Washington Gardener August 2020

AUGUST 2020 VOL. 15 NO. 6

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the magazine for gardening enthusiasts in the Mid-Atlantic region

Crape Myrtle Plant Profile 7 Garden Myths Busted!

Protect Your Edibles with a Rabbit-proof Box Use Stunning Plants to Create a Statement in Your Landscape

Water in the Landscape: Creating a Garden Oasis

Lettuce Planting and Fall Timing A Honey Bee Haven in University Park What to Do in the Garden this Month Teaching Lessons in the Garden with Dr. Amy Goodall

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Washington Gardener Magazine’s staff and writers are available to speak to groups and garden clubs in the DC region and ONLINE! Call 240.603.1461 or email KathyJentz@gmail.com for available dates, rates, and topics.

Green Spring Gardens

www.greenspring.org

A “must visit” for everyone in the metropolitan Washington, DC, area. It’s a year-round goldmine 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., Alexandria, VA. Information: 703-642-5173.

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FEATURES and COLUMNS

Dr. Amy Goodall leads an Earth Day 2019 event at Bluestone Elementary in Harrisonburg, VA. Among the lessons gardens teach, Goodall said, are plant life cycles and the benefits of pollinators like bees and butterflies. Photo courtesy of JMU Communications & Marketing.

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Win a Centurion collapsible bucket and collapsible watering can set!

See contest details on page 5.

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To establish a new wildlife meadow in University Park, seeds were purchased from Ernst Conversation Seed Company in Meadville, PA. The seed selections included the Northeast Showy Pollinator Mix and ‘Little Bluestem’ grasses.

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Crape Myrtle seed heads contain many small seeds, which are eaten by birds after they dry and crack open. Those that drop to the ground can sprout and grow new plants. However, most are hybrid varieties and will not create a plant identical to its parent.

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A reaction to the White House Rose Garden renovation on page 4.

BOOKreviews 18-21 The Story of Gardening, Deerresistant Design, DIY Garden, Kitchen Garden Revival, Flowers DAYtrip 6-7 University Park Meadow EDIBLEharvest 22 DIY Rabbit-proof Box GARDENbasics 17 Water in the Landscape GREENliving 8-9 Garden Myths Busted NEIGHBORnetwork 14-15 Dr. Amy Goodall NEWPLANTspotlight 11 Squash ‘Goldilocks’ PLANTprofile 17 Crape Myrtle TIPStricks 10 Lead Soil Contamination, Timing Lettuce, Using Plants as Landscape Statements

DEPARTMENTS

ADVERTISINGindex BLOGlinks EDITORletter GARDENcontest GARDENDCpodcasts LOCALevents MONTHLYtasklist NEXTissue READERreactions RESOURCESsources

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ON THE COVER

A backyard water garden on the Parade of Ponds tour in the Washington, DC, area.

In our September issue: Great Blue Lobelia Attracting Goldfinches and much more . . .

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Click on the “subscribe” link at washingtongardener.com

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Credits

EDITORletter

Kathy Jentz Editor/Publisher Washington Gardener 826 Philadelphia Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20910 Phone: 301-588-6894 kathyjentz@gmail.com www.washingtongardener.com Ruth E. Thaler-Carter Proofreader Hadley Baker Taylor Calavetinos Anastazja Kolodziej Interns Cover price: $4.99 Back issues: $6.00 Subscription: $20.00

Your editor with Bronze Fennel plants along her back fence. Photo by Taylor Calavetinos.

Defending the Rose Garden Upgrade

A couple weeks ago, the White House announced that they were undertaking a “refreshment of the Rose Garden” to return it to its original 1962 footprint. The release went on to say that the “plan will provide a renewal of the design first implemented by Rachel Lambert ‘Bunny’ Mellon during the Kennedy Administration, which has been the guiding blueprint for the Rose Garden.”

Susan Harris with the GardenRant.com blog asked for my thoughts on the renovation of this historic garden. I told her, “I actually don’t have an issue with it— looking at the plans, it is really a tweak and partial restoration plus installing new underground irrigation and drainage pipes that are failing on the site. Of course, certain media outlets are hyping it to make it political and about her [the First Lady, in whose name the announcement was made], but I think this is long overdue.”

Most media reports slanted it as the current occupants ripping out the Kennedy legacy. Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story, right?

Well, here are a few points that the mainstream reporting has ignored. First, the project is funded by private donations. Second, it has the stamp of approval of the Oak Spring Garden Foundation. I contacted them when the news first broke and they told me, “We were pleased to have Oehme, van Sweden study the original Rose Garden materials in our archives during their planning for this project, and are confident their team will deliver a restoration that is consistent with Bunny Mellon’s vision.” Their citation of the most-prestigious landscape architecture firm in our area is pretty much all I need to say that this hoopla is, “much ado about nothing,” and I wish them all the best in getting the renovation done with all speed.

Happy gardening,

Kathy Jentz, Editor/Publisher, Washington Gardener KathyJentz@gmail.com 4

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• 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 Instagram: www.instagram.com/wdcgardener • Washington Gardener Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Washington GardenerMagazine/ • Washington Gardener YouTube: www.youtube.com/ washingtongardenermagazine • Washington Gardener Store: www.amazon.com/shop/wdcgardener • Washington Gardener Podcast: https://anchor.fm/kathy-jentz/ • Washington Gardener is a womanowned business. We are proud to be members of: · GardenComm (GWA: The Association for Garden Communicators) · Green America Magazine Leaders Network · Green America Business Network Volume 15, Number 6 ISSN 1555-8959 © 2020 Washington Gardener All rights reserved. Published monthly.

No material may be reproduced without prior written permission. This magazine is purchased by the buyer with the understanding that the information presented is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by the publisher as to legality, completeness, or technical accuracy.

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Reader Contest

For our August 2020 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away a set of the Centurion Tools collapsible bucket and watering can (value $55, centurionbrands.com).

The Centurion collapsible bucket and collapsible watering can are made to work well and store easily. The bucket is made of alternating silicone and plastic layers that fold into each other, so when collapsed, the product is 2–3 inches tall.

It also has a pour spout at one spot, to make pouring water and other liquids easy. The watering can, on the other hand, stays tall, but skinny. The plastic exo-skeleton is colorful and features a handle and spout. The middle is a clear, flexible plastic that fills with water and when empty, slims down to less than the width of the exterior shape.

To enter to win the Centurion Tools bucket and watering can, send an email to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com by 5:00pm on Monday, August 31, with “Centurion” in the subject line and in the body of the email. Tell us what your favorite article was in this issue and why. Include your full name and address. Winners will be announced on September 1. o

Your Ad Here

Are you trying to reach thousands of gardeners in the greater DC region/MidAtlantic area? Washington Gardener Magazine goes out in the middle of every month. Contact KathyJentz@gmail.com or call 301.588-6894 for ad rates (starting from $200). The ad deadline is the 5th of each month. Please submit your ad directly to: KathyJentz@gmail.com.

