate and soil types of Fairfax County. Homeowners will find the site useful for gaining practical knowledge about what is grow-ing in their yards or in containers and inside or outside their residences, and how to care for it. Garden hobbyists will gain a better understanding of botany, plant selection, garden design, soil health, and organic gardening. The web site will feature essays, papers, recom-mendations, questions and answers, and blog posts authored by FCMGA members. Content focuses on research-based horticultural concepts and practices, providing access via links to research papers on horticulture, especially those written by Virginia Cooperative Extension scientists. It explains techni-cal gardening concepts in layman’s terms and simplifies gardening best practices that may be intimidating to the public. The web site features information on flowers, ornamentals, vegetables, trees, edibles, houseplants, and landscape architecture that is more accessible and readable. Photos, videos, drawings, and writing will infuse interest and entertain readers. This web site will bring awareness to existing and new services provided by more than 200 members of the Fairfax County Master Gardeners Association, including plant clinics in 12 farmers markets and six libraries in the county. Visit the web site for the schedule and locations. Visitors may discuss garden-ing issues and bring samples of prob-lem plants for diagnosis. Master Gardeners are also available to answer questions Monday-Friday at the Virginia Cooperative Extension Help Desk from 9:30AM to 12:30PM, at 703-324-8556, or by email at [email protected]. o

Tomato Terms and Typesby Joan CasanovaTomatoes need the right combination of good soil, water, and heat. Use seed-ling transplants; they’re faster than starting from seed and easier to grow. Transplants offered in biodegradable pots are planted directly in-ground, preventing transplant shock, and sav-ing millions of pounds of plastic from landfills. Find a sunny location (at least six hours of sun) with good drainage. If you plant tomatoes each season, it’s a good idea to rotate the spot in the gar-den where you plant them. Also, tomato plants are the only variety you plant deep: two-thirds down into the soil. Tomato plants are classified as either indeterminate or determinate. Indeterminate plants grow all season, continuing to bloom and produce fruit as long as weather conditions are favor-able. (Examples: ‘Bonnie Better Boy,’ ‘Early Girl,’ ‘Sweet 100,’ ‘Sun Sugar.’) Determinate plants are the compact bush type, like Better Bush, they grow to a certain size, set fruit, and stop grow-ing, bearing fruit all at once. This type of tomato is popular with gardeners who like to can and make sauce. (Examples: ‘Bush Goliath,’ ‘Patio,’ ‘Roma,’ ‘Solar Fire,’ ‘Sweet and Neat,’ ‘Husky Red.’)

Tomatoes are often designated by the terms early, middle, and late, which refer to when the fruit will be ready to harvest. Early-season tomatoes are the first to ripen, late-season are the last to ripen, and middle-season types fall somewhere in between. Planting some of each type is a good strategy for enjoying ripe tomatoes throughout the summer. An heirloom tomato is any variety that is at least 50 years old and is not a hybrid, like ‘Mortgage Lifter.’ This heirloom tomato got its name because a mechanic in West Virginia who devel-oped the variety made so much money selling the seeds he paid off his mort-gage! (Examples: ‘Arkansas Traveler,’ ‘Black Krim,’ ‘Cherokee Purple,’ ‘German Queen,’ ‘Mr. Stripey.’) A hybrid tomato is a tomato bred by plant breeders crossing existing variet-ies. Hybrids offer fruit with better dis-ease-resistance, higher yield, and other improved traits. (Examples: ‘Juliet,’ ‘Bonnie Original,’ ‘Big Boy,’ ‘Summer Set,’ ‘Tami G.’) Now it’s time to pick your plants: While tomato lovers have a seem-ingly endless list of varieties to plant in their gardens, tomatoes fall into three basic categories: small salad (cherry) tomatoes, slicing tomatoes, and thick-walled tomatoes ideal for making sauces. It can be confusing to pick the perfect tomato best suited for your needs; you might want to check out the “Tomato Chooser” on Bonnie Plants web site at http://bonnieplants.com/tomatoes/choose-your-tomato/). You can sort through tomato varieties to find just what you want; if you check off the traits that you’re looking for, the “Tomato Chooser” will do the work for you, bringing up all the varieties that match your search. If local temperatures are rising fast, as they usually do in our region in late May-early June, choose a heat-set tomato variety that is able to set fruit in high temperatures compared to many other varieties. You might try ‘Arkansas Traveler,’ ‘Florida 91,’ ‘Husky Red Cherry,’ or ‘Super Sweet 100.’ For these and other heat-set variety descriptions see http://bonnieplants.com/products/vegetables/tomato-varieties/heat-toler-ant. o


Quick Links to Recent Washington Gardener Blog Posts• Lilacs: You Can Grow That!• Container Gardening Basics• Invasive Alert: Dealing with Lesser Celandine• First Strawberries and Carrots of the Season See more Washington Gardener blog posts at: WashingtonGardener.Blogspot.com You might also enjoy the Cats in Gardens blog: http://catsingardens.blogspot.com/

New Plant Spotlight‘Sweet Sunrise’ StrawberryHigh-yielding, June-bearing Cultivar ‘Sweet Sunrise’ (U.S.PP 25,223) is a new strawberry cultivar from the Corval-lis breeding program, which is led by ARS plant geneticist Chad Finn. Sweet Sunrise was released in cooperation with the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station and Washington State Universi-ty’s Agricultural Research Center. The new strawberry is a high-yielding cultivar that ripens in June. It produces large, firm, attractive fruit with excel-lent quality. According to Finn, ‘Sweet Sunrise’ was high yielding in every trial and location. Yields were comparable to, or higher than, those of other recent releases such as ‘Charm,’ ‘Valley Red,’ and ‘Sweet Bliss’ or the industry stan-dards ‘Tillamook,’ ‘Totem,’ and ‘Hood.’ In all evaluations, ‘Sweet Sunrise’ was rated excellent and comparable to Totem for commercial processors. The most outstanding characteristics of ‘Sweet Sunrise’ are its outstanding fruit quality, its medium-large fruit size, and its early ripening. These character-istics make it well suited for the fresh or processed fruit markets. “‘Sweet Sunrise’ was selected in 2000 from a cross made in 1998 between ‘Puget Reliance’ and B 754. ‘Puget Reliance’ is a standard in the Pacific Northwest, especially for the fresh-market strawberry industry, because it is high-yielding, large-fruited, and well-adapted to the region’s climate and disease complexes,” says Finn. “B 754 was an advanced selection in ARS’s Beltsville breeding program in the 1980s and 1990s. I identified it as being potentially valuable germplasm for the breeding program in Oregon because of its large, attractive fruit; very good eating quality; and perceived high yield.” o

