Washington Gardener Enews Sept 09 edition

SEPTEMBER 2009 Welcome to the Washington Gardener Enewsletter!

This enewsletter is the free sister publication of Washington Gardener Magazine.

Both the magazine and enewsletter share the same mission and focus — helping DC-MD-VA region gardens grow — but our content is different. In this monthly enewsletter, we will: address timely seasonal topics and projects; post local garden events; and, include a monthly reminder list of what you can be doing now in your garden.

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. Without your support, we cannot continue publishing this enewsletter. Our magazine subscription information is on the last page of this enewsletter.

If you know of any other gardeners in the greater Washington, DC-area, please forward this email to them so that they can subscribe to this free enewsletter as well using the form on the back page the enewsletter to subscribe to our print magazine.

You can also connect with Washington Gardener online at: • Washington Gardener Blog: www.washingtongardener.blogspot.com • Washington GardenerDiscussion Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WashingtonGardener/ • Washington Gardener Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/WDCGardener • Washington Gardener Web Site: www.washingtongardener.com Sincerely, Kathy Jentz Editor/Publisher Washington Gardener Magazine

Reader Contest For our September 2009 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away one Windowsill Planter All-Inclusive-Set (worth $29.95 plus postage).

We will select 1 lucky winners at random to the high-gloss orange planter.

With the innovative Lechuza sub-irrigation system your plant will supply itself with the amount of water needed for optimal growth, for up to 12 weeks (depending on planter size, plant type, and location). Whether you are on vacation, or are following your daily routine, courtesy of LECHUZA, you only have to water once in a while!

To enter to win the Lechuza Windowsill Planter, send an email with “Planter” in the subject line to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5:00pm on September 30. In the body of the email please include your full name and address. The planter winner will be announced and notified on October 1.

The windowsill planter dimensions are 16 x 6 x 7 inches.

New Issue Out

The Summer 2009 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine is now printed and in the mail. This issue’s theme includes grape-growing tips for the Mid-Atlantic, a trip to local wineries and vineyards, and dealing with grapes gone wild in your garden.

More of a beer drinker than oenophile? You’ll love our EdibleHarvest column on growing Hops vines, which includes a recipe for Hop Tea and some funky Hops Trivia. Did you know?

“Hops are the larval host of the eastern comma butterfly (Polygonia comma).

The pupa is called a “hop merchant.”

Also in this issue, our PlantProfile on Passionflower. For this piece I went downtown to the Mary Livingston Ripley Garden on the Mall where the Smithsonian hort guru, Janet Draper, is growing several gorgeous varieties. I took a close-up photo of the stunning Passionflower ‘Incense’ and restrained myself from molesting it further.

We also cover Mulching Basics (yes, there is more to it then dump and spread), investigate What’s Bugging Your Tomatoes, and focus on Native Penstemon. We share tips on Wed-Free Compost, Dealing with English Ivy, and Thrifty Garden Strategies. Finally, wondering What do Mushrooms Say About the Health of Your Yard? We asked the expert and have her answer.

To subscribe, see the last page of this newsletter for a form to mail in or go to our web page and use our PayPal order form.

Our Fall 2009 issue is in production now to be mailed by October 1. It features Apple Growing Tips, Japanese Anemone, the new USDA People’s Garden, and much more!

September Garden To-Do List

Spotlight Special

First Editions™ Scarlet Jewell™ Maple is highly prized for its early and consistently good fall color. Forms a symmetrical, fully branched upright silhouette. The relatively narrow width in comparison to its height makes this rubrum easier to place in today’s smaller urban gardens.

Field tests show good resistance to frost cracking. From its bright red spring flowers to its crimson fall color, Scarlet Jewell™ makes a fine shade tree for lawns and parks.

It transplants readily, tolerant of different soil types but prefers slightly acidic, moist conditions, full sun. Grown on its own root.

First Editions™ Scarlet Jewell™ Maple was discovered in Northern Minnesota

by Terry Schwartz of Bailey Nurseries.

Scarlet Jewell is grown exclusively by Bailey Nurseries and is available at independent garden centers across the country.

Scarlet Jewell Maple at a glance: Acer rubrum ‘Bailcraig’ Height: 70' Width: 30' Shape: Upright Foliage: Dark green Fall Foliage: Crimson Zone: 3-7

Here is our comprehensive garden task list for gardens in the greater DC metro region for September 15-October 16. Your additions to this list are most welcome: • Keep an eye out for the first frost date. In Zone 6, it is expected between Sept 30 and Oct 30 and in Zone 7 it is predicted between Oct 15 and Nov 15.

• Divide and transplant perennials — in particular, peonies, and iris.

• Pick apples at a local pick-your-own farm or visit a local farmer’s market.

• Pot up rosemary and chives for over-wintering indoors.

• Take cuttings from your coleus and begonia to propagate and over-winter indoors.

• Look out for any Poison Ivy vines which will turn crimson in the fall and be easy to distinguish from other vines.

• Check your local garden center for end-of-summer bargains.

• Put netting over your pond to prevent the accumulation of leaves and debris.

• Start feeding birds to get them in the habit for this winter.

• Attend a local garden club meeting or plant exchange.

• Pick mature tomatoes and peppers to ripen on your window sills.

• Turn your compost pile weekly and don’t let it dry out. Work compost into your planting beds.

• Remove rotting fruits from fruit trees and compost them.

• Plant evergreens for winter interest.

• Weed.

• Plant garlic bulbs.

• Collect plant seeds for next year’s planting and for trading at the 5th Annual Washington Seed Exchange on January 30, 2010.

• Plant hardy mums and fall season annuals.

• Fertilize your lawn and re-seed if needed.

• Dig up bulbs from your Gladiolus, Canna, Caladiums, and other tender bulbs, cut off foliage, dry for a week, and then store for the winter.

• Transplant trees and shrubs.

• Harvest your herbs often and keep them trimmed back to encourage leafy growth.

• Bring in house plants if you took them out for the summer.

• If your conifers start shedding their needles or your spring bulb foliage starts peaking out of the ground, don’t worry. This is normal for our Autumn cycle.

• Leave hummingbird feeders out until October 15.

• Start bulb plantings of early spring bloomers at the end of the month.

• Watch your pumpkins and squash for harvest when their rinds fully • Divide ornamental grasses.

• Cut herbs and flowers for drying indoors.

• Plant strawberries in a site with good drainage for harvest next spring.

• Look out for slug eggs grouped under sticks and stones – they are the size of BBs and pale in color.

• Plant cover crops in vegetable gardens and annual beds (for example, rye, clover, hairy vetch, and winter peas).

• Begin conditioning the Christmas Poinsettias and Christmas cactus to get them ready for the upcoming holiday season • Bring Amaryllis indoors before a hard freeze. Repot every other year at this time.

Store in a cool, dark place and do not water until the flower buds or leaves emerge.

• Your summer annuals will be reviving now with cooler temps and some rain. Cut back any ragged growth and give them some fertilizer. They should put on a good show until the first hard frost.

Quick Links to Recent Washington Gardener Blog Posts • Are You Wasting Time Doing Garden Busywork?

• The Hummingbird Magnet • What Do Pickled Carrots Taste Like?

• Hottest Gardener on Earth • My Truly Bloody Blogger’s Bloom Day See more Washington Gardener Blog posts at WashingtonGardener.Blogspot.com.

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How To Host A Plant Swap

by Kathy Jentz Whether just among your neighbors or for your garden club/plant society, a plant swap can be a terrific way to get free plants, to meet new friends, and to learn a great deal about what grows best in our area. I help organize an annual plant swap with the DC Urban Gardeners each May and attend another 3-5 swaps a year in addition to that one. My garden and house are full of plant swap orphans I’ve adopted and nurtured. Many are among my most prized and I always enjoy pointing them out to visitors. I get a special joy in sharing divisions of plants that were passed on to me not too long ago as plant swap divisions.

Gathering plants for swaps is a good exercise for any gardener as it forces you to walk your landscape with an eye to editing and to what needs moving or thinning. As I garden throughout the year now, I divide and set aside plants specifically intending the, for the upcoming swaps I know I’ll be attending.

When setting up a plant swap, pick a date well in advance so that you can give participants several weeks notice. Plants do best that are potted up long before the swap and given a chance to settle in. Late spring and early fall are the perfect seasons for hosting plant swap events.

Next you’ll need a location. A big, open space such as a driveway, park clearing, or garage work well. You want some place that can get messy and will allow you to spread out the selections.

Send out the invitations and ask all of your participants to carefully label all their plants. Ask for volunteers to help you set up and clean up as this is definitely not a one-person job.

Gather your supplies. You’ll want to have extra labels on hand as labels and pots do sometimes get separated. Name tags are also a good ice-breaker. Extra pens/pencils and paper are a must. Once people get talking, there will be lots of note-taking.

Extra plant pots, trowels, and trays/boxes are good to have along as some swappers will bring plants that can be further divided among several attendees.

Finally, add to your supply box sidewalk chalk and a whistle. The chalk is for marking on the pavement the different plant categories so that folks can self-sort as they bring in their swap donations. For instance, we mark an area for shade perennials, full sun, annuals, shrubs, edibles, etc. The whistle is for swaps with more than 10 or so attendees which can get boisterous and quickly out-of-control if not given a firm hand.

Asking attendees to bring some food to share potluck-style will get people munching and talking either before or after your swap. If you add food to your event, you will need to also bring a table to serve it on, napkins, cups, plates, etc.

On the day of the event, sort plants as they arrive into your pre-assigned categories. At the designated start time, ask each participant to come forward and briefly describe the plants they brought to swap and a but about their care. You may want to assign a timer to keep folks under a set limit as many fellow plant nerds can get carried away with their enthusiasm. This is where the whistle can come in handy as well.

Once everyone has introduced their plants, you will need to devise a fair way to assign who chooses first. Many groups give first choice to volunteers who helped coordinate and set-up the event. Other groups do it by order of arrival, by oldest to youngest, or by whim. The most common method is to pass around a basket with numbered slips of paper. Participants pick one out and that is their order of plant selection. Since most people bring several plants to swap, their will be several rounds of plant selection by participants. Once the pickings start to get slim, you can announce a free-for-all where all-together folks can grab up any of the remaining plants.

If there are still leftover plants, they can be donated to a local school or nonprofit gardens. Be sure to check in advance that these donations are welcome and will be planted in a timely manner.

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Are you trying to reach gardeners in the greater DC region/Mid-Atlantic area? Washington Gardener Enews goes out on the 15th of every month and is a free sister publication to Washington Gardener magazine. The ad rate is $250 per issue or $1,000 for five issues.

Advertising copy must be provided electronically as a text attachment (attached to an email and saved as a Text Only file). The text should be one-to-three sentences (no more than 250 word count) with appropriate URLs for linking. The copy should be completely edited and ready to post as is, although it may be further edited by the WG team for length and style. It is recommended that short URLs be used to avoid line-breaks.

If you would like to submit online art instead of a text ad, please follow these guidelines and deliver the advertisement ready to post: • Format: GIF or JPEG • Art Size: 7.5 inches wide x 3 inches high • URL for linking (if applicable) The ad deadline is the 10th of each month. Please submit your ad directly to: washingtongardener@rcn.com.

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DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ September 16-October 15, 2009 Washington, DC. A compelling reason Brookside Gardens Green Spring Gardens for starting a garden is that “gardening 1800 Glenallan Avenue Wheaton, MD 20902 301.962.1400 www.brooksidegardens.org

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

• Saturdays, September 26, October 10, 24, 2:00pm; Tuesdays, September 29, October 13, 2:00pm Autumn Walks around Brookside Take a stroll around Brookside Gardens before winter sets in. Knowledgeable guides show off the beauty of our lateseason gardens. Wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather – rain or shine.

Fee: FREE; no registration required; Meet at Visitors Center (at doors exiting rear of building).

• Saturday, September 26, 9:30-11am Lessons Learned in the Vegetable Garden Despite horrific weather fluctuations, weeds, bugs, and unproductive plants we have feasted on delicious, nutritious, homegrown goodies. Cindy Brown, Green Spring’s kitchen gardener, shares stories of the season’s successes and failures as chronicled this summer by Adrian Higgins in a Washington Post blog. Fee: $14. Call 703-642-5173 to register.

• Wednesday, September 23, 10:00am12:00pm “Hot” Summer Arrangement Karen Nelson Kent, AIFD, owner Floral Diversity instructs you on how to make summer last a bit longer with an arrangement of citrus fruit and flowers in a hot combination of orange and yellow and a hint of cooling green. You will learn the techniques of using fruit in flower designs and how to mix bright color combinations to create this seasonal bouquet. Fee includes all materials. Course number 84511. Fee: $45; registration required at www.parkpass.org.

• Saturday, October 3, 8:30am-3:30pm Fall Festival Support one of Virginia’s most innovative and exciting public gardens. The Fall Festival is a FROGS (Friends of Green Spring) sponsored fundraiser filled with adult and family activities, exhibits, local tree care program, silent auction and an expanded plant sale, including local artisans specializing in garden art and crafts. Proceeds help acquire plants for the garden and add to Green Spring’s educational efforts.

Co-sponsors include: Virginia Native Plant Society and Washington Gardener magazine. Call 703-642-5173 for details.

• Wednesday, September 30, 12-1:30pm Squash Family Favorites The squash family is big, and the Cook sisters (Adrienne Cook, garden and food writer and Danielle Navidi, caterer) know how to tame its many relatives. Join them for a class that includes Old World Zucchini Pie, Summer Squash Gratin, Delicata Roast, and Triple Squash Soup. Samples are available. Course number 80700; Fee: $25; registration required at www.parkpass.org.

Historical Society of DC

Girard Gardens

Girard Children’s Community Garden in the Girard Playground 1480 Girard Street, NW Washington, DC 443.854.1669 rebecca@cityblossoms.org www.cityblossoms.org • Saturday, September 26, 10:00am12:00pm Getting to Know the Green Around You Join a guided walk from Girard Garden to a nearby community garden & learn about the different green spaces along the way.

The walk will be about 1.5 miles. Gardeners under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult to participate in the workshop series.

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801 K Street NW Washington, DC. www.historydc.org

• Saturday, September 19, 2:30-4:00pm Raising Winter Greens Brett Grohsgal, Even Star Organic Farm explains how the winter garden is a glorious thing. When blustery nights and frigid days are the rule, when real tomatoes seem years and continents away, when supermarket produce is at its worst, winter fields shine emerald with promise.

The home gardener often can weed, water, mulch, and nurture plants better than the hectic professional farmer with crops spread out over many wind-swept acres.

City gardeners also have another major advantage: the urban expanse of concrete and asphalt acts as a heat sink, absorbing sun in daylight and releasing warmth at night. Great greens are within your grasp!

Come and learn what key things are needed for successful winter gardening.

Ages 16 to Adults. No RSVP required.

Presented by the Historical Society of Washington (HSW), DC Urban Gardeners, and Washington Gardener Magazine. FREE. •Saturday, October 3, 1:00-2:30pm Building a School Garden Grace Manubay, DC School Greening explores three or four case studies in

and plant-based learning open a door to the discovery of the living world. It stimulates even as it focuses and calms.

A school garden requires a child’s intellectual, emotional and social engagement with things that must be measured, counted, weighed, arranged, planned and cared for. School gardens offer a wonderful, creative space in which children of all abilities can achieve something that is valued by others. No RSVP required. FREE Presented by the Historical Society of Washington (HSW), DC Urban Gardeners, and Washington Gardener Magazine.

The Master Peace Community Farm

at the Center for Educational Partnership 62nd and Sheridan Street Riverdale, MD 20737 301.405.0656 http://engagedu.umd.edu/programs/ cnuf/mpg • Saturday, September 19, 10:30am12:00noon 4 Season Harvesting: How to Grow Vegetables Year Round Come learn how to keep your harvests up, even after your tomatoes slow down.

You’ll learn through a hand-on workshop how to build a low tunnel, which vegetable varieties grow best in the winter and which ones to avoid, and simple and cheap ways to keep harvesting in the cold months. Stay for a potluck lunch!

This is a FREE class, open to the public.

River Farm

7931 East Boulevard Drive Alexandria, VA 22308-1300 703.768.5700 www.ahs.org •Through January 4, 2010. The house is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am–5:00pm Eyes on Nature: Botanical Artists Bring their Views to River Farm The exhibit features artwork gleaned from the natural world. Orchids, peonies, arrays of spring bulbs, and other exquisitely rendered flowers will be on display, along with trees, herbs, fruits, vegetables and the occasional butterfly or moth. These will be portrayed in watercolor, graphite, colored pencil, or gouache (an opaque watercolor medium). All of the artists in this juried show are members of the Botanical Art Society of the National Capital Region.

BASNCR is an incorporated nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting public interest in botanical art and serves over 70 members, the majority of whom live in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. FREE

DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ September 16-October 15, 2009 landscape. Sean Hogan, nursery owner, skunks, voles, and moles. He will discuss The United States Botanauthor, design consultant, plant explorer, repellents as well as resistant plants. ic Garden Conservatory photographer, and one of America’s most FREE Lecture (USBG) widely respected horticulturists, takes a 100 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 202.225.8333 www.usbg.gov

• Saturday and Sunday, September 19 and 20, 10:00am-5:00pm Creating Dyes and Baskets with Native Plants Laurie Gundersen, Utilitarian Folk Artist, specializes in artistic crafts utilizing materials on hand. To appreciate the role of plants in everyday life, Laurie will show how to create baskets from locally grown tree bark during this two-day class. She will also demonstrate how to create dyes from native plants and use it to decorate bark baskets and other materials. FREE • Saturday, September 26, 10:00am3:00pm The National Garden’s 3rd Birthday – A Celebration for All Ages!

The National Garden celebrates its birthday. Spend the day exploring the garden and see how it has grown up over the past three seasons. Experts will be on hand to answer your gardening questions. Discover how to attract beneficial wildlife, compost, and utilize native plants in your landscape.

Children can create a pollinator, seed packet, or art sculpture. Other activities for all ages will be available. FREE • Saturday, October 3, 1:00-3:00pm Fall Tour of the National Garden Trees Spend an autumn afternoon learning to identify trees of the Mid-Atlantic Piedmont and Coastal Plain as you tour the Regional Garden. Melanie Choukas-Bradley, Author of City of Trees, will teach you how to identify tupelo, hop hornbeam, red buckeye, pawpaw, oaks, pines, and many other native trees as you spend time strolling the grounds of the National Garden. She will also share some of the arboreal history of Washington, DC, which has long been known as the “City of Trees,” and offer ideas for self-guided tree tours in and around the nation’s capital.

FREE: Pre-registration required

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

• Sunday, October 4, 2:00–4:00pm Who’d a Thunk? New Forms and Textures for our Gardens Will that really grow here? Learn about an array of versatile, drought-tolerant, and under-used plants that will thrive in our area and add year-round interest to the

fresh look at plants that have great potential in our landscapes. His most recent book, Trees for All Seasons: Broadleaved Evergreens for Temperate Climates, demonstrates the use of many exciting plants that can transform our gardens with new forms and textures. A presentation of the Friends of the National Arboretum’s Distinguished Lecture Series. Fee $15 ($12 FONA/NBF). Registration required.

• October 10, 1:00 – 4:00 pm Demonstration: Making Herbal Beverages See how easy it is to create herbal teas, punches, and liqueurs at this informal, drop-in session in the National Herb Garden. Members of the Tidewater Unit of the Herb Society of America will demonstrate the techniques used to make beverages with simple syrups and infusions and will share tastes of their creations. The Under the Arbor Series provides free public presentations on herb-related topics “under the arbor” in the National Herb Garden.

Free. No registration required.

• Friday, October 10, 9:00am–5:00pm Saturday, October 11, 10:00am–5:00pm Sunday, October 12, 10:00am–3:00pm 62nd Annual Orchid Show and Sale Collectors, hobbyists, and observers will all find something to love at this threeday show and sale. Thousands of orchid plants in bloom, creative displays, expert advice, informative presentations, and a sales tent full of quality plants make this annual event a favorite. Learn about different aspects of orchid culture at free educational programs held in the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum’s Lecture/Demonstration Center each day. October is a peak season for orchid blooms, so there will be a wonderful selection to see and buy! Presented by the National Capital Orchid Society. Free admission. No registration required.

• Saturday, September 19; 1:30-3:30pm Fall Bulb Spectacular Explore the world of spring bulbs with bulb expert Ross Hotchkiss, President of the Virginia Daffodil Society and Mid-Atlantic Director on the Board of the American Daffodil Society. Ross will cover many topics relating to bulbs including a brief history of bulbs, how to choose the best bulbs, how to plant for optimal success, and how to lift and divide bulbs correctly.

Learn how to plant many bulbs quickly and effectively. Watch as Ross demonstrates how best to lift and then separate daffodils in the garden. Each registrant will receive 3-4 complimentary daffodil bulbs plus be entered into drawings for several different selections of bulbs and potted hybrid boxwood plants. Sam Harris will be on hand to discuss and demonstrate how to intersperse bulbs with daylilies and other perennials. He will also talk about overplanting your bulbs with plants such as pansies, chives, even lettuce! Sam is putting together a beautiful dessert reception for this wonderful fall event!

Ross will be bringing some of the finest daffodil hybrids from his extensive collection for you to purchase at great discount prices (with the proceeds going to the Virginia Daffodil Society). Pre-registration required. $10 fee; 2 for $15 • Saturday, September 26; 1:30-3:30pm Techniques of Plant Propagation A wonderful fall hands-on workshop! Plant propagation is an exciting, self-satisfying, and money saving activity! Learn how to landscape your property using your own plants. Mark will teach you the best methods for many different plants including techniques of dividing, taking cuttings, layering, and seeding. Take home loads of plant divisions! A propagating demonstration tour is included.

Pre-registration required. $30 fee, 2 for $50

Viette Farm & Nursery 994 Long Meadow Road Fishersville, VA 22939 800.575.5538 http://inthegardenradio.com

• Wednesday, September 16, 1:30pm and Sunday, September 20, 1:30pm Discouraging Animal Pests: Deer, Voles, Rabbits . . .

Having trouble with furry critters nibbling at your perennials, trees, shrubs, and evergreens? Tried everything to discourage them? Andre will share his years of experience as a gardener and nurseryman in discouraging these unwanted visitors — deer, rabbits, squirrels, groundhogs,

Event Listing Notes For even more area garden event notices than we can’t possibly squeeze in here, become a member of our free online discussion group. To join the email list serv, just send an email to: WashingtonGardener-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

To submit an event for this listing, please contact: Wgardenermag@aol.com and put “Event” in the email subject head. PLEASE NO ATTACHMENTS! Our next deadline is October 12 for the October 15 edition of this enewsletter featuring events from October 16-November 15.

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Magazine Excerpt: Perfectly Sublime Passionflower by Kate Tyndall

From the native Maypop to the tropical beauties of the South American rain forests, passionflower (Passiflora) vines provide excellent color and coverage for the mid to late summer garden.

The blooms of this climber are an architectural delight with a cunning arrangement of pistil, stamens, and coronal filaments that resemble a crown of thorns — one of the plant’s common names. It was 16th century Spanish conquistadors in Mexico and Peru who marveled at the vines’ intricate blooms and saw in them the symbols of Christ’s Passion.

In 1609, a scholarly monk in Rome, Jacomo Bosio, who was writing about symbols of the Cross, published drawings of P. caerulea, from an account he had received of the flower from a visiting Mexican friar, Emmanuel de Villegas. Bosio provided an elaborate explanation of the flower’s symbolism. According to Bosio, the 10 petals refer to the 10 faithful apostles (leaving out Judas who betrayed Jesus and Peter who denied Him). The three styles represent nails; the five stamens, Christ’s wounds; and the corona filaments, the crown of thorns.

Passionflowers did not reach Europe until the 18th century, but by the mid-1700s, Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus noted 22 species. Over the next century, these blooming tropical and subtropical vines became increasingly popular conservatory and garden plants, and more and more species were discovered. While 95 percent of passionflowers are tropical vines (and it’s the fruit of the tropical vines, like P. edulis, that you will find in the grocery store aisle), there are a handful of hardier passionflowers native to the United States, including lavender P. incarnata, which ramps happily throughout the south and as far north as Pennsylvania, and P. caerulea, found in the Gulf states, California, and Utah. ored ‘Lady Margaret’ — may survive in the ground if the winter is a mild one and its roots are well protected with mulch.

There are roughly 500 passionflower species and not an ugly one in the bunch. ...

Want to learn more about growing Passionflower varieties and growing needs? Read the rest of this article in the Summer 2009 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine.

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