July 2020 Issue I loved the July Editor’s Column. That concept of layered gardening is one you brought to the Silver Spring Garden Club monthly meeting years ago through the presentation of Michael Twitty, who worked for Smithsonian Folklife Fest. He talked about the history of planting African American gardens; that they included many different edible and flowering plants that grow at different heights, times of year, with different sun and water needs. I never looked at a garden the same way again. Thanks, Kathy, for continuing your excellent contributions to the gardening community. ~ Margaret Poore, Silver Spring, MD My favorite article was the description of the planned rework of the Hirshhorn sculpture gallery garden. Even though it was difficult to match the description to the drawing provided, it’s good to see something more complex than the stark minimalist plan proposed to replace the Enid Haupt garden, and good that someone is thinking in such detail about how people will actually use the space. ~ Lynn Title, Lanham, MD I enjoyed the article on Cardinal Flowers as they grow along the river I now live on in New Hampshire. ~ Alison Mrohs, Henniker, NH My favorite article was the one on Lobelia cardinalis. I use it in my own rain garden and in some of my designs, but have not had success in getting it to expand. I even had tried some variants of Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica), but they die out after the first season. So this gave me some great tips on how to propagate some additional plants and hopefully get it to fill in its space more. ~ Dawn Szelc, Clear Blue Landscapes, Potomac Falls VA

Plant a Row for the Hungry (PAR) is an easy program to participate in and really does not take any extra resources than what you may have in your garden. In normal times, about 35 million people wonder where their next meal will come from.

Most of these are children. That’s where PAR steps in.

PAR is such a simple program: It urges gardeners to Plant A Row (or a container) dedicated to feeding the hungry, and then take the harvest to someplace or someone that needs it. Once you have donated, send an email to KathyJentz@gmail.com with the total (in pounds and ounces) of what you gave.

That is all there is to it. Easy. Effective. Adaptable and Helpful.

My favorite article was the one on hydrangea--one of my favorite foundation plantings in the garden! Can never learn enough about them. ~ Madeline Caliendo, Washington, DC My favorite article was about the Victory Gardens, because I started one myself this year! ~ Sarah Webber, Winslow, ME o AUGUST 2020

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DAYtrip

A Native Grassland Pollinator Meadow in University Park

By Taylor Calavetinos

University Park, MD, has given an upgraded home to pollinators and wildlife. In the spring of 2019, the town of University Park, Dennis vanEngelsdorp Bee Lab at the University of Maryland, and Anacostia Watershed Society worked together to restore a meadow for local wildlife and pollinators.

The University of Maryland (UMD) vanEngeldorp Bee Lab obtained a grant to work with nine meadow partners around the state. Through Andrew Fellows, the former mayor of College Park, they found University Park Lindsay Miller Barranco, an entomology graduate student at the University of Maryland, who joined the Bee Lab in 2018.

“They were redoing the pipe system in the Wells Run area and wanted to consider a pollinator meadow—a naturalized planting area rather than a grassy lot—to provide pollinator habitat and to reduce mowing costs. After construction in the early spring of 2019, the area 6

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was seeded with a 26-species wildflower mix,” says Miller Barranco.

Some of the plants that can be found in the meadow include Black-eyed Susans, wild senna, Ohio spiderwort, butterfly milkweed, and purple coneflower.

Leslie Jenkins, a member of University Park’s sustainability committee, gives the town’s perspective on the meadow.

“When we had the opportunity to be part of the VanEngelsdorp Bee Lab meadow restoration project, we jumped at the chance,” she said. “The pollinator project would encourage bees, butterflies, and birds in addition to providing habitat for small and large animals and improved drainage in an area where standing water was a problem.”

With all of the infrastructure developments in and around the county, bees and wildlife have been left with fewer meadows and space. The meadow’s main purpose is to provide food and

habitat for the local wildlife.

“This is important because in recent years there has been a decline in insects overall and in pollinators (bees, wasps, butterflies, and moths), and development is a big part of this,” said Miller Barranco.

“It was decided a mix of native wildflowers and warm-season bunch grasses—those grasses with deep roots that do not crowd out wildflowers—would work best. Wildflowers do not need rich soil, so when the pipe project was finished, the seed mix was planted.”

Before the restoration project, “the meadow was a large grassy area that was mowed regularly by the public works department and was used primarily for pick-up soccer games. Not only did it require regular maintenance, but the area had very poor drainage, attracting mosquitoes and, except for a wandering deer or two, did not attract much wildlife,” said Jenkins.

DAYtrip Now that the meadow is home to birds, bees, butterflies, and other animals, not much maintenance is required to keep it up. The town’s sustainability committee cares for the meadow and plans to use volunteers to weed invasive plants in the fall, and will install a path around the meadow, along with benches and signs.

The meadow was planted a little more than a year ago and many plants are blooming already.

“Nevertheless, the look of the meadow was underwhelming the first year, prompting more than one resident to question why we planted an area of ugly weeds instead of leaving the grass,” said Jenkins. “I took this opportunity to talk to many town residents about the meadow, explaining that it often takes two to three years to become established.”

The meadow has been weeded and re-seeded in the summer and gets cut once a year in the fall. Miller Barranco also said that it takes a few years for a meadow to establish and show its true beauty, but that every year, different

plant species will be prominent.

“This spring and summer the meadow has come alive with flowers. The butterflies are late arriving, but the bees have been everywhere, including the native bees. We know they’re around because they burrow small holes in the ground,” said Jenkins.

Not only is the meadow good for

native wildlife, it also benefits the town.

“It has been a great way to encourage biodiversity with low investment and maintenance costs compared to a grass field,” said Jenkins.

The town of University Park and the Bee Lab are hopeful that more research projects will occur at this site now that the meadow is full of plants and wildlife.

“In the future, there may be studies done on the diversity of the native bees drawn to this area, adding signage to identify plants, and perhaps adding some bat houses in the area,” said Jenkins. “I would hope that it would be a destination for school groups and those who enjoy watching the changes that happen with the seasons.”

The public can visit the meadow anytime to enjoy the plants, bees, and other wildlife. It is on Adelphi Road across from the Prince George’s Plaza Community Center. o Taylor Calavetinos recently graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor of arts in broadcast journalism. She is an intern with Washington Gardener.

UNIVERSITY PARK NATIVE GRASSLAND POLLINATOR MEADOW Native Grasslands

What Plant is This?

Also known as meadows, grasslands are open land habitats mostly made up of grasses and herbaceous plants adapted to abundant sunlight and dry conditions.

Grasslands have always been part of the natural heritage in Maryland and the region even though forests have always dominated the landscape. They are the preferred habitat for some plant and animal species which are becoming less common throughout the region because grasslands are now a scarce habitat.