GARDENnews

May-June Garden To-Do List• If you started seeds last month, thin them and start the hardening-off process. • Cut back spent tulip and daffodil blooms, but not the foliage! • Divide and replant crowded daffodils. • Feed your roses and new plantings with slow-release fertilizer sparingly. • Provide supports for fast-growing perennials such as delphiniums, peonies, and lilies. • Tie up clematis and other fast-growing climbing vines. • Hose off aphids, white flies, or spider mites on your roses or other perennials. • Deadhead spent blooms on your annuals and perennials to encourage re-flowering. • Water your newly planted shrubs, trees, and perennials. • Weed regularly. • Go on a local house and garden tour to see what plants are thriving in other’s area home gardens. • Pinch back mums, salvias, and other late-season bloomers to encourage bushy, not leggy, growth. • Check pots and containers daily for water needs. • Plant dahlias, gladioli, caladiums, and cannas. • Direct-sow annual flower seeds. • Thin vegetable seeds sown directly in the garden. • Move your houseplants outdoors for a summer vacation on your porch. • Put out slug traps around your vulnerable edibles and hostas. • Prune back forsythia, spirea, and other early-spring blooming shrubs. • Check for black spot on your roses — remove and discard any affected leaves in the trash, never back into your garden or in your compost — apply a fungicide with Neem oil every two weeks during the growing season. • Cut some flowers to enjoy inside — make a small arrangement for every room. • Sow squash and melon seeds. • Plant seedlings or direct-sow sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. • Fertilize azaleas and rhododendrons, if needed. • Divide crowded perennials and share them. • Turn your compost pile. • Start a water garden or renew yours for the season. • Mark and photograph your bulb plantings now, while they are still visible. • Keep a sharp eye out for fungal diseases and pests. • Replace cool-season annuals with heat-loving ones. • Be vigilant for mosquito breeding spots — any standing water from a bottle-cap to blocked gutters — and clean them out immediately. Ask your surrounding neigh- bors to do the same. Put Mosquito Dunks in any areas that accumulate water.• Plant tomatoes and peppers. To get them started off right, put cages/stakes in at same time as you plant them, so you are not disturbing their roots later. Place a collar (cardboard tube or cat-food can) around the tender plants to prevent cut worms. Put crushed eggshells first in the planting hole of tomatoes for extra calcium and mix lime in the soil you surround the plant with to prevent blossom-end rot. Fertilize with kelp extract or fish emulsion.• Hand-pick cabbage worms from cabbage and broccoli.

Photo by Chad Finn, USDA-ARS.

http://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/

http://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2009/07/open-letter-to-leggett.html

http://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2015/05/lilacs-you-can-grow-that.html


http://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2015/04/video-wednesday-container-gardening.html

http://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2009/07/someones-chomping-my-bronze-fennel.html

http://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2015/04/invasive-alert-dealing-with-lesser.html


http://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2015/05/fenton-friday-first-strawberries-and.html

http://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/

http://catsingardens.blogspot.com/


DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ May 16-June 15, 2015

TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS

which focuses on selecting plants that do well on slopes, techniques for slow-ing down water runoff, and preventing soil erosion and how to capture and use rainwater to benefit the landscape. Advance registration is requested. Free. Presented for the Over 55 Senior Center at Walter Reed in Arlington, VA. To register, contact Marcia Kot, Senior Center manager, at 703-228-0949 or email [email protected].

• Wednesday, May 27, 7:30pmNo Greenhouse, No Problem: Orchid Growing Inside and OutThe Beltsville Garden Club hosts the talk and meets in the multi-purpose room of the James E. Duckworth School at 11201 Evans Trail in Beltsville, MD. Speaker Linus Chen will talk about how to grow both temperate orchids that can be left outside all year, and tropical orchids, indoors all year and outdoors during the summer. Tropical orchid culture will touch on traditional growing media (bark, spaghnum moss, mixes), along with the “semi-hyrdo” technique. The outdoor orchids will focus on grow-ing bletillas, cypripediums, pleiones, and “bog” orchids (Calopogon tuberos-us, Dactylorhiza, and Spiranthes odo-rata). Find out how you can fit orchids in to your house and outdoor garden. Members are asked to bring a plant or plant-related item for the door prize table. Mr. Chen will donate an easy to grow orchid to be raffled after his talk to benefit the UMD scholarship fund. Also, contributions of sweet or savory refreshments are always appreciated.

• Thursday, May 28, 1-3pmExpert Plant Talks: Coral Bells Discover why Heuchera (coral bells) are the Perfect Shade Plant. Join Mt. Cuba Center’s Research Horticulturist, George Coombs, for his tips on growing this popular native perennial and its colorful varieties. Held at the Mt. Cuba Center, 3120 Barley Mill Rd., Hockessin, DE. See mtcubacenter.org.

• Saturday, May 30, 9am-4pmWillow Furniture WorkshopLed by Bim Willow, furniture maker, art-ist, gardener. Come with a hammer and

• Friday, May 22, 12noon-1pmRooting Out or Rooting for WeedsA talk by Dr. Lena Struwe, director, Chrysler Herbarium, Rutgers University.What are weeds good for and where did they come from? These common plants have evolved closely with human civili-zation and provide joy, pain, problems, medicines, and food for humans world-wide. In this talk, the evolution of weedi-ness in plants will be explored, as well as society’s views on the good and bad aspects of weeds in urban, suburban, and rural areas. U.S. Botanic Garden’s Conservatory Classroom. FREE: Pre-reg-istration required at usbg.gov.

•May 22 – June 1, 10am-4pm Art Blooms: Satsuki Azalea BonsaiThese stunning bonsai are miniature in form, but covered with brilliant, multi-colored, full-sized flowers. This annual exhibit showcases the most spectacular examples in a formal display. National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave., NE, Washington, DC. Free. See www.usna.usda.gov for details.

• Saturday, May 23, 9:30am-3pmBaltimore Herb FestivalHerb lectures and over 20 vendors. Held at Leakin Park, 1920 Eagle Drive, Baltimore, MD. Admission is $7 for adults, children 12 and under free. Parking is free. For more details, go to www.baltimoreherbfestival.com.

• Sunday, May 24, 2-3pmFruit Tree Growing in the Mid-Atlantic (Washington DC Region)Held at the Community Forklift in Edmonston, MD. From paw paws to peaches, discover the fruit trees that grow best in our region. This talk is especially suited to those gardeners lacking growing space or live in urban areas. Speaker: Kathy Jentz is editor, publisher, and founder of Washington Gardener Magazine. Free, registration required at www.communityforklift.org.

• Tuesday, May 26, 7-8:30pmGardening on a SlopeArlington County Extension Agent Kirsten Buhls will lead this program,

leave with your choice of projects. Bent willow furniture is the perfect rustic accent and an American tradition. Price varies depending on project chosen. Base Fee: $61. Choose between end table, two trellises, or a plant stand. More projects available for an addi-tional fee. Held at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD. Visit BrooksideLearning.org for more information.

• Saturday, May 30, 10am-12noonSpecial Joint Tour: Tudor Place & Dumbarton Oaks - Georgetown Garden TreasuresTour two of DC’s, most celebrated land-scapes with the people who know them best: Directors of Gardens & Grounds Gail Griffin of Dumbarton Oaks, and Suzanne Bouchard of Tudor Place. From roses to hay bales to tea houses, learn how these storied landscapes evolved aesthetically and functionally since the 1800s and what challenges and triumphs surround their preservation today. Members (either site): $15. Non-members: $20. TudorPlace.org.

• Saturday, May 30 and Friday, June 19 (the same class will be repeated on June 19), 9am-3pmStarting Your Urban Farm (or Garden)This course is designed for the home gardener or community garden mem-ber, and to a smaller extent, the con-tainer gardener. We apply principles of efficiency from our “market gardening” courses to the personal scale to help you produce a healthy and consistent abundance of vegetables in you plot. We will walk and work through the Edmonston Urban Farm, combining lecture and discussion with hands-on experience. This course is a great com-plement to AGR-320, Composting for Urban Agriculture, as we discuss addi-tional strategies for fertile soil building, crop rotation and cover crops, pests and disease management, and other related maintenance topics. Location: 4913 Crittenden St., Edmonston, MD. Cost: $165 Register at www.pgcc.edu.

• Wednesday, June 3, 6:15-9pm & Saturday, June 6, 9-11:30amInvasive Plant Class


DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ May 16-June 15, 2015

TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS

This class will cover invasive plants and how they are threatening our native landscapes. Participants will learn how to identify and control species of non-native, invasive plants found in the Washington, DC-area including beefsteak plant (Perilla frutescens), Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum), and mile-a-minute (Persi-caria perfoliata). Native alternatives to common and incoming invasive plants will also be discussed. This course con-sists of two parts on two different days: a 2.5-hour classroom session on June 3 at the Casey Trees headquarters in Brookland neighborhood of DC (includ-ing a delicious free dinner), and a 2.5-hour field session in Rock Creek Park on the morning of June 6th. Register at http://caseytrees.org.

• June 4-6The 2015 Native Plants in the Landscape Conference Held at Millersville University, in Millers-ville, PA. Speakers for the conference include Doug Tallamy, Rick Darke, Kirk Brown, Dale Hendricks, Dave Jacke, Miriam Goldberger, Bill Johnson, and many more, Inspirational field trips, educational workshops, engaging top-ics of concern, native plants and book sale, and native plant merchandise – this is a conference you don’t want to miss. Continuing education credits are available for LACES, APLD, Delaware Certified Horticulturist, Pennsylvania Certified Horticulturist, New York CNLP, and Maryland CPH. Plant and Book Sale will be open to the public on Fri-day, June 5, 2015, from 4:00-6:00pm and on Saturday, June 6, 2015, from 8:00am-12:00noon. To view the confer-ence brochure or to register, visit www.MillersvilleNativePlants.org.

• Saturday, June 6, 9am-3pmGarden Party at Behnke NurseriesBeltsville, MDLove to garden? Want to meet area gar-den clubs, plant societies and garden vendors, while you buy raffle tickets to benefit Friends of Brookside Gardens? Then you must join the Garden Party at Behnke’s Nurseries, Beltsville, MD. Come celebrate gardening! Behnke’s

is hosting this all-day event for garden-ers and garden lovers. There will be a room with garden clubs, plant societ-ies, vendors, and Master Gardeners to answer your gardening questions. Bring a labeled plant to swap for the Plant Swap. Featured talk: Grow Your Best-Tasting Tomatoes EVER! (1:30-3pm), sponsored by Espoma® Organic, with Mike McGrath, organic gardening expert & WTOP radio personality. There will be food for sale and a wine tasting, plus live music to entertain while you mingle, shop, and buy raffle tickets. Call 301.937.8150 or see behnkes.com.

•Saturday, June 13, 9am-12noon How to Prune Azaleas and RhododendronsLearn how to improve the health and appearance of your azaleas and rhodo-dendrons with coaching from The Prun-ing School director, Peter Deahl. This outdoor, hands-on pruning class takes place at the White Gardens in Falls Church, VA. Directions will be emailed before the class date. Bring gloves and pruners. Fee $25/person. Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA 22312. Register on-line at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring using code 290 202 9601 or call 703-642-5173.

• Saturday, June 13, 11am8th Annual DC Plant Swap Hosted by Washington Gardener Magazine. Meet at the U.S. National Arboretum’s R Street entrance parking lot. Anyone is welcome and it is FREE to participate. Bring your well-labeled plants and seedlings to share. See full details at http://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/.

Save These Future Dates:• Saturday, June 20, 6-9pm Music in the Garden Twilight Walk Enjoy music and the landscape as an evening of beauty and talent unfold in the gardens at Surreybrooke in Middle-town, MD. Various musicians perform classical and folk music as visitors walk on candlelit pathways. Hammered dul-cimer, harp, and classical guitar can be heard while enjoying the fragrant eve-

ning gardens. Try your hand at dancing with the Scottish Dancers. Register at www.surreybrooke.com.

• Sunday, July 12, 2-4pm Garden Photo Show ReceptionYou are invited to view the winning images of the 9th annual Washington Gardener Photo Contest at an art show at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, VA. All 17 stunning photos were taken in DC-area gardens. Both inspira-tional and educational, this show rep-resents the best of garden photography in the greater DC metropolitan region. The reception is open to the public and is free to attend. You may also come by and view the photos any time during the normal Visitor Center hours (10am-7pm daily). The photo show runs through August 31.

• Thursday, July 16, 7:30am-2:30pmGreen Industry Professional Seminar The Professional Grounds Management Society, D.C. Branch and the Northern Virginia Nursery and Landscape Associ-ation are holding their annual Field Day and Trade Show at American University in Washington, DC. The Field Day will have talks and demonstrations by pro-fessionals and vendors on topics includ-ing trees, landscape maintenance, and landscape architecture/design, and a session for Spanish-speaking employ-ees. For more information, visit www.greenindustryseminar.org.

Still More Event Listings See even more event listings on the Washington Gardener Yahoo discussion list. Join the list at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WashingtonGardener/.

How to Submit Local Garden Events To submit an event for this listing, please contact: [email protected] — put “Event” in the subject line. Our next deadline is June 10 for the June 15 issue, featuring events taking place from June 16 to July 15, 2015. o

Your Ad HereContact [email protected] or call 301.588.6894 for ad rates.

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GARDENtours

Washington Gardener Magazine’sSpring 2015 Garden Tours Round-Up

o

42nd Annual Takoma Park House & Garden Tour, “In the 1890s,” Takoma Park, MD.

11th Shepherd Park Garden Tour in NW Washington, DC.

58th CHRS House & Garden Tour in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC.

87th Georgetown Garden Tour in NW Washington, DC.

Historic Garden Week in Virginia Garden Club of Fairfax Tour: Clifton/Fairfax Station, VA.

Highlights and selected moments from the Spring

2015 Garden Tour season in

Maryland, Virginia, and

Washington, DC.

Historic Garden Week in Garden Week in Garden Week Virginia

42nd Annual Takoma Park House Annual Takoma Park House Annual T

Garden Tour

o

87th Georgetown Garden Tour


GARDENtours

Washington Gardener Magazine’sSpring 2015 Garden Tours Round-Up

o

oDon’t despair if you missed many of the tours on the proceeding page! There are still several local gar-den tours coming up this season. Here is a partial listing:

• Saturday, May 23, 10am-4pmPrivate Gardens of Mink HollowVisit some of the most inspiring private gardens in our area at the height of gardening season. This year’s Brook-side Gardens benefit tour features gardens that have been artfully created by their owners over a number of years: a painter’s palette of blossoms arranged by room, a veritable botanical library of specimens, and more. Fee: $20 All-garden Pass ($5/garden at the door). Map to gardens will be sent to registrants. Details posted at montgomeryparks.org.

• Saturday, May 30, 10am-5pmWashington County House and Garden PilgrimageThe Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage (MHGP) runs for five weekends each spring. A long-standing Mary-land tradition, the tour provides access to some of Maryland’s most noteworthy private properties and enables residents to see their home state with fresh eyes. The 2015 tour includes 44 private homes, gardens, farms, wineries, churches, and historic sites in five counties. Advance tickets for each tour are $30 per person ($35 if purchasing day-of). Catered lunches will be available on all tours. Purchase tickets and get more information at mhgp.org or 410-821-6933.

• Saturday, June 6, 12noon-5pm and Sunday, June 7, 12noon-5pmSecret Garden TourHomeowners in the Annapolis Historic District will open their private gardens to the public to benefit the historic Hammond-Harwood House. During the rare opportunity, participants are given a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most stunning gardens in the area. All the gardens are within easy walking distance of each other. Tickets for the 2015 Secret Garden Tour can be purchased online or by calling 410-263-4683. The event is rain or shine. Go to http://hammondharwoodhouse.org/event/secret-garden-tour/.

• Saturday, June 6, 10am-4pm and Sunday, June 7, 10am-4pmGarden Conservancy Open Days: Barnes Alumni GardensThe Barnes partners with the Garden Conservancy to offer two days of tours of the gardens of Barnes Horticulture Alumni in the Philadelphia, PA, area. This is your chance to see some of the best large and small private gardens in our region. Interested in volunteering at the Garden Conservancy Open Days? We are looking for people to do two-hour shifts at one of the gardens. Volunteers get free access to each of the open gardens that weekend. Contact Diane Newbury at [email protected] to sign up. The fee is $7 per garden, or register online for dis-counted tickets at www.barnesfoundation.org.

• Sunday June 7, 12noon-5pmBrookland House and Garden TourA terrific showcase for those outside Brookland neighborhood in NE Washington, DC, to get to know a fantastic part of the city. Get advance tickets online at the Greater Brookland Garden Club web site at www.gbgc.org.

• Sunday June 7, 10am-4pmAnnual Garden Tour - Horticultural Society of MarylandA tour of four gardens that reflect years of dedication and evolution. Discover a connoisseur’s collection of rare conifers, the revival of an historic farm, the grounds of a manor house, and an enchanted woodland garden that will entertain, educate, and satisfy all visitors. Admission is free for MD Hort Society members, $35 in advance for the public or $40 at the first garden. See: http://www.mdhorticulture.org/GardenTour.htm


by Elizabeth Olson

Easy BasilGrowing Tips

EDIBLEharv t

Basil is a tender annual herb that is started from seed and is grown for its delicious leaves. There are numerous cultivars. Many belong to the species Ocimum basilicum, but there are other species represented as well. Basil is a member of the Lamiaceae family, which also includes mint, oregano, and thyme.

Many Basil CultivarsThe diversity of cultivars is remarkable. Mature plant heights range from eight to twenty-four inches. Different culti-vars may produce green leaves, purple leaves (‘Amethyst Improved,’ ‘Purple Opal,’ ‘Red Rubin’), or green leaves with purple stems and veins (‘Thai Red’). The leaves may be smooth or blistered. Some cultivars produce very small leaves, while others produce extra-large leaves (‘Mammoth’ and ‘Salad Leaf’).

Basil is known for its aromatic quali-ties. The most familiar fragrances are clove and sweet. Others are cinnamon, mint, lemon, anise, and musk. Some cultivars have aromas that are per-ceived as blends. Seeds are widely available from gar-den centers and by online order. Seed-lings are available in the herb section of many garden centers.

Culinary UsesThe most familiar culinary use for sweet or Genovese style basil is pesto. (Author’s note: For pesto that does not have a clove scent, try ‘Profumo di Genova’ from ReneesGarden.com.) Other uses for fresh leaves include adding them to salads and sandwiches, layered with cheese and tomato slices, and finely chopped and mixed in herb

butter. The leaves of lettuce-leaf basil can grow to four inches long and they make excellent mini-wraps. Basil is wonderful as a seasoning. It is well-known as an ingredient in toma-to sauce and it makes a surprisingly delightful jelly. Another use is to infuse white vinegar with color from purple basil leaves or flavor from lemon basil leaves. Cultivars that are traditional in Asian cuisine can be eaten fresh as a garnish or in salads, but are often used in stir-frying, simmering pots, soups, and rice, fish, and poultry dishes. Flower stalks are usually removed when they start to form to encourage more leaf development. However, basil flowers are decorative, attract pollina-tors, and are edible. They should be harvested soon after blooming and before they form seeds to avoid chang-es in texture.

How to Grow BasilThe seeds germinate quickly, some-times in as little as three days in very warm weather. The fast-growing sprouts can easily succumb to damping off, so start seeds indoors in plastic or peat pots filled with sterile potting medium and set on horticultural heat mats near a bright window or under grow lights. The containers may be placed out-doors in a protected location if the air temperature is reliably warm at night. Water the containers from the bottom only. Carefully transplant the seedlings to the garden when they have at least two sets of true leaves. Alternatively, the seeds can be sown directly in the garden, but the sprouts need extra protection from pests and should be thinned by scissor-pruning. The thinnings are edible. Transplants and seeds may be plant-ed in the garden after the soil has thor-oughly warmed in late spring. Spacing between plants and rows is very important as basil needs good air circulation throughout the growing sea-son. Good cultural care, including crop rotation, is necessary as basil is sus-ceptible to diseases such as wilt, leaf spot, and downy mildew. Site the plants in full sun in well-worked, fertile soil that has good drainage. Fertilize with an all-purpose organic vegetable fertilizer.

‘Sweet B

roadleaf’ basil seedlings from John Scheepers Kitchen G

arden Seeds. Photograph courtesy of KitchenGardenSeeds.com

.


Our Favorite Basil PestoRecipe courtesy of John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds

Ingredients1½ cups packed home-grown basil leaves ½ cup olive oil 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese¼ cup pignoli or pine nuts 2 garlic cloves, peeled

DirectionsWash and dry the basil leaves: Salad spin-ners work wonders. Toast the pine nuts on a cookie sheet (with sides) until just golden. Watch the seeds carefully: They go from pale to dark (burnt) very quickly. Put all of the ingredients in a good blend-er or food processor and puree, scraping down the sides, until well-blended. Alterna-tively, the traditional method of blending the ingredients is to use a mortar and pestle.

Uses for PestoPesto is terrific at room temperature on fresh tomatoes and mozzarella cheese or served warm with pasta, potatoes, and boneless breast of chicken or sword-fish steaks. Add a bit of pesto to winter soups or stews for extra zing. For an easy appetizer, spread a thin layer of pesto over soft goat cheese in a little baking dish; warm briefly, and serve with fresh, crusty baguette slices.

How to Preserve PestoPut a half-cup of pesto in a pint freezer bag. (A quart freezer bag can be used to contain one full cup of pesto.) Seal, name, and date each bag. Gently flatten all of the bags and freeze them in a stack. Once frozen, stand the bags up in the shelf of your freezer door for easy access. Since the bags are like thin envelopes, you can easily break off little pieces of pesto as you need them for big flavor when cooking.

Pesto VariationsYou can be as inventive as you want with your pestos. • Use walnuts or almonds instead of the traditional pignoli or pine nuts.• Mix cilantro in with the basil leaves. • Add lemon zest. • Experiment with different hard cheeses, perhaps made with sheep’s milk or goat’s milk. • Some people even add a little melted, unsalted butter into their olive oil to give their pesto a creamier, rich taste. • Different types of pesto can be created by using different types of basil: ‘Sweet Broadleaf,’ ‘Purple Sweet,’ ‘Siam Queen,’ ‘Genovese,’ lemon, lime, or ‘Mexican Spice.’ • For pesto with an Asian flavor, you may substitute roasted peanuts for the pine nuts and add grated ginger root, cilantro, and a bit of lemon juice.

Pictured above: Compact basil cultivars make very attractive container plants.Photograph of organic ‘Spicy Globe’ basil courtesy of ReneesGarden.com.

EDIBLEharvt Install a soaker hose to supplement rainfall. Mulch the area and keep it free of weeds. If watering with a hose, use a watering wand and carefully water near the base of the plants, avoiding getting water on the leaves. Basil also grows very well in con-tainers. Some of the smaller-leaved cultivars, such as ‘Aristotle,’ ‘Picolo,’ and ‘Spicy Globe’ provide especially attractive displays. Be sure to mulch the top of the potting soil to prevent it from crusting.

Harvesting TipsRelay planting works very well for basil that is grown for pesto; plant a patch of basil every two to three weeks. Harvest the entire first patch when the plants are no more than eight inches tall. Repeat the process with the next patch, and so on. Sprigs and individual basil leaves can be harvested as needed during the sea-son. For tender leaves, replace plants that become woody or that bolt soon after pruning. Basil is sensitive to cold weather and the growing season is over when nighttime temperatures drop to 50 degrees F. The best way to preserve the flavor of freshly harvested basil is in products such as frozen pesto (see recipe on this page) or in canned tomato sauce. Basil can be dried, but many cultivars lose flavor. Lemon-scented basils are per-haps the best choices for drying. o

Elizabeth Olson is a Maryland Certified Professional Horticulturist. She is also an avid home gardener who is fascinated by the stories behind the plants that she grows. She can be contacted through Washington Gardener magazine.

‘Purple Opal’ basil and its edible pink flow-ers add color to salads. Photo courtesy of ReneesGarden.com.


High drama in the garden! The Red Hot Poker, the Flame Flower, the Torch Lily — call it what you like — will be ablaze with color in the hot, late summer sun. Kniphofia uvaria is a hardy tropical genus whose Latin identification tells us nothing informative as it is named after an 18th-century German botanist. Its yellow, orange, and red tubular flow-ers, arranged bottle-brush fashion, are proudly held high above the ground on what looks like a long stem, but is tech-nically a leafless scape, arising from a rhizome. Full sun plus well-drained soil is the key to success with Kniphofia, a genus with many species and hybrids, a rhi-zomatic, clump-forming monocot, with evergreen lance leaves; a late-season bloomer persisting until first frost. It is pest-resistant (deer and rabbits) and pollinator-friendly (hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies).

Maintenance and CareKniphofia requires plenty of moisture in the summer during its growing period, then dry conditions for its winter dor-mancy. Once established, it is drought-tolerant. Watch the progress of the blooms as they open: first the tightly clad buds, opening from the bottom up, intense colors fading over time, provid-ing the multi-colored look that lasts for

PLANTprofile

Kniphofia: Red Hot Poker

weeks. The foliage colors range from dull green to blue-toned. Grow them for cut flowers, their boun-teous nectar, their evergreen foliage, their love of full sun. They are focal points, attention-grabbers, and the tra-ditionally tall K. uvaria makes an excel-lent back-of-the-border plants. Consistent watering during the first season is essential for proper establish-ment. Once established, the clump will continue to expand over time, with little meddling. Unless planning to collect seeds, remove spent blooms. Periodically reclaim the boundaries of your Kniphofia display by hacking out the plants that have spread beyond their appointed space. In California and North Carolina, and parts of Australia and New Zealand, places with similar climate to its Mediterranean-like origins, Kniphofia is being seen along roadways and is currently on the invasives watch list, a potential threat to sensitive eco-systems. Deadheading is important because, while most of the running is done by the rhizomes, preventing self-seeding is part of control. The seeds need light to germinate, so covering the surrounding area with mulch also helps prevent self-seeding. After first frost, clean out the dead leaves, leaving some foliage on for win-ter protection. In early spring, before the

new growth begins, you may cut it to the ground.

Colorful CultivarsThe modern Kniphofia can be found in single colors, all-yellow, all-red, and new colors, including tawny to creamy and all-green flowers. The ‘Popsicle’ series of dwarf cultivars has brought this plant to a more manageable size with more choices of color. Some cultivars available outside of the uvaria species include: K. caule-scens, with its silvery blue foliage; K. hirsuta ‘Fire Dance,’ considered the most cold-hardy of the genre; K. pumila, a dwarf, spring-flowering type; K. roo-peri, tall and autumn-flowering. Also of note is K. uvaria ‘Echo Mango,’ a re-blooming cultivar, which, although not always available, is worth a search.

History and UsesIn its areas of origin, Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland, Yemen, Madagascar, local names abound. Its rhizomes have long been used medicinally. K. rooperi and K. laxiflora are used traditionally as an infusion of the roots to relieve or treat the symptoms of chest disorders. The roots of K.foliosa, has been shown to have anti-malarial qualities. Today many genuses of Kniphofia are threatened in their native areas due to habitat destruction. In the UK, the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens (NCCPG), whose motto is “Conservation through Cultivation,” is committed to the heri-tage of cultivated plants in the UK, with a focus on climate change and the English garden. The NCCPG National Collection of Kniphofia is at Barton Manor, Isle of Wight. It’s not surprising that it was among the plants brought to England by the plant explorers of the 18th century. It’s a commanding plant, of architectural stature, especially in a group. Described as a genus and named by Linnaeus in 1794, Kniphofia is a genus with more than 70 species and numerous named cultivars. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, new genuses were identified and named by the Linnaean system of taxonomy. K. pallidiflora was given a Linnaean clas-sification in 1883; K. ankaratrensis in

by Judith Mensh

Kniphofia ‘Poco Yellow’ photo courtesy of terranovanurseries.com

.


1890. Formally included in the Liliaceae Family, further investigation moved it to Xanthorrhoeaceae, a family whose subfamilies include aloes and day lilies. Many sources still list it as Liliaceae. Kniphofia was originally placed in the hot house as a tender tropical. Along with the orchids, bromeliads, and palms, it was brought back by the intrepid plant explorers of the time. It took nearly a century to transition from the greenhouse to the perennial bor-der. In 1848, it was discovered to be winter hardy up to zone 5. Imagine the scenario: someone left the Kniphofia in the ground over the winter. Surprise! What was presumed dead, due to expo-sure to cold, survived the winter, and thrived. Eureka! They can be planted as perennials in the landscape. A thought-less gesture ironically enlightens. Serendipity.

Companion PlantsIf your sunny border scheme is from small to tall, old-fashioned Kniphofia uvaria serves well as a back-of-the-bor-der plant, along with Canna, Firecracker Goldenrod, Crocosama, Daylilies — plants with the same growing require-ments and a unified color scheme. Kniphofia hybrids are effective in a hot-color-scheme garden, with colors that will transition into the fall. Mix it up with annuals such as Salvia coccinea, Lantana, and Tagetes. The lime-green spikes of K. pumila add an extra color dimension. Kniphofia works well as a sun con-tainer plant, but must be watered dur-ing growth periods, especially the dwarf varieties. For gardeners who choose to collect varieties of a genus, the mul-titude of Kniphofia cultivars seems to grow yearly.

Local and Other SourcesThere are numerous species in their place of origin, but only a few are seen in commerce, and those mostly have K. uvaria as a parent. ‘Flamenco’ is a well-recommended example. Consider using Kniphofia varieties to occupy the sunniest area of your yard, replacing grass. You will be providing nectar to hummingbirds and bees, a colorful floral presence that is still rarely seen in our landscapes, and an alterna-

tive to the turgrass lawn, so needy and demanding. In an age of environmental awareness and understanding of the unintended consequences of growing plants from global sources, Kniphofia occupies the category of “exotic.” Hardy tropical plants are a category of their own, with devotees. This is not a plant choice for the native enthusiast. The ‘Glows’ and ‘Popsicles’ series are the Kniphofia for today. Scaled down to townhouse-garden-size, they are from 1-3', rather than 4-6'. ‘Fire Glow,’ ‘Red Hot Popsicle,’ ‘Mango Popsicle,’ ‘Flamenco,’ and ‘Border Ballet’ can all be found locally. It appears that Kniphofia‘s genetic diversity allows it to provide seemingly endless hybrids, extending

the period of blooming, bringing heights down to the scale of a small yard, bring-ing out latent color combinations, and varying heights, and bloom times. Although Heuchera is their passion, one West Coast nursery, Terra Nova, is known for its new introductions, includ-ing the ‘Popsicle’ and ‘Glow’ series. ‘Banana Popsicle’ and ‘Poco Yellow’ are two 2015 introductions. There are too many hybrids to name here! K. uvaria ‘Pfitzer’ is a reliable old-fashioned

cultivar often available. Find Kniphofia at our local garden centers, but not the big-box stores. For the widest variety, go to the Internet and investigate ordering online. Specialty nurseries have Kniphofia varieties and include interesting infor-mation on the subject. Often the plants sold online are going to be rhizomes with roots, and not potted-up plants. I like to check out our local garden cen-ters asking for Kniphofia; every year, there is something new. This year, the ‘Popsicle’ series is widely available. Popular in Victorian bedding designs, Tritomas, as they were then called, were a staple in the home garden well into the 20th century, now returning to our

gardens with a plethora of choices. You say ‘ni-FOH-feea’, and I say ‘nip-hoff’ ee-ah’; some say ‘k-nip-HOF-ia’ and oth-ers ‘nip-foh’-fi-ah’; any way you say it, it is low-maintenance and high-impact. Flower arranging, anyone? o

Judith Mensh is a local horticultural consul-tant. She is available to walk your yard with you and identify plants and possibilities. She can be reached via email at [email protected].

PLANTprofile

Kniphofia ‘Fire Glow’ photo courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries www.terranovanurseries.com.


NEIGHBORn work

Text by Kathy JentzPhotos by Dan Weil

Q&A with

Ari Novy, Ph.D.Executive Director,

United States Botanic Garden

Dr. Ari Novy came to the U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG) in 2012 as the public programs manager and was promoted to deputy executive director in 2013. He was named the executive director of the USBG in 2014. I caught up with him recently at the Green Matters Confer-ence, where he spoke passionately on “The Importance of Pollinators,” and was impressed with his personal mis-sion of translating science into best management practices and public edu-cation.

Q: Tell us about you and your back-ground. Are you native to the DC region?A: I was born in Michigan, but raised in New Jersey. I always loved science as a kid, but I took a brief diversion dur-ing my college years to study Italian literature. My first job out of college was working for New York University’s study abroad campus in Florence, Italy. Though my job was in student activities, I found myself volunteering at NYU’s historic villa and garden with most of

my free time. That’s where I discovered my passion for horticulture. I spent about a year and a half as a volunteer and then later went back to Italy as a professional estate gardener. Shortly thereafter, I decided to pursue graduate studies in plant biology. I ended up with a Ph.D. in plant biology from Rutgers University in New Jersey, where I stud-ied plant genetics, conservation biology, invasion biology, and agricultural eco-nomics. I moved to DC in 2012, after I finished my Ph.D.

Q: How did you start in public gardens?A: Although I worked as an estate gardener in Italy, and later as a golf groundskeeper, my first job in a pub-lic garden was with the U.S. Botanic Garden. I was looking for jobs as I was completing graduate school, and a former colleague sent me an announce-ment for a job at the USBG. I really hadn’t thought much about making a career in public gardening. I actually thought I’d end up in research, but I liked the idea enough to apply. Much to my surprise, I was selected for the position of public programs manager, which put me in charge of education, outreach, and science at the USBG. Since that lucky break, I can’t imagine working in another field.

Q: What is typical workday like?A: I don’t really have a typical workday. At the USBG, we are always in vari-ous stages of planning future exhibits, shows, and garden improvements. I spend a lot of my time working with our wonderful team to plan for our upcom-ing offerings. I also spend a lot of time taking care of administrative duties. Fortunately, I also get to give lots of tours of the USBG and travel to other horticultural institutions to share knowl-edge.

Q: What aspects of your current position as executive director do you like most and least?A: I love interacting with the public. Everyone’s lives depend on plants, whether through the food we eat, the fiber we wear, or the joy we get from gardening. It is my greatest pleasure to meet our visitors and learn what excites them about plants.


NEIGHBORnwork I can’t say I’m a huge fan of paper-work. But running a federal agency, I do get to do my fair share. However, the pleasure of working in public horti-culture greatly outweighs the occasion-ally less than thrilling aspects of the bureaucratic process.

Q: What are the most common things people misunderstand about the U.S. Botanic Gardens and its mission?A: A lot of people don’t realize that the majority of our plants are located at our off-site facility, which is several miles away from the USBG Conservatory. The conservatory is roughly 30,000 square feet. We also operate an 85,000-square-foot production facility located in the Anacostia section of Washington, DC. The majority of our plant collections are kept there. When our plants come into flower or fruit, we transport them to the conservatory so that the public can see them. Behind the scenes, we are constantly moving plants. Consider-ing our plant rotation involves almost 11,000 accessioned collections plants, this is quite the feat. For the visitor, this means that if you come and visit the USBG at different times of the year, you will see lots of different amazing plants each time.

Q: What mistakes and triumphs have you encountered in your own garden?A: Gardeners are always biting off a lit-tle more than we can chew. There have been several occasions when we have been overly aggressive with planting plans or exhibit installation timelines. Fortunately, our dedicated staff always does what is necessary to make sure the garden looks beautiful for our visi-tors. My favorite triumph was the flower-ing of the titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum) in July of 2013. More than 120,000 people came to see the plant as it prepared to bloom and more than 20,000 came on its peak bloom day. That was certainly a one-day record for visitation at the USBG. More important than the raw numbers, however, was the fact that people were getting excited to see a rock star of a plant. That made me so incredibly proud. It’s easy in our busy lives to forget the importance and wonder of plants; 20,000 people com-

ing to see a stinky flower on a hot sum-mer day is a real affirmation of how fas-cinating plants really are to the public.

Q: What advice would you give to begin-ners/amateurs gardeners in the greater DC area?A: Practice makes perfect. I often fail the first time I grow a new plant. Each plant has its unique needs and idio-syncrasies. No matter how green your thumb, the plants always throw some-thing new at you. It take time to get to know the needs of your plants in your location. There will always be some fail-ures, but, with practice, you can get the

hang of growing just about any plant. Also, I always recommend starting with something simple, especially if you’re a beginning gardener. Potted plants like basil and chives are great starters for the beginner because they are forgiving and rewarding in the kitchen.

Q: What plants are your favorite to use in the greater DC area?A: I’m a huge fan of gardening with native and edible plants, so the edible natives are the most rewarding for me. A few of my favorites are serviceberry (which makes great jam), blueberries, and paw paw.

Q: Conversely, what plants would you advise others to avoid growing in our area?A: People should really avoid invasive plants and plants that require heavy chemical intervention to grow. A list of invasives can be found through your local invasive species councils and cooperative extension. Today, there is such an amazing diversity of plants available for growing in your home gar-den, you can achieve all of your land-scaping desires without relying on keep-

ing plants alive with excessive chemical applications. At the USBG, we recom-mend the practice of “right plant, right place.” If you understand your garden’s conditions and climate, you can choose the plants that will grow healthy and strong without significant inputs. This is better for the environment and easier for the gardener.

Q: What do you do when not working or gardening?A: I love taking hikes in pretty much any natural area and observing the wild flora.

Q: Anything else you want to add or think would be of interest to our maga-zine readers about yourself or the U.S. Botanic Gardens?A: The USBG is one of the oldest public gardens in North America. The current plant collection was established in 1842, when the U.S. Exploring Expedi-tion returned from its mission of explor-ing the Pacific. This expedition brought more than 200 living plants back to the country. Congress recognized the importance of these plants and began building the permanent greenhouses of the USBG, which opened in 1850. We’ve been open to the public ever since. Amazingly, we’ve still got several plants in our collection from the original 1842 collection. These include some amazing tropical ferns and cycads. There is nowhere else that you can see these plants, which represent an impor-tant connection to our history of botani-cal exploration. The U.S. Botanic Garden is committed to the principles of sustainable garden-ing. In fact, we’ve developed a program called Landscape for Life together with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Cen-ter in Austin, TX, to help the public learn more about sustainable gardening prac-tices. There are wonderful resources to help the home gardener available at www.landscapeforlife.org. In addition, the USBG is constantly hosting amazing public programs about plants and hor-ticulture, along with fantastical horticul-tural displays, shows, and exhibits. Visit usbg.gov to learn more. o

Kathy Jentz is editor/publisher of Washington Gardener. She can be reached at [email protected].


MARCH/APRIL 2005• Landscape DIY vs. Pro• Prevent Gardener’s Back• Ladew Topiary Gardens• Cherry Trees

MAY/JUNE 2005• Stunning Plant Combinations• Turning Clay into Rich Soil• Wild Garlic• Strawberries

JULY/AUGUST 2005• Water Gardens• Poison Ivy• Disguising a Sloping Yard• Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005• Container Gardens• Clematis Vines• Sponge Gardening/Rain Gardens• 5 Insect Enemies of Gardeners

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2005• Backyard Bird Habitats• Hellebores• Building a Coldframe• Bulb Planting Basics

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2006• Garden Decor Principles• Primroses• Tasty Heirloom Veggies• U.S. Botanic Garden

MARCH/APRIL 2006• Top 10 Small Trees and Large Shrubs• Azaleas• Figs, Berries, & Persimmons• Basic Pruning Principles

MAY/JUNE 2006• Using Native Plants in Your Landscape• Crabgrass• Peppers• Secret Sources for Free Plants

JULY/AUGUST 2006• Hydrangeas• Theme Gardens• Agave• Find Garden Space by Growing Up

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006• Shade Gardening• Hosta Care Guide• Fig-growing Tips and Recipes

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006• Horticultural Careers• Juniper Care Guide• Winter Squash Growing Tips and Recipes• Layer/Lasagna Gardening

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2007• Indoor Gardening• Daphne Care Guide• Asparagus Growing Tips and Recipes• Houseplant Propagation

MARCH/APRIL 2007• Stormwater Management• Dogwood Selection & Care Guide• Early Spring Vegetable Growing Tips• Franciscan Monastery Bulb Gardens

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WASHINGTON GARDENER, 826 PHILADELPHIA AVE., SILVER SPRING, MD 20910MAY/JUNE 2007• Roses: Easy Care Tips• Native Roses & Heirloom Roses• Edible Flowers• How to Plant a Bare-root Rose

JULY/AUGUST 2007• Groundcovers: Alternatives to Turfgrass• How to Pinch, Prune, & Dead-head • William Paca House & Gardens• Hardy Geraniums

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2007• Succulents: Hardy to our Region• Drought-Tolerant Natives• Southern Vegetables• Seed Saving Savvy Tips

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007• Gardening with Children• Indoor Bulb-Forcing Basics• National Museum of the American Indian• Versatile Viburnums

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008• Dealing with Deer• Our Favorite Garden Tools• Delightful Daffodils

MARCH/APRIL 2008• Patio, Balcony, Rooftop Container Gardens• Our Favorite Garden Tools• Coral Bells (Heucheras)

MAY/JUNE 2008 — ALMOST SOLD OUT!• Growing Great Tomatoes• Glamorous Gladiolus• Seed-Starting Basics• Flavorful Fruiting Natives

JULY/AUGUST 2008• Landscaping with Ornamental Grasses• Edible Grasses to Graze On• Slug and Snail Control• Sage Advice: Sun-Loving Salvias

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008• Autumn Edibles — What to Plant Now• Beguiling Barrenworts (Epimediums)• Best Time to Plant Spring-blooming Bulbs• 14 Dry Shade Plants Too Good to Overlook

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008• Outdoor Lighting Essentials• How to Prune Fruiting Trees, Shrubs, Vines• 5 Top Tips for Overwintering Tender Bulbs• Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009• Compost Happens: Nature’s Free Fertilizer• Managing Stormwater with a Rain Garden• Visiting Virginia’s State Arboretum• Grow Winter Hazel for Winter Color

MARCH/APRIL 2009• 40+ Free and Low-cost Local Garden Tips• Spring Edibles Planting Guide • Testing Your Soil for a Fresh Start• Redbud Tree Selection and Care• Best Viewing Spots for Virginia Bluebells

MAY/JUNE 2009• Top Easy Summer Annuals for DC Heat• Salad Table Project• Grow and Enjoy Eggplant• How to Chuck a Woodchuck

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SUMMER 2009• Grow Grapes in the Mid-Atlantic• Passionflowers• Mulching Basics• Growing Hops

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SPRING 2010• Community Gardens• Building a Raised Bed• Dwarf Iris• Broccoli

SUMMER 2010• Fragrance Gardens• Watering Without Waste• Lavender• Potatoes

FALL 2010• Vines and Climbers• Battling Stink Bugs• Russian Sage• Garlic

WINTER 2010• Paths and Walkways• Edgeworthia• Kohlrabi

SPRING 2011• Cutting-Edge Gardens• Final Frost Dates and When to Plant• Bleeding Hearts• Onions

SUMMER 2011• Ornamental Edibles• Urban Foraging• Amsonia/Arkansas Blue Star• Growing Corn in the Mid-Atlantic

FALL 2011• Herb Gardens• Toad Lilies• Sweet Potatoes• Cool Weather Cover Crops

WINTER 2011/EARLY SPRING 2012• Green Roofs and Walls• Heaths and Heathers• Radishes

SPRING 2012• Pollinator Gardens• Brunnera: Perennial of the Year• Growing Yacon

SUMMER 2012• Tropical Gardens• Captivating Canna• Icebox Watermelons

SPRING 2013• Great Garden Soil• All About Asters• Squash Vine Borer

SUMMER/FALL 2013• Miniature/Faerie Gardens• Beguiling Abelias• Growing Great Carrots

WINTER/EARLY SPRING 2014• Ferns for the Mid-Atlantic• Chanticleer Gardens• Beet Growing Basics

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Donate to Support DC Gardens and Gardening in DC! What is DCGardens.com? • Images and videos of DC-area gardens by month, enticing people to visit year- round (see DCGardens.com for examples). • Deep local resources for turning more residents into gardeners. • Digital images donated by volunteers, so DC Gardens is inexpensive. managed and funded independently from the gardens; nimble and very useful!

Why Gardens (and Gardening) MatterThe Washington, DC, area is blessed with fabulous gardens that are open to the pub-lic, most of them free. Sadly, many are largely unknown and lack the funds to get the word out. If people could just see what they look like throughout the year, more would visit, and that matters because:

• Gardens bring visitors close to plants and to all of nature, which benefits them mentally, spiritually, and physically. • Visiting gardens is a gateway experience to taking up gardening at home and in the community. • Public gardens are the primary teaching facilities for turning residents into gardeners, with classes and workshops on growing food, providing for wildlife, protecting our waterways from polluting runoff, and creating beauty in our home gardens or balconies. • Turning people on to gardening results in more beauty for all of us to enjoy and better stewardship of our land — without nagging.

Documents

Washington Gardener Magazine May 2015