Washington Gardener Enews August 2011 by Kathy J

AUGUST 2011 Welcome to the Washington Gardener Enewsletter!

This enewsletter is the sister publication of Washington Gardener Magazine. Both the print magazine and online enewsletter share the same mission and focus — helping DC-MD-VA region gardens grow — but our content is different. In this monthly enewsletter, we address timely seasonal topics and projects; post local garden events; and, a monthly list of what you can be doing now in your garden. We encourage you to subscribe to Washington Gardener Magazine as well for indepth articles, inspirational photos, and great garden resources for the Washington DC area gardener.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This enewsletter will no longer be sent out via email to nonsubscribers. Without your support, we cannot continue publishing this enewsletter nor Washington Gardener Magazine! Our magazine subscription information is on page 9 of this enewsletter. If you know of any other gardeners in the greater Washington, DC-area, please forward this issue to them so that they can subscribe to our print magazine using the form on page 9 of this enewsletter. You can also connect with Washington Gardener online at: • Washington Gardener Blog: www.washingtongardener.blogspot.com • Washington Gardener Discussion Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WashingtonGardener/ • Washington Gardener Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/WDCGardener • Washington Gardener Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/washingtongardenermagazine • Washington Gardener Web Site: www.washingtongardener.com Sincerely, Kathy Jentz Editor/Publisher Washington Gardener Magazine

Reader Contest

For our August 2011 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away a copy of Terrarium Craft: Create 50 Magical, Miniature Worlds by Amy Bryant Aiello and Kate Bryant from Timber Press. Easy to make and a wonder to behold, jewel-like terrariums are winning over a new generation of crafters and gardeners. Terrarium Craft is the first step-by-step project book for this new audience. Authors and nursery owners Amy Bryant Aiello and Kate Bryant offer up everything a beginning terrarium crafter needs to get started, from advice about tools and materials, information about plant choices and simple maintenance tips. 50 unique projects offer fantastical inspiration alongside easy-to-follow instructions and ingredients lists. To enter to win Terrarium Craft: Create 50 Magical, Miniature Worlds, send an email with “Terrarium” in the subject line to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5:00pm on August 31. In the body of the email please include your full name, email, mailing address, and tell us about a garden craft you have created. Photos of your garden craft are welcome! The book winner will be announced and notified by September 2. Some of the entry responses may be used in future online or print articles.

NEW Summer 2011 Issue

Our Summer magazine issue is now printed and mailed, If you are a subscriber as of July 15, you should have it now. The cover story is on Ornamental Edibles. From swiss chard to artichokes, how to mix attractive edible plants into your ornamental garden landscape. To subscribe or renew today, see page 9 of this enewsletter. You’ll also find in this issue: • A DayTrip to Nemours Estate and Gardens in Delaware. (See an excerpt from that story on page 9 of this enewsletter.) • Amsonia aka Arkansas Bluestar Three Seasons of Color • Growing A-Maize-ing Corn — the best techniques and varieties for success in our region • East Native Summer Bluet • Fertilization Facts • Urban Foraging: the Ultimate Revenge Against Weeds! • Cucumber Beetles • Summer Love for Your Garden • A “Magical” Garden Before and After Transformation • Casey Tree’s Summer Almanac • Famed Landscape Architect Florence Everts of Washington, DC tells her personal garden story • An Interview with Linna the Locavore and much, much more... To subscribe, see the page 9 of this newsletter for a form to mail in or go to www.washingtongardener.com/index_ files/subscribe.htm and use our PayPal credit card link.

Quick Links to Recent Washington Gardener Blog Posts • Myths & Facts About Native Plants • Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day: Late Summer Color • Video Wednesday: Four Seasons Garden Path at Frelinghusen • Favorite Deer-Resistant Plants • Fenton Friday: Potato Harvest! See more Washington Gardener Blog posts at WashingtonGardener.Blogspot.com.

August Garden To-Do List Spotlight Special Daphne ‘Eternal Fragrance’

This new breed of Daphne is more floriferous than other hybrids currently on the market and flowers profusely in early spring on the previous year’s growth with continuous spot flowering throughout the year. It also offers the advantage of being frost hardy, and both heat and dry tolerant and performs in sunny sites without scorching. It is semi-evergreen to Zone 7 and may be deciduous and hardy in Zone 6, possibly 5. It is also tolerant of both alkaline and acidic soils, unlike other Daphnes which are traditionally pH sensitive. “Daphne Eternal Fragrance (‘Blafra’) is a truly new and unique selection of Daphne. It forms a neat round openbranched semi-evergreen shrub with mid-green, semi-glossy leaves, and intensely fragrant white flowers. When night temperatures become cool the flowers blush pink-purple. Eternal Fragrance has the ability to bear flowers on its new summer growth, unusual for the species. It has an extended flowering period with the main flush in spring and continuous spot flowering throughout the year. It is the perfect shrub for small gardens, patios and courtyards or as a feature specimen around rockeries or water features.” To find out more details, visit, www. planthaven.com.

Here is our comprehensive garden task list for gardens in the greater DC metro region for August 16-September 15. Your suggestions and additions to this list are most welcome: • It is harvest time and also a good time to start taking stock if what worked well for you this season and what didn’t. • Buy raspberries and peaches at a local pick-your-own farm or visit a local farmer’s market. • Let the lawn go dormant for now, it will green back up in the coming rains. • Check your local garden center for end-of-summer bargains. • If your pond water gets low from prolonged drought, top it off with tap water and add a dechlorinator according to package instructions. • Wash out birdbaths weekly with diluted bleach solution. • Water thoroughly especially if you receive no rain for more than 5-7 days. • Turn your compost pile weekly and don’t let it dry out. • Start shopping for spring bulbs. • Divide and cut back bearded iris and peonies. • Check your pond pump for debris and clean it out every few weeks. • Watch for slug damage and set out traps or Sluggo bait. • Check for mosquito breeding grounds. Dump out any water that sits stagnant for more than three days. • Weed. • Cut back any leggy Asters or Mums. • Take garden photos and make notes in your garden journal. • Start collecting plant seeds for next year and for trading. • As the days get cooler, plant hardy mums. • Prune evergreens to get in shape for fall/winter. • Hand pick or cut out any bagworm cocoons. • Harvest your herbs often and keep them trimmed back to encourage leafy growth. Dry them indoors, if you can’t use them right away. • Bring Christmas cactus and Poinsettias indoors if you took them out for the summer in preparation for holiday blooming. Fertilize them and put them in a place where they’ll get just 10 hours bright light per day. • Inspect for powdery mildew. If seen, prune back perennials to create needed circulation. Discard properly (i.e. not in your compost bin). • Clean your hummingbird feeders and add new sugar-water every three days. • Renew your container plantings which may be looking a bit ragged at this point. Pinch back overgrown plants. Pull out any spent ones and pop in some substitute annuals or mums. Keep them well-watered and add a little liquid fertilizer every few weeks to keep them going through early autumn. • Switch your deer deterrent spray. • Start seeds for fall annuals such as pansy, calendula, and kale. • Plant fall crops such as Chinese cabbage, lettuce, radish, mustard, broccoli, kohlrabi, cauliflower, turnips, and beets. • Order garlic, onions, and shallots for fall planting. • Attend a county fair and enter some of your garden bounty. • Preserve gourds and dry flowers for display in the fall. • Apply grub control to your lawn. • Divide hostas and daylilies. Have a wonderful 2010 growing season

Chanticleer-Nemours Tour with Washington Gardener Magazine Organized by Garden Tours Wednesday, September 21, 2011, 7:00AM-6:00PM Leaving and returning from BEHNKE NURSERIES, Beltsville, MD

• CHANTICLEER, A PLEASURE GARDEN Chanticleer was the estate of Christine and Adolph Rosengarten, Sr. Today, inventive gardeners work magic with plant combinations, containers, textures, and colors. Sculptural, homemade seats, benches, wrought iron fences, and bridges highlight the uniqueness of the garden at every turn. Courtyards frame unusual combinations of hardy and tropical plants. Vines trail and twine in nooks and crannies. Stroll through woodland gardens carpeted with Asian ground covers. Discover rarities next to a water garden surrounded by exuberant perennials. • NEMOUR MANSION & GARDENS Nemours, the former 300 acre estate of Alfred I. du Pont, includes a 102 room mansion furnished with antiques, tapestries and paintings dating back as far as the 15th century. The tour includes three floors of mansion followed by a bus tour of the gardens. The grounds one of America’s finest French-style formal gardens includes a working carillon, striking sculptures, a one-acre pool with 157 jets shooting water 12 feet high and natural woodlands. There are a variety of surfaces and levels on the grounds. The tour also involves climbing several staircases. Visitors must be over 12 years of age.

Registration deadline: September 18, 2011

This tour package includes: ~ entrance fees to both gardens ~ charter coach with restroom ~ reserved seating ~ garden DVD on ride ~ guided tour of all gardens ~ raffle drawings for garden goodies ~ goody bags ~ box lunch and bottled water ~ free parking

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Full refund if canceled by September 5. No refunds after September 6.

Questions? Cheval Opp at 703.395.1501 Gardentours@gmail.com www.WashingtonGardener.com

To register, please use the form below. (One form per person.) Name _______________________________________________________________ Address______________________________________________________________ Phone number________________________________________________________ Email________________________________________________________________ Name of seatmate_____________________________________________________ We will try to seat groups together, but cannot guarantee group seating. Name of group _______________________________________________________

Fees: $125.00 each $120.00 each discounted fee for Washington Gardener Magazine subscribers

Check/money order #_______ ~ Please make payable to “Cheval’s 2nd Act”

arden Gtours

Brought to you by:

Send this registration form along with your payment to: Garden Tours, 8000 N Park St, Dunn Loring, VA 22027

DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ August 16 - September 15, 2011 The Accokeek Foundation 3400 Bryan Point Rd. Accokeek, MD 20607 301.283.2113 www.accokeekfoundation.org

• Saturday, September 10, 1-3:30pm SEED SAVING Get a head start on next year’s garden by saving seed from this year’s harvest. This course will provide you with the information needed to save seeds from several common crops, from culinary herbs to heirloom tomatoes. Member price $20.00; nonmember price $25.00. • Saturday, August 20, 12:00-1:00pm MONTHLY FOODWAYS: MELON-CHOLY DAYS A kitchen table conversation to introduce you to the epicurean delights of colonial Marylanders. Learn how our tastes and the food itself have changed over 300 years as we explore the “receipts” (recipes) and meal preparation for everything from peas and pottage to food traditions for which Maryland is known. This month’s menu will include The Anne Arundel Melon, pickling melons, melon mangoes – Melons… They aren’t just for eating anymore! At National Colonial Farm, Free.

Behnke Nurseries 11300 Baltimore Ave Beltsville MD, 20705 301.937.1100 http://blog.behnkes.com/

• Saturday, September 3, 10:00am-1pm BACK TO THE GARDEN Seminars by presented by Washington Gardener Magazine and Behnke Nurseries Join us for this morning of free workshops to get gardeners back into the growing frame of mine and ready for the fall busy season. ~ 10:00am From The Ground Up—a Garden from a Bare Hillside with Jim Dronenburg, Washington Gardener Magazine Book Reviewer and author, garden columnist for Montgomery Life (InSight) magazine, one of Behnke Nurseries’ resident experts in season. Jim also manages the Four Seasons (DC Metro area) garden club. ~ 10:30am Edibles for the Fall Season with Elizabeth Olson, a Maryland Certified Professional Horticulturist and avid home gardener. ~ 11:00am Using Native Plants in Your Flower Bed with Cheval Force Opp, a garden writer, lecturer and tour guide. ~ 12:00noon Getting Your Garden Ready for Winter with Kathy Jentz, editor and publisher, Washington Gardener Magazine. ~ 12:30pm Day Trips to Local Gardens with Cheval Force Opp & Kathy Jentz Beltsville location. FREE 4

Brookside Gardens 1800 Glenallan Avenue Wheaton, MD 20902 301.962.1400 www.brooksidegardens.org

• Saturday, September 10, 10:00am3:00pm FOBG PLANT SALE Sponsored by the Friends of Brookside Gardens Outside the Visitors Center • Friday, September 2, 4:00-5:30pm GARDEN NATURE CLUB FOR FAMILIES Come the first Friday of each month from September 2 to January 6 for fun gardening activities and walks through the gardens. Let us help you get outdoors and strengthen social and family bonds while experiencing the health benefits related to varied learning opportunities that abound in nature. Come get inspired and connected with us! Ages: 3 & up. Fee: $24/ family; FOBG: $22/family. Register online at ParkPASS.org for course #157499. Register one child and the rest of the family is included. • Saturday, September 10, 8:00-10:00am FOCUS ON BUTTERFLIES! Photographers will be welcomed with their tripods into the conservatory to photograph our live butterflies before the Wings of Fancy Live Butterfly Exhibit opens to the public (limit 10 per session). Sessions run from 8:00–10:00am, starting on Saturday, May 14 and running on variousdates through September 10. For specific dates and registration, search ParkPASS. org for Course Number 132922 or call 301.962.1451. Fee: $30, FOBG $27.

DC State Fair • Saturday August 27, 10 AM to 5 PM SECOND ANNUAL DC STATE FAIR Location: Harriet Tubman Elementary Field, at Columbia Heights Day The DC State Fair is in its second year and coming back bigger and better! With almost double the number of contest categories, anyone in DC can enter and share their culinary, gardening, crafting, homebrewing, and photography talents with their neighbors. The Fair itself will feature contests, local businesses and nonprofit organizations that sponsor DC State Fair, and educational demonstrations. Stop by with your overripe squash for the Longest Vegetable competition, or just stop by to say hi! Cost/Registration Details: Free to attend; some contests have entry fees and may require preregistration. For more information: www.dcstatefair.org.

Eco City Farms and Centro Ashé Eco City Farms 4913 Crittenden Street Edmonston, MD 20781 240.581.0484 www.centroashe.org

• Tuesday, September 6, 6:00-8:00pm URBAN FARMING: THE NEW FRONTIER • Tuesday, September 13 and Tuesday, September 20, 6:00-9:00pm STARTING YOUR URBAN FARM

Green Spring Gardens 4603 Green Spring Road Alexandria, Virginia 22312 703.642.5173 www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/gsgp/

• Thursday, August 18, 1-3pm GARDEN STROLL & TEA Take a docent-led stroll through the demonstration gardens and enjoy afternoon tea at the Historic House. Hear about the mission and history of Green Spring Gardens, one of the preeminent places for horticulture in the Washington, DC area. Individuals and groups welcome. $27. Call the Green Spring Historic House at 703941-7987 to register. • Saturday, August 20, 10:30am-12:00n BALSAMIC VINEGAR TASTING PARTY Savor a selection of fine balsamic vinegars with varied accompaniments. Hear about the history of Italy’s famed elixir and how to distinguish genuine balsamico from the imitations. Learn about its provenance, its myriad uses and how to assess its complex flavors. $25. Register on-line at fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/gsgp/ or call 703-941-7987. • Saturday, August 27, 9am-4:30pm • Sunday, August 28, 12-3:30pm 29TH ANNUAL BEGONIA SHOW AND SALE Feast your eyes at this show sponsored by the Potomac Branch of the American Begonia Society. Expand your plant palette! Be tempted with splashes of color and shape for homes and greenhouses that last long after frosts have put our outdoor gardens to bed! The sale offers a wide variety of begonias, including subtropical species. FREE. For more information, call 703-642-5173. • Friday, September 9, 1:30-2:30pm BASIC GARDENING: FALL AND WINTER INTEREST Beginning gardeners usually focus on how their garden beds look in spring and summer, and sometimes forget about fall and winter. Don’t stare at a flat bed of mulch this winter. Learn strategies for incorpo-

DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ August 16 - September 15, 2011 rating plants with interesting bark, late blooms, evergreen foliage or are berryproducing that will look good in the “off” season. Register on-line at fairfaxcounty. gov/parks/gsgp/ or call Green Spring Gardens at 703-642-5173. Code: 290 484 5301. Cost: $10

Irvine Nature Center 11201 Garrison Forest Road Owings Mills, MD 410.738.9200 www.ExploreNature.org

• Saturday, August 27 20TH ANNUAL NATIVE PLANT SEMINAR & SALE The day will include a plant sale at Irvine, three expert speakers in the morning and four workshops in the afternoon. The seminar will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court Vienna, VA 22182 703.255.3631 http://www.nvrpa.org/park/meadowlark_ botanical_gardens • Monday, September 5, 2:00pm EARLY FALL TOUR OF THE POTOMAC VALLEY NATIVE PLANT COLLECTION Learn about goldenrod, sunflowers, wild senna, and other late blooming plants native to this area. Free and open to the public.

Prince William Cooperative Extension www.pwcgov.org/vce/enr

• Saturday, September 10 GROUNDCOVERS AND TURF ALTERNATIVES & MASTER GARDENERS’ FAVORITE PLANTS. CHILDREN’S PROGRAM: BABY SCARECROWS - OH MY! Taught by VCE - Prince William Master Gardener Volunteers At the Teaching Garden at St. Benedict Monastery, 9535 Linton Hall Road, Bristow, VA 20136. All programs are free. A children’s program is offered concurrently with each Saturday in the Garden program. Please register separately for the children’s program at 703.792.7747.

Tudor Place Historic House and Garden 1644 31 Street NW Washington, DC 20007 202.965.0400 ext 112 www.tudorplace.org

Friday, August 19, 10:00am-1:00pm FAMILY FAIR IN GEORGETOWN! Enjoy end-of-summer sweets, games and

crafts at Tudor Place and Dumbarton House. Children -- member: $8, non-member: $10. Accompanying adults: $5. REGISTRATION: http://familyfair.eventbrite.com

United States Botanic Garden Conservatory

100 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 202.225.8333 www.usbg.gov

• Saturday, August 20, 10:30-11:30am GREEN GENES LECTURE SERIES: GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT (PART II) – ASTERACEAE AND SOLANACEAE Todd Brethauer, USBG Volunteer Trace the global spread of the potato, the tomato and the chili pepper from the Americas and their important roles in history. Mums, dahlias and marigolds brighten our gardens with their diverse blooms. Join Todd and learn about the history and botany of these beautiful and economically important plant families and how “green genes” are being used to bring back that great flavor of the tomato from years gone by. This summer series delves into the permanent collection of the USBG in conjunction with our Terrace exhibit, Green Genes: Mapping the Plant World. Location: Conservatory Classroom FREE: Pre-registration required: Visit www. usbg.gov or call (202) 225-1116

US National Arboretum 3501 New York Avenue, NE Washington, D. C. 20002-1958 202.245.2726 www.usna.usda.gov

• Sunday, September 11, 1:00-3:00 pm DEMONSTRATION: BONSAI TRAINING AND MAINTENANCE National Bonsai & Penjing Museum Lecture Demonstration Center Watch, learn, and ask questions as a Potomac Bonsai Association member demonstrates bonsai training, styling, and maintenance techniques at this informal drop-in session. Free.

Event Listing Submissions

To submit an event for this listing, please contact: Wgardenermag@aol.com and put “Event” in the email subject head. Our next deadline is September 12 for the September 15 edition of this enewsletter featuring events taking place from September 16 - October 15, 2011.

Magazine’s 4th Annual

Tomato Tasting

at the Silver Spring FreshFarm Market It’s ‘Big Boy’ vs. ‘Mortgage Lifter,’ hybrid vs. heirloom, the tomato wars have just begun. Everyone is sure that their tomato pick is the tastiest. Join Washington Gardener Magazine at the FreshFarm Market in downtown Silver Spring, MD, on Saturday, August 20 from 10AM-12NOON for a Tomato Tasting. Best of all, this event is FREE! Farmers at the market will contribute their locally grown selections — from super-sweet ‘Sungold’ to notso-pretty ‘Cherokee Purple’ — and we’ll explore which tomatoes make the short list of favorites. We’ll have tomato growing tips, tomato recipes, tomato activities for kids, and much more — all to celebrate one of summer’s greatest indulgences — the juicy fresh tomato.

green barriers make good neighbors By Kathy Jentz “Good fences make good neighbors,” accordingly to the age-old adage. But does that fence defining your property line or separating yourself from your neighbors or the street traffic have to be one of wood, plastic or chain-link? Consider instead installing a living fence. A living fence or hedgerow is composed of a variety of large and small shrubs and trees. A living fence has many benefits over metal or dead wood. It is an attractive border or hedgerow that far outclasses manmade materials.I t can be a nesting place for birds and wildlife. It can provide a source of food for butterflies and hummingbirds. It produces greenery that can keep your property shaded and cool during the warm months. It is relatively low-maintenance and low-cost. The fence can be made up of plants that bloom on and off from spring to late summer and provides colorful foliage in the fall. The key to an effective and attractive living fence is to plant shrubs and trees at well-spaced intervals, rather than in a single row. This will result in a hedge that blooms at different times and has a variety of shapes, giving it a soft, natural look. You will want to take care to read up on your plant selection and make sure to install them at a distance that gives them space to attain their full, mature size. Remember the old gardener’s saying, “First year, sleep; second year, creep; third year, leap.” Just a little patience now will reward you with a beautiful green border in just a few years. Don’t just go for the fast-growing, but boring wall of Leyland Cypress. Though they have their place in the landscape, most homeowners cannot keep up with their rampant growth and soon they are towering out of control. Much like the over-used Bradford Pear, the Leyland Cypress is prone to splitting and toppling in high winds — leaving a gaping hole in your solid wall of green. The Old Farmer’s Almanac All- Seasons Garden Guide gives tips on what shrubs and trees can be planted to create a natural border. A proposed mix of small trees and shrubs that can be used includes: » Lilac: Tends to grow up to 15 feet tall, but the flowers are worth the extra size. Korean lilacs, such as the very pretty “Miss Kim,” grow to only 8 feet tall. » Shadbush or Serviceberry: A small, upright tree that grows up to 20 feet tall and produces white flowers in early spring, berries for the birds in summer, and yellow leaves in fall. » Beautybush: Grows up to 10 feet tall and produces some of the prettiest pale- to deep-pink flowers in early summer. » Mock Orange: A very fast and reliable grower that produces simple, fragrant, white flowers that do smell like oranges. Some varieties can grow to 12 feet tall. » Eastern Redbud: The largest small tree in this group; grows 15 to 20 feet tall; produces purple-lavender flowers in early spring and yellow leaves in fall. » Viburnum: At least a dozen different viburnums make great hedge trees, growing up to 10 feet tall. They produce white or pink flowers in spring and berries for the birds in late summer. » Weigela: A vaselike shrub that grows only up to eight feet tall and produces tubular red, pink, or white flowers in early summer that are magnets for hummingbirds. Pryor’s Nursery in Damascus, MD, specializes in living fences made of ornamental evergreens such as Hollies, Leyland Cypress, and Hemlocks. Many other area nurseries and garden centers can assist you in putting together a nice selection of shrubs and trees that will do will in your yard. A new type of hedgerow (or living fence) was planted by the Frederick County Master Gardeners a few years ago to “showcase native plants and demonstrate how a diverse hedgerow can provide seasonal change, full of beauty, while also creating a living fence or visual barrier between a parking area and road.” The Native Hedgerow is at the Maryland Cooperative Extension, 330 Montevue Lane in Frederick, MD. The planting includes more than 50 kinds of perennials as well as more than 30 shrubs and trees. The native plants include serviceberry, Devil’s walking stick, chokeberry, and pawpaw. Whether you go all evergreen, all native, or all ornamental flowering varieties, your living fence is bound to be an eyecatching addition to your landscape. 6

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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 • Wisteria • Strawberries JULY/AUGUST 2005 • Water Gardens • Poison Ivy • Disguising a Sloping Yard • Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens • Water Lilies 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 • Oak Diseases • Basic Pruning Principles MAY/JUNE 2006 • Using Native Plants in Your Landscape • Crabgrass • Peppers • Secret Sources for Free Plants • Alternatives to Invasives 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 • Oatlands Plantation • Native Woodland Plants NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006 • Horticultural Careers • Juniper Care Guide • Winter Squash Growing Tips and Recipes • Weed-free Beds with 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 MAY/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 • A Trip to the 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 • Kid-Friendly Vegetables • Indoor Bulb Forcing Basics • National Museum of the American Indian • Versatile Viburnums

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008 • Dealing with Deer • Our Favorite Garden Tools • Indoor Bulb Forcing Basics • Delightful Daffodils MARCH/APRIL 2008 • Patio, Balcony, and Rooftop Container Gardens • Our Favorite Garden Tools • Coral Bells (Heucheras) • Brookside’s Phil Normandy • Japanese-style Garden MAY/JUNE 2008 — ALMOST SOLD OUT! • Growing Great Tomatoes • Glamorous Gladiolus • Seed Starting Basics • Flavorful Fruiting Natives • Build a Better Tomato Cage 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 • Ladybug Lore • Beguiling Barrenworts (Epimediums) • The 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, and Vines • 5 Top Tips for Overwintering Tender Bulbs • Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick • A Daytrip to Tudor Place JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 • Compost Happens: Nature’s Free Fertilizer • Managing Stormwater with a Rain Garden • Visiting Virginia’s State Arboretum • Grow Winter Hazel for Gorgeous Winter Color MARCH/APRIL 2009 • 40+ Free and Low-cost Local Garden Tips • Spring Edibles Planting Guide for the Mid-Atlantic • Testing Your Soil for a Fresh Start • Redbud Tree Selection and Care • Best Local Viewing Spots for Virginia Bluebells MAY/JUNE 2009 • Top 12+ Easy Summer Annuals for DC Heat • Salad Table Project • Grow and Enjoy Eggplant • How to Chuck a Woodchuck from Your Garden SUMMER 2009 • Grow Grapes in the Mid-Atlantic • Passionflowers • Mulching Basics • What’s Bugging Your Tomatoes • Growing Hops FALL 2009 • Apples • How To Save Tomato Seeds • Persimmons WINTER 2009 • Battling Garden Thugs • How to Start Seeds Indoors • Red Twig Dogwoods • Unusual Edibles to Grow in Our Region • Visit to Riversdale House 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 • Baltimore’s Cylburn Arboretum • Edgeworthia • Kohlrabi SPRING 2011 • Cutting-Edge Gardens • Final Frost Dates and When to Plant • Bleeding Hearts • Onions

Coming Soon!

Washington Gardener Magazine’s DayTrip columns compiled into one handy publication — available soon in both paper and e-book versions. Great gift idea!

In Our Next Issue... FALL 2011 Herb Gardens

A DayTrip to the Biltmore Estate An Intriguing Personal Garden Story

Tomato Taste Results

If your business would like to reach area gardeners, be sure to contact us by September 10 so you can be part of the next issue of our growing publication! oooooooooooooooooooooooo

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Magazine Excerpt: Growing A-Maize-ing Corn by Cindy Brown

If the joy of consuming the first ear of fresh local corn could be captured and bottled, product sales would skyrocket in dreary February, when we are consuming cabbage and aching for a shot of summer. In May, corn aficionados are teased with the appearance of second-rate cobs from southern states. The ears have been jostled and bruised on the long truck ride north; then dumped in grocery store produce bins with great aplomb. As if we would be fooled into believing it was fresh-from-thefield. Ha! Don’t fret, maize enthusiasts, corn Nirvana will soon be here. “Knee-high by the 4th of July” used to be the mantra, but new hybrids have hastened the appearance of fresh corn in our farmers’ markets and roadside stands. By the end of July, bins overflowing with lime-green cylinders will beckon. Even inept cooks will be enticed; after all, anyone can boil a pot of water. Once the local corn is ready to be harvested, everyone joins in the beloved summertime ritual: First, find a local market, hop to a favorite vendor, pick a preferred color (white, yellow, or bi-color), pull down the husk and check for worms, load a bag, wait in line, and then… faint. “You want how much for a dozen ears??!!” Sticker shock pops your blissful bubble. After you hand over the cash, you walk away muttering; thoughts tilt dangerously toward DIY mode. Why should you pay a farmer for something you can do yourself? How hard could it be? Find a piece of land, put the seeds in the ground, water occasionally, and start stocking up on salt and butter. It’s got to be easy; after all, there are fields and fields of corn in the country. Well, hold that thought. Growing your own corn isn’t rocket science, but it takes a bit more knowledge and perseverance than those thick stands of green stalks lead you to believe. First off, you’ll need space. If you live in the country, no problem, but if you are in a patio apartment or a townhouse, it can be a big problem. Most vegetables can be grown in containers; tomatoes, lettuce, and even cucumbers can be grown in pots on a deck or a sunny balcony. A block of corn would need a pot — preferably square or rectangular — big enough to grow four rows of corn, four plants deep. Plants should be spaced 9 to 12 inches apart... Want to learn more about growing Corn in the Mid-Atlantic? Read the rest of this EdibleHarvest column in the Summer 2011 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine. See the subscription information and details below.

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