Saving Our Native Grasslands The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and the Anacostia Watershed Society are restoring native grasslands by managing invasive plants, sporadically mowing, removing woody plants, and ������������ �������� ���� ����������� ����� ���� ������� ��� this region. This site is part of Prince George’s County �����������������������������������

���������������� Echinacea purpurea

Lanceleaf Coreopsis Coreopsis lanceolata

Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium

��������������� Rudbeckia hirta

Partridge Pea Chamaecrista fasciculata

�������������� Heliopsis helianthoides

Marsh Blazing Star Liatris spicata

��������������� Tradescantia ohiensis

Aromatic Aster Aster oblongifolius

Zigzag Aster Aster prenanthoides

Tall White Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis

Wild Senna Senna hebecarpa

��������� Eupatorium coelestinum

����������������� Asclepias tuberosa

Blue False Indigo Baptisia australis

Golden Alexanders Zizia aurea

AUGUST 2020

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GREENliving

7 Garden

Myths Busted!

By Hadley Baker

Whether you’ve just started gardening or you’ve been a gardener for years, you’ve probably heard tips or information that you find out—through practice or research—are just garden myths.

There are a lot of garden myths, misinformation, and scams out there that confuse gardeners. Washington Gardener wanted to clarify some of the 8

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more--common ones, so, we spoke with Robert Pavlis, creator of the Garden Myths website (https://www.gardenmyths.com/) and author of several books addressing garden myths,. We also spoke with Kelly Billing, aquatic gardening consultant (https://www.kellybilling.com/) to debunk some of these myths.

1. Mosquito-Repellent Plants A common problem in the summer garden, especially in the Mid-Atlantic region, is the presence of mosquitos.

Tips and articles out there claim to provide several plants that repel mosquitos, but do these really work? Pavlis says that the citronella plant does not in fact work.

GREENliving “It turns out that it’s not the citronella plant; it’s actually a geranium,” Pavlis says, adding that the real citronella plant is a grass that is not commonly grown in North America.

“Neither plant actually keeps mosquitoes away,” Pavlis adds, saying that gardeners often only selectively use science to conclude that citronella is a mosquito repellent. The oils from the plant are potentially mosquito-repellent, but the extracted oil is very concentrated and the amount of oil coming from the plant is too minimal to have any real effect.

Pavlis says that the eucalyptus plant is the one known option to actually have mosquito-repellent properties, but that you would need to have a eucalyptus grove for it to be effective, which is unlikely in our climate.

2. Deer-Repellent Plants Another issue gardeners have that seems to inspire various myths is the prevalence of deer. Are there really any plants that deer won’t eat?

“There are plants that deer will ignore,” Pavlis says, citing the yew plant, which is poisonous and deer are likely to leave it alone.

“But, somewhere around February, when the deer are really hungry, they will come and eat the yew.” Pavlis adds, saying that, for the most part, deer will eat just about anything when they get hungry.

Many of the myths of deer-repellent plants seem to arise out of availability of food in different locations. Some gardeners will notice that the deer in their gardens will avoid certain plants and often post about this as a way to help other gardeners. The problem, however, is that this is highly variable and depends on what food the deer have access to in that particular location, with no common plants that are, in fact, deer-repellents.

3. The Blue Lotus, Roses, or Tulips Some websites offer a blue lotus flower for sale or just as an inspiration for gardeners. Billing, however, says that those are entirely fake flowers.

“Each plant is silk, not real, or the flower color has been altered. It is a total scam because these flower colors do not exist in reality,” Billing says.

to sell this to customers, which Pavlis says is an unnecessary purchase for gardens—these fungi already exist in your garden and there is no logical reason to add more.

She adds that any of these flowers in turquoise, aquamarine, or true-blue are all fake colors. These photos are often altered in Photoshop to give them those vibrant hues.

4. Houseplants as Air Purifiers When choosing the types of houseplants to add to your home, you may read in books and websites that certain plants are “air purifiers,” but Pavlis says that this is completely false.

“Houseplants do not purify the air in our home,” Pavlis says, adding that this is based on a misinterpreted NASA study—the Clean Air Study from 1989— and there is no real evidence that it is true, though many people believe it.

5. Specific Plant Fertilizers While many gardening and hardware stores sell fertilizers supposedly specific to each type of plant, including tomato, rose, and more, Pavlis says this is also a widespread myth that has no factual basis.

“We don’t fertilize the plants; we fertilize the soil,” he says, emphasizing that gardeners need to focus on the missing nutrients in their soil rather than what plant they are trying to grow and should avoid falling for the specific plant fertilizers often sold in stores.

6. Mycorrhizal Fungi Pavlis highlighted a less-common, but still important myth: adding mycorrhizal fungi to your garden. This type of fungi has a symbiotic relationship with most plants, helping plants access water and nutrients. Some companies have begun

7. Humic Acid Finally, Pavlis address the myth of humic acid as something beneficial for your garden. Humus, a dark and organic material that forms in soil, is good for the garden, which leads to the assumption that humic acid and other humic-related substances would also be good for the garden.

“Humic substances like humic acid are being promoted as important organic material that should be added to gardens to improve soil health,” Pavlis writes on his Garden Myth site, adding that these products do not, in fact, improve soil health.

“The acid being sold is made up of coal,” Pavlis says, and is not actually made from humus; there is no scientific evidence that these humic acids work.

Check Your Sources

Seeking solutions to this problem of getting duped into believing these, and other, garden myths? Pavlis suggests getting your information from a government website like the USDA or a site associated with a university or other educational institution, since these are of much higher quality than personal blogs or social media posts, and are typically easy to find using Google’s advanced search feature.

“Purchase from a reputable supplier.

Scammers are reliant on unsuspecting individuals. Locate sources through recognized organizations like the International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society (IWGS), and journals and magazines that rely on experts to provide information and advertising to readers,” says Billing.

Overall, the best advice for identifying garden information as myth is to do your research and use highly regarded organizations and news sources. o Hadley Baker is a rising senior studying English and Spanish at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She is from Takoma Park, MD, and her mother is a landscape designer in the area, She is an intern this summer with Washington Gardener.

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TIPStricks

Time to Plant Lettuce

According to Barbara Melera of Harvesting History Heirlooms (https:// harvesting-history.com), of all the vegetables and herbs that you can plant for fall harvesting, lettuce is the easiest, the most-prolific, and the one that can truly be grown anywhere there is light, soil, and water.

This means you can grow lettuce in your backyard garden, on your deck or patio, and, yes: Apartment dwellers with no balcony, you can even grow lettuce on your window sill.

The issue is not “can you,” but “which ones.” You must be careful when you plant lettuce. If you plant it too soon, the hot weather will cause it to germinate in a matter of days (not the two to three weeks it sometimes takes in early spring) and in just a few weeks, it will become bitter and bolt.

If you plant it too late, it will take two to three weeks to germinate and then shortly thereafter, the frost will kill it before it has put on much growth.

In Zones 6–7, start lettuce by the end of August. Remember to succession plant by seeding a new row every week to 10 days. Do not wait two weeks between plantings like you would in the spring or your second and third crops will not have time to mature.

Four kinds of lettuce are grown in gardens throughout the U.S.: crisphead, butterhead, leaf, and Romaine. Of these four types of lettuce, Romaine is the most cold-hardy, followed by the leaf lettuces, the crisphead lettuces, and the least cold-hardy of all types, the butterhead lettuces.

Color also plays a part in cold hardiness. The red lettuces are much more cold-hardy than the green lettuces.

However, the darker green the lettuce, the more-cold hardy it is.

Unlike planting in the spring when each day is growing longer, planting in mid-summer and fall must take into account that each day is growing shorter. This means that it takes longer for a plant to mature.

The “rule of thumb” for mid-summer/ fall planting is to add two weeks (14 days) to the time to maturity. However, if you are planting in containers or raised beds, you do not add 14 days to the time to maturity. o 10

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Use Plants to Create a Landscape Statement

These days, we are all staying closer to home. The extra time we spend looking at our gardens is giving us a new appreciation of the value of a beautiful landscape. One way to add instant and long-lasting beauty to the landscape is with statement plants—those that lend a bold, architectural look as they dramatically fill their allotted space.

“Statement plants are the difference between an ordinary yard and a beautiful garden,” says Jonathan Pedersen, Monrovia Vice President of Sales and Business Development. “Make your landscape a source of inspiration and pride, an extension of your personality.

Plants help you do that.”

Centuries of gardening history show how stunning landscapes use statement plants. These varieties are used as focal points and space dividers, and to direct flow, adding structure to large and small spaces.

“Every space needs a focal point, a place where the eye is drawn to,” says John Robert Beaudry, landscape designer and author of the new book Garden Sanctuary: Designing for Comfort, Wholeness and Connection.

“Having a place for the eye to stop makes a garden feel more restful. The right focal point can be something that lifts spirits or adds excitement.”

One way to use a statement plant as a focal point is to select a variety with dramatic form. Large topiaries (trees and shrubs pruned in ornamental shapes), trellised shrubs (those trained vertically on a trellis), and espaliered trees (trained to grow in a pattern along a frame) all immediately draw the eye to their architectural form.

“Topiary can take eight years of growing and shaping before they’re ready for the garden center,” says Pedersen.

Plants pruned into special shapes fit in many design styles. For other landscape looks, homeowners can enjoy plants that make a statement naturally with their form, texture, or color. Trees like Japanese Maples are classic choices.

Their distinctive, finely cut leaves and dramatic, sculptural shapes are often used in Asian garden design. Their impact in the landscape transcends any specific design style. o

Is Lead Ancient History?

Lead may no longer be used in paint or home-building, but we still have a lead problem, especially in urban areas.

Anna Wade of Duke University, writing for the Soil Science Society of America blog (soilsmatter.wordpress.com), said that the first extraction of the metal lead from ores was ancient—around 7,000 BCE. If it were not so toxic to humans, the use of lead would still be widespread in our daily lives.

Lead is a “heavy” metal, meaning it’s a dense element. Lead is also soft, malleable, corrosion-resistant, and distinguished by a low melting point. That’s what gives it its useful characteristics.

Yet lead is a highly poisonous metal.

Its presence disrupts almost every organ in the body if inhaled or swallowed. Lead displaces other metals in the body, such as calcium and iron, disrupting chemical reactions. The mostproblematic effects are on children. By mimicking calcium, lead can enter a child’s developing brain and disrupt the functioning of mitochondria.

Lead was used in gasoline to make car engines work more smoothly.

Unfortunately, the lead from gasoline was also sent into the atmosphere through car exhaust. It landed in the soil everywhere. The higher the concentration of cars, as in cities and highways, the more lead.

Despite the phase-out of lead, urban soils remain recognized as a main source of lead exposure. That also goes back to lead being a heavy metal. That characteristic means it tends to accumulate in soils and remains bioavailable for long periods of time.

Once deposited, lead remains strongly bound to clay and organic matter in topsoil. It is not taken up in substantial amounts by plants, nor does it easily leach or migrate further down in the soil. Instead, this lead remains as part of the reservoir of urban soil and dust, susceptible to resuspension during dry periods. This resuspension is why children’s blood lead levels are believed to peak during the summers and reach a minimum in the winter.

There is some good news. A recent study in New Orleans reported an approximate 45% decline in soil lead over the span of 15 years. o

GARDENnews

Quick Links to Recent Washington Gardener Blog Posts • Cucumber Trials in the Community Garden Plot • Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta Recipe • Plant Profile: Canna • DIY: Leaf Print Doormat See more Washington Gardener blog posts at: WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com o

August—September Garden Task To-Do List New Plant Spotlight

Squash ‘Goldilocks’ F1 Once upon a time, there was an acorn squash called ‘Goldilocks’. In summer trials all across North America, the high yield, disease tolerance, and rich nutty flavor of this vigorous plant variety had the AAS judges saying, “Ahhh, this squash is just right!” like in the fairy tale. The bright-orange fruits with uniform shape and color double as ornamental decoration. It makes a great complement to previous AAS Winner ‘Honey Bear’ acorn squash.

‘Goldilocks’ was bred by EarthWork Seeds and is distributed by Osborne Quality Seeds. The fruits are 4 inches wide and tall. They weigh about 1 pound each.

All-America Selections is North America’s oldest and most well-known non-profit plant trialing organization.

This new 2021 AAS Winner was trialed throughout North America by professional, independent, volunteer judges who grew them next to comparisons that are considered best in class. Only those entries that perform better than the comparisons are granted the AAS award designation. o

Photos courtesy of All-America Selections.

• It is harvest time and also a good time to start taking stock of 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 a diluted bleach solution.

• Water thoroughly, especially if you receive no rain for more than seven 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 and weed some more.

• 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 them 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 where they’ll get 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.

• Deadhead Garlic Chives before they go to seed. They make nice cut flowers. o AUGUST 2020

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GARDENDCpodcast

GardenDC Podcast Episode Guide

The GardenDC podcast is all about gardening in the greater Washington, DC, and Mid-Atlantic area. The program is hosted by Kathy Jentz, editor of Washington Gardener Magazine, and features guest experts in local horticulture.

Episode 1: A discussion with garden writer Marianne Willburn about the Philadelphia Flower Show, rose pruning, Edgeworthia, March gardening tasks, and more.

Episode 2: A chat with Kit Gage, a Chesapeake Bay landscape professional, about the recent Green Matters Symposium, the novel The Overstory, and Doug Tallamy’s Nature’s Best Hope.

Our Plant Profile in this episode is the cool-season annual Sweet Alyssum.

Episode 3: A chat with Kim Roman of Square Foot Gardening 4 U (SFG4U) about Square Foot Gardening techniques, microgreens, and what coolseason edibles you can start right now.

Our Plant Profile in this episode is about Forsythia.

Episode 4: A talk with Doug Oster all about tomatoes—from the earliest varieties to ripen to combating blight issues—along with Doug’s best tips and tricks. Our Plant Profile in this episode is Heuchera.

Episode 5: A talk with Abra Lee of Conquer the Soil, who is a horticultural storyteller and Longwood Fellow. The Plant Profile focuses on the Pussy Willow and we add a new segment about what is growing in our community garden plot and home garden this week.

Episode 6: A chat with David Ellis, editor of The American Gardener, the magazine of the American Horticultural 12

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Society, about favorite spring flowering trees and shrubs. The Plant Profile is about pansies/violas and we reflect on the late, great Henry Mitchell.

Episode 7: A chat with returning guest Marianne Willburn about chickens in the garden, her fuzzy ducklings, and her new hugelkultur installation. The Plant Profile is about lilacs and we vent about leaf blowers.

Episode 8: A chat with Heather Zindash about IPM and best practices for diagnosing and treating issues in your garden. I share why gardening is not canceled and the Plant Profile is Kale.

Episode 9: An in-depth talk with Barbara Bullock about all things azalea—from planting tips to pruning to favorite selections. She is the recently retired curator of the U.S. National Arboretum’s azalea collection.

We also reminisce a bit about Behnke Nurseries, and Barbara talks about what gardening in retirement is like.

Episode 10: A chat with Peter Pepper about growing Peppers, I describe my visit to Rachel Carson’s home a few years ago, and I discuss what is blooming in my garden. The Plant Profile is fothergilla.

Episode 11: A chat about Lotus with Kelly Billing of Water Becomes a Garden, and I answer a listener question about harvesting Asparagus. I share what is blooming in my garden and the Plant Profile is Calamintha.

Episode 12: A chat with Eva Monheim about her new book on Shrubs and Hedges. I opine about gardening in movies and the Plant Profile is Hakone Grass.

Episode 13: A chat with Connie Hilker of Hartwood Roses about Heritage (aka Old or Heirloom) Roses. I share my love of Crocs and the Plant Profile is Hardy Waterlily.

Episode 14: A chat with Niraj Ray of Cultivate the City about unusual edibles, including Papalo, Malabar Spinach, and Megberries. I share my Confessions of a Plant Killer and the Plant Profile is Daylilies.

Episode 15: A wide-ranging conversation with plantswoman Carol Allen about Orchids, insects, hummingbirds, and more. The Plant Profile is Common Milkweed, and I share why gardening has real value.

Episode 16: A talk with Tony Sarmiento about all things Garlic. The Plant Profile is Lavender and I share my lessons in No-stress Gardening.

Episode 17: An in-depth conversation with Mike Whalen about garden photography. The Plant Profile is Hardy Geranium, and I share my “Confessions of a Plant Hoarder.”

Episode 18: A chat with Jenny Rose Carey about shade gardening. The Plant Profile is Clematis and we provide tips for “Logging Offline in the Garden.”

Episode 19: A talk with Holly Heider Chapple about floral design. The Plant Profile is Black-eyed Susans, and I share my thoughts on “Gardening by Rules.”

Episode 20: A talk with Shari Wilson about native plants. The Plant Profile is Sunflowers and I share my thoughts on “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Garden.”

Episode 21: A talk with Drew Asbury of Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens about cutting gardens. The Plant Profile is Monarda and I share my Adventures in Garden Speaking..

Episode 22: A talk with Michael McConkey of Edible Landscaping about Fruit Tees. The plant profile is Crape Myrtles and I share “Low-Maintenance Lawn Alternatives.”

Episode 23: Returning guest Marianne Willburn chats about summer cocktails and makes a case in defense of the lawn. The Plant Profile is cucumbers and I share my love for the ‘Green Cloud’ container lotus.

Episode 24: A talk with Peggy Cornett of Monticello about their historic plant collection. The Plant Profile is Echinacea and I share tips for Guerilla Gardening.

Listener Support Needed You can become a listener-supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! We will give you a thank you shout-out on the next episode. See how at: https:// anchor.fm/kathy-jentz/support.

Find Our Podcast

You can listen online at https://anchor. fm/kathy-jentz/ or at our blog: https:// washingtongardener.blogspot.com/.

We are available on Spotify, Apple, RadioPublic, Breaker, PocketCasts, Overcast, and Google Podcasts. o

TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events Listing Classes and Webinars • Sunday, August 23, 2–4pm Floral Design with Roses The Potomac Rose Society hosts this talk via Zoom featuring acclaimed floral designer Sachi Rose. Details at http:// potomacrose.org/events/. View Sachi’s work at http://sachirose.com/.

• Tuesday, August 25, 7:30pm Native Planting and Other Yard Landscaping Techniques: An Insect’s Point of View Dr. Karin Burghardt outlines ways that decisions within an individual’s own scope of management (gardens, parks, and other green spaces) alter plant/animal interactions, particularly the successful completion of insect life cycles. She suggests tweaks to native plant selection, yard care, and pest management practices to retain biodiversity and function in the spaces we inhabit. The talk is hosted by the Maryland Native Plant Society. Registration is required to receive the Zoom webinar link. Register at http://www.mdflora. org/event-3885296.

• Classes start on August 31 Landscape Technology Fall Classes at Montgomery College Interested in learning more about sustainable landscaping techniques and approaches? Montgomery College’s Intro to Sustainable Landscaping is one of the many classes offered this fall semester by the Landscape Technology Program. In-county tuition rates available for business/industry employees.

Tuition waivers available for senior citizens. For further information about the program or courses, contact steve. dubik@montgomerycollege.edu. Register at: www.montgomerycollege.edu.

• Sunday, September 6, 2–3pm Attractive Plant Combinations We’ll explore playing with color, form, and texture in the perennial/shrub border. This image-heavy talk includes tried-and-true proven combinations and some daring new mixes to experiment with in your own home garden. Speaker: Kathy Jentz, Washington Gardener Magazine. Held via Zoom. Note that if

you cannot attend the live class, you can still register and get a link to view the class for two weeks after the actual date. Fee: $10. Register at: https:// py.pl/rxMxN. • Sunday, October 4, 2–3pm Dealing with Deer and Other Mammal Pests in Your Garden Bambi may be cute, but he and his mother, cousins, and rest of the herd are very hungry and would love to make a feast of your garden. This talk will cover proven and humane tactics for gardening with deer, rabbits, rats, groundhogs, and other creatures that are attracted to both edible and ornamental gardens. Speaker: Kathy Jentz, Washington Gardener Magazine.

Held via Zoom. Note that if you cannot attend the live class, you can still register and get a link to view the class for two weeks after the actual date. Fee: $10. Register at: https://py.pl/180w3U.

Plant Sale • September 5, 6, 12, & 13, 8:30am– 3:00pm Friends of Brookside Gardens Online Plant Sale 2020 Over 90 varieties of great perennials for our region will be available. For your safety, all sales will be online this year, with curbside pickup in September at Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD. Plant lists are online now at: www.friendsofbrooksidegardens.org/ plantsale2020.

Online Garden Clinics • August 18, September 1, September

15, and September 29 at 12noon In the Garden Garden Q&A with Montgomery County Master Gardeners has the answers.

Submit your questions and photographs using the form on the Montgomery County Master Gardeners-Maryland website, https://go.umd.edu/inthegarden. Then tune in to the Montgomery County Master Gardeners-Maryland Facebook page on the first and third Tuesdays of the month for your answers. You’ll also have the chance to ask questions live at www.facebook.

com/MoCoMasterGardenersMD/. If you miss the live show ,you can visit their YouTube channel to see the recorded program.

Garden Book Club • Thursday, August 20, 6:30–8pm For the next Garden Book Club selection, we will discuss The Food Explorer: The True Adventures of the Globe-Trotting Botanist Who Transformed What America Eats by Daniel Stone. You can order it new or used at the Amazon link: https://amzn.to/31PBuJF. The Washington Gardener Magazine’s Garden Book Club is free and open to all. RSVP to washingtongardenermagazine@gmail. com, to receive the Zoom link.

Plant Swap • Sunday, September 20, 11am–12n

DC Plant Swap The annual DC Plant Swap hosted by Washington Gardener Magazine at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, DC, is open to all. This year, the event will be by pre-registration only and will observe all social-distancing precautions. Start potting up and labeling your plants now to prepare for it. More details to be announced soon.

Photo Show • Extended through Sunday, August 30 Garden Photo Show Display of 2020 Garden Photo Contest winners at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, VA.

Event Listing Updates See updated 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, email washingtongardenermagazine@gmail. com with “Event” in the subject line.

Our next deadline is September 5 for the September 2020 issue, for events taking place after September 15. o AUGUST 2020

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NEIGHBORnetwork

Meet Dr. Amy Goodall:

Teaching Lessons in the Garden

By Anastazja Kolodziej Amy Goodall, a professor at the James Madison University (JMU) School of Integrated Sciences, is the coordinator of a program that connects JMU students with Harrisonburg, Virginia, elementary and middle schoolers to build and study gardens at those schools.

This program offers an opportunity for JMU students to conduct research projects within their fields of study while teaching kids about gardening and the outdoors.

Goodall’s main research interests lie in applied biogeography, human perceptions of biodiversity conservation, citizen science, and gardens for environmental education and community engagement. She holds a doctorate in geography from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; an M.S. in biology and an M.S. in geo-environmental studies with a secondary environmental education certification from Shippensburg University; and a B.A. in anthropology from the California University of Pennsylvania.

This interview has been edited for grammar and clarity.

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How did you come to study biodiversity? What got you interested in gardening?

I grew up in what was a small, rural town with scattered woodlands and farmland, and lots of birds to watch. As the town became urbanized, I observed fewer birds at our feeder each year and fewer migrants flying over our yard during the spring and fall. Concerned about the declines in wildlife, I grew a strong interest in conservation methods and teaching about the importance of nature for wildlife and for people.

I have spent much of my career studying and educating about birds. However, observing butterflies with students can be easier for teaching concepts of biodiversity conservation. Butterflies are often at eye level, and some will stay on a flower until a student is close enough to see details of colors and patterns.

Some butterflies are easy to identify, and some are not, making them good examples of the challenges scholars face with having accurate assessments of populations.

What inspired you to start this gardening program with local schools?

My teaching required sites for students to study butterflies. Creating wildflower gardens at public schools would not only provide butterfly study sites for undergraduates, it would also create opportunities for local school students to observe nature. Harrisonburg schools are embedded in a variety of landscapes, allowing for the study of how surrounding habitats can influence the diversity of butterfly species in a garden. I communicated with school administrators and found that each principal was interested in creating or modifying a garden. I worked with my students in 2011, to design the first native plant school garden. As part of the agreement with the principal, we also built a vegetable garden. Since then, JMU students have built raised beds for five other city schools.

What is your role in the program?

My students enroll in physical geography classes that include learning about

NEIGHBORnetwork regional plant species. From there, I teach interested students how to garden. Our gardening participation varies by school so that I work with students to manage two school gardens and provide our help as needed with four other schools.

My main role is “garden coordinator� to provide learning opportunities through interactions between JMU students and public school students.

Coordination includes communication with administrators or teachers to plan for pollinator species diversity, as well as planning vegetable and fruit harvests that can take place during spring, summer, and fall sessions. I coordinate JMU student schedules with public school schedules so learning experiences can take place year-round. We garden during the growing season and make signage and assess students’ interests in garden plantings during the winter.

How do JMU students get involved with the program? What responsibilities do they have?

JMU students can conduct research projects with an emphasis on management of garden species diversity, participate in service-learning experiences in classes, or volunteer with a club or fraternity. They help plant, weed, water, manage the use of trowels and gloves, and interact with younger students about how to take care of the garden.

JMU students also research plant and insect species, and design and lead scavenger hunts for finding flowers and insects.

How do elementary and middle school students participate?

Many garden activities at elementary schools take place during recess, when JMU students are ready with activities.

Elementary students have an option to enter the garden or to participate in activities on the playground. Many

run to the garden! Special celebrations such as Earth Day and Farm-to-Table festivities involve individual classes.

Teachers coordinate with me to bring their students to the garden to celebrate with JMU students. Garden activities during recess or special celebrations depend on the age of the students and class content. For example, preschool through first grade students fill water bottles from large buckets and learn how water behaves. Higher-level elementary students learn the appropriate depths and distances for planting different types of seeds. Elementary and middle school teachers employ garden-based learning in their afterschool programs. Teachers also use gardens for their class instruction, including science, math, and art.

What have you and your students learned from the program?

A school garden can provide habitat for many native insect species. To date, we have observed more than 40 species of butterflies. Students of all ages enjoy finding butterflies, beetles, bees, caterpillars, and colorful flowers. Students learn quickly and become experienced gardeners, and also learn garden traits that help them understand how nature works. They become experts about the stages of insect life cycles, which larva belongs to which adult butterfly, and what kind of pollinator visits a certain flower. In this program, school gardens provide opportunities for undergraduates to learn about the diversity of the local community and the benefits that diversity brings, including the impressive skills the children have for speaking multiple languages.

Although I had originally planned on an emphasis to study butterflies, I feel the greatest benefit for the undergraduates has been the life-changing interactions with younger students who have a spirit to learn about and enjoy the outdoors. An indicator of the importance of this program is the number of undergraduates who have chosen their next career steps toward environmental education.

How has COVID affected the program?

We miss our interactions. We are ready for students to work at safe distances when they get back to school. They will

notice deer tracks and nibbles on the beans as wildlife has become moreabundant with fewer people in the gardens. We will have to be patient for a time when we can be in the garden in our usual numbers.

Do you have a home garden?

Yes! We grow vegetables and have a substantial pollinator garden, including continuous blossoms for hummingbirds.

Our garden is my habitat for taking photographs of birds and insects for my classes.

What advice do you have for readers who would like to get involved in similar programs?

Taking care of any community garden requires a significant commitment of time and resources. In this case, the rewards are many for the undergraduates that spend hundreds of hours over the course of two to three years, in the gardens, creating learning tools, and applying for funding. It is that commitment that allows this to work for public schools that are kindly accepting this relationship while they take on an overwhelming amount of responsibilities for the care of their students.

Any final thoughts?

This program has given me some of the most-rewarding experiences of my career as I have observed students enjoying butterflies, healthy eating, exercise, sense of place, and respect for others. o Anastazja Kolodziej is a rising senior at the University of Maryland, double-majoring in multiplatform journalism and the classics (Ancient Greek and Latin). On campus, she serves as an assistant managing editor at The Diamondback. She is an intern this summer with Washington Gardener.

Photos courtesy of JMU Communications & Marketing.

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GARDENbasics

Water in the Landscape: Creating a Garden Oasis

By Hadley Baker Last month, Washington Gardener editor Kathy Jentz offered insights into starting your own victory garden, giving us tips for success in a webinar. This month, she offered even more helpful gardening advice in the form of a new webinar about adding water features to your backyard garden.

“Water in the Landscape: Creating a Garden Oasis” took place on Sunday, August 2.

Jentz emphasized humankind’s innate need to be near water and the importance of adding some type of water element to your garden.

First off, she said, you need to consider a low fence or rock border around your water feature—especially if you have children or pets, or belong to a Home Owners Association that requires a safety feature.

Jentz dispelled the common concern about adding a water feature to your garden—the fear of attracting more mosquitoes—by saying that it will not increase the mosquito population in your garden, and may even reduce it if you add fish to the water feature.

“There’s no mosquito breeding in moving water,” she emphasized, saying that you can add Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis) in the form of Mosquito Dunks—a naturally occurring bacterial extract that stops eggs from forming—if you do have still water. It does not kill the current generation of mosquitoes, but will stop new mosquitoes from being born.

You can also use Mosquito Bits for the same effect, although these do not last as long.

Jentz specifically cautioned DC-area gardeners about using public water.

“If you top off your pond or fish tank with WSSC water, then you need to use a dechlorinator,” because there is a chlorinated chemical added to the water. You can buy bottles of dechlorinator, sometimes called water conditioner, to solve this issue. She did, however, offer a different solution if you do not want to buy dechlorinator.

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“I recommend, if you can collect rainwater, to add that to top off your pond,” she said. If you’re with another water agency, check their website or ask your local fish hobby store about the chlorinators added to your local water.

Going into the different types of water features, she gave the audience three main options: koi ponds, water gardens, and goldfish ponds. She offered some specific care advice for each type, depending on your preferences.

Then, she addressed considerations for choosing your location, including sunlight, trees, access and seating, the view from your house, level sites, drainage, and access to water and electricity.

“The first thing I was ever told when I installed my first-ever water garden was to go bigger than you think,” Jentz said, highlighting design considerations for your water feature. She suggested doubling whatever size you think you need, and then thinking about depth, shape, and material. She suggested using an old hose or landscape spray paint to play with different potential shapes.

You should consider whether you want a formal or informal design for your water garden, as well as your preferred edgings, paths, waterfalls, and streams.

If the idea of adding an entire pond or fish tank to your garden sounds like too big an undertaking, you can also add a simple container water garden as a smaller water feature. Jentz emphasized that this method would only include one plant per pot, because the plants will probably take over the entire pot.

“Because these containers don’t have bubblers or moving water of any kind, you’re going to want to apply Mosquito Dunks or Bits.” She does not recommend adding fish to container water gardens, because the limited space and still water are inhumane to the fish.

Another simple water feature Jentz discussed is a recirculating fountain, which does not require plants.

“They add a really beautiful water element with almost no maintenance to your garden.”

She then addressed some basics of water garden kits, as recommended

by Lilypons Water Gardens, located in Adamstown, MD, including liner size, underlayments, pumps, filters, and numbers of each type of plant, from waterlilies to submerged plants.

When you’re ready to add plants to your water feature, Jentz recommends using water lettuce and water hyacinth to quickly cover the surface of your water feature, as well as various other plants, including lotus, waterlilies, cattails, pickerel weed, and more.

Another important decision to make is whether to add goldfish, koi, or other fish to your pond.

“Other things you can add that are beneficial to your pond to keep your water clear are snails and tadpoles,” Jentz said, which can be purchased from local water gardens or other water gardeners in your area who may have excess. After you add your fish and other animals, you need to add some predator protection, which could include netting, wires, lines, or Scarecrow brand motion sensors.

Finally, for further resources on water gardens, Jentz recommended the International Water Garden Society and Lilypons Water Gardens, as well as local garden tours, or simply asking your neighbors, who may have their own water feature advice. o Hadley Baker is a rising senior studying English and Spanish at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She is from Takoma Park, MD, and her mother is a landscape designer in the area, She is an intern this summer with Washington Gardener.

PLANTprofile

Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia)

By Kathy Jentz Crape Myrtles are native to Asia and were introduced to the United States in 1790. Crape Myrtles are known for their colorful, long-lasting flowers that bloom in the summer. The flowers are born on long branches in panicles of crinkled blossoms with crape-(or crepe-)like texture.

Flower colors vary from deep purple to red and white, with almost every shade in between.

After flowering, Crape Myrtle produces seed capsules that start off green, then turn dark brown. It is not necessary to cut these seeds off, unless you find them unattractive.

In the wild, most Crape Myrtles are multi-stemmed large shrubs, but today, it is possible to find a Crape Myrtle filling every landscaping need, from small trees to dense barrier hedges to container-sized varieties that grow only 2 feet tall.

The practice of topping-off Crape Myrtles to keep their growth in check is not advisable. Instead, pick a variety that is bred to reach full maturity at a smaller size.

One of the joys of Crape Myrtle tree is its brilliant fall color and its beautiful, exfoliating bark in winter. It takes a few years for it to develop that bark texture, so give it time.

Many of the newer Crape Myrtle varieties were developed at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, DC. These were bred to be disease-resistant and hardier for northern climates. They are generally hardy to Zone 7.

If planted in colder zones, they die back to the ground each winter, but with care and lots of mulching, will regenerate new growth from their roots.

‘Natchez’ (white flowers), ‘Sioux’ (dark pink), and ‘Muskogee’ (light lavender) are three of the mostpopular National Arboretum introductions, with many more being developed by other people. Some of the newer varieties have burgundy leaves with blooms from purple to brilliant pink and others are dwarf in form.

Crape Myrtles bloom on new growth, so you can prune them in the early spring and they will still flower that summer.

Crape Myrtle flowers most heavily in full sun. Other things that may cause Crape Myrtles to bloom less are too much water, lack of heat, and over-fertilization. Note also that Crape Myrtles are one of the last plants to leaf out in the spring, so if you think yours might be dead in April, give it until the end of May to prove its case. o Kathy Jentz is the editor and founder of Washington Gardener.

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BOOKreviews

Kitchen Garden Revival: A Modern Guide to Creating a Stylish SmallScale, Low-Maintenance Edible Garden Author: Nicole Johnsey Burke Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group USA List Price: $30.00 Order link: https://amzn.to/310w5Pa Reviewer: Jamie Moore As a professional garden designer specializing in kitchen gardens, Nicole Johnsey Burke has formulated foolproof steps to create small gardens suitable to varied residential spaces and lifestyles. Burke strongly believes in the power of small family gardens to improve personal health and wellbeing, as well as have a positive impact on the environment. To expand the reach of her mission to bring back the kitchen garden, she started the educational website gardenary.com and wrote the book Kitchen Garden Revival.

In this book, she starts by discussing the many benefits of kitchen gardens, which include boosting personal happiness; fostering feelings of connection with your community; and helping the environment by decreasing food miles, packaging, and waste.

Next, she breaks down the process of creating your own low-maintenance garden into four simple steps. She also recommends each kitchen garden include four key elements: raised beds, trellises, borders, and paths. She provides instructions about choosing the right materials to build each key element in your garden.

The second part of the book includes instructions about selecting what you will grow in your garden, planting the garden, caring for your garden, and 18

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ways to enjoy your harvest. Throughout the book are beautiful photographs that add clarity to her instructions and provide inspiration.

I think dedicating some of our outdoor space to produce healthy things to eat is a wonderful concept. For me, the term “kitchen garden” provokes a feeling of nostalgia and reminds me of the classic BBC series “The Victorian Kitchen Garden.” Before reading this book, I never thought of referring to my vegetable patch as the “kitchen garden,” but it really does sound more refined. After reading this book, I now understand how to refurbish my ratherdysfunctional garden. Armed with new knowledge, I will transform it into a gorgeous and more functional space that I can proudly call the “kitchen garden.” o Jamie Moore gardens in Frederick County, MD. (Before that, she gardened in southern Louisiana for nine years, where she completed the Master Gardener program). Her main gardening interests are edible gardening on a suburban plot; growing old-garden roses, English roses, and heirloom flowers; composting; sustainable practices; and companion gardening. In addition to gardening, she loves to read; cook with local and seasonal produce; hike; and spend time with her husband, three children, and two cats.

Garden DIY: 25 Fun-to-Make Projects for an Attractive and Productive Garden Authors: Samantha and Daniel Johnson Publisher: Fox Chapel Publishing List price: $19.99 Order link: https://amzn.to/2PY4Dv4 Reviewer: Taylor Calavetinos Looking to spruce up your garden, but not exactly sure how or what to do? Garden DIY, by brother and sister Daniel and Samantha Johnson, is the perfect book for do-it-yourself (DIY) projects that you can do at home.

This book is a guide to practical and decorative projects for all garden enthusiasts. With 25 step-by-step projects, there’s one for everyone.

The projects range from beginner to intermediate to advanced, with varying time ranges from one hour to five hours or more.

The book begins with an introduction and reasons to DIY: namely, cost savings, satisfaction, and customization.

The book truly has everything you will need to know before beginning your project. The Johnson siblings include a

“How to Read the Cut List” and “About Metric Conversions” page to make following along with the DIY’s easier.

Before getting into the step-by-step projects, they list the tools that you’ll need to complete some of the projects, with pictures included of each, such as a circular saw, a drill, a miter saw, a hammer, and safety gear.

The book is easy to navigate because there is a project directory listing each project page number. For each project, there is a picture of the finished product, the skill level, the time required that it is going to take from start to finish, a “parts list,” the tools needed, and the cut list. Followed by the information needed to begin the project is each step, numbered from beginning to end with pictures to follow along with.

This book makes each do-it-yourself project easy for garden enthusiasts of all skill levels to follow because of all the details and instructions.

I enjoyed reading this book and have found a few DIY projects that I want to try to recreate myself, like making a brick birdbath or wheelbarrow flowerbed. There are projects for all gardeners in this book, including projects you can do with children, such as garden marker rocks. This is a great book for anyone looking for some motivation or guidance to tackle DIYs of their own.

I enjoy how the Johnsons gave projects that you can take inspiration from and make them fit into your own garden needs. o Taylor Calavetinos recently graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in broadcast journalism. She is interning this summer with Washington Gardener.

BOOKreviews essary to successfully grow the plant.

In the introduction, Mattus reflects on his passion for flowers. He says many people view flower gardening as trivial or purposeless. Mattus, however, argues that flowers can be “tremendously meaningful,” in their history, uses, and cultural relevance, among other things. I appreciate this sentiment, and it seems like Mattus put a lot of that passion and care into this book. If you’re looking for a book about flowers just to read, this is a good choice. But ultimately, if you’re seeking a clear, straightforward guide to growing flowers, looking online may be just as useful. o Mastering the Art of Flower Gardening: A Gardener’s Guide to Growing Flowers, from Today’s Favorites to Unusual Varieties Author: Matt Mattus Publisher: Cool Springs Press List price: $30.00 Order link: https://amzn.to/31UvOfM Reviewer: Anastazja Kolodziej A book with tips for planting, growing, and maintaining a flower garden all consolidated in one place could be an ideal resource when beginning a flower garden or simply looking for advice on best flower-growing practices. Master the Art of Flower Gardening seeks to serve as that purpose—unsuccessfully.

The author’s attempt is fair: He offers both brief, “at-a-glance” explanations of how to grow many varieties of flowers—with spring and summer blooms getting the greatest focus—as well as in-depth discussions of “featured flowers” that may be tricky to grow, have many variations, or are simply popular.

Gorgeous photography accompanies each bloom’s descriptions, often showing more than one type of flower.

Where Mattus fails is in making the information provided in the book more detailed, interesting, or clever than tips for flower gardening that are available on the internet. Now, when so much information is easily accessible online, guides such as this one should have notable details, expert tips, or at least personal stories that encourage readers to choose them over looking online.

And while some of the “featured flower” sections cover all the information a gardener would need to know about that flower, others may either not be clear enough for novice gardeners to comprehend or lack all the details nec-

Anastazja Kolodziej is a rising senior at the University of Maryland, double-majoring in multiplatform journalism and the classics (Ancient Greek and Latin). She is interning this summer with Washington Gardener.

Indoor Green: Living with Plants Author: Bree Claffey Publisher: Thames & Hudson List price: $39.95 Order link: https://amzn.to/2Ct3ZCq Reviewer: Hadley Baker Photographer: Lauren Bamford Indoor Green: Living with Plants is the perfect read for any plant lover or those hoping to be inspired to start their own indoor jungles.

When I first opened Indoor Green, I expected a focus on houseplants akin to the obsession we’ve seen on Instagram in recent years. I expected tips on the best plants for every type of household, lighting, and care.

Instead, author Bree Claffey who is also a retailer at the Australian brand Mr Kitley, offers interviews with plant lovers around the world as they tell their stories—houseplant lovers from Australia, the U.S., and Japan, including plant shop owners, various types of artists, and plant enthusiasts.

As Claffey writes in her introduction, the book “is not concerned with prescribing how-to tips, or telling you how to make your house and plants look.”

Instead, she hopes these interviews focusing on individual relationships to houseplants, aesthetics, and the science of plant care, as well as historical information on plant care, “might pique curiosity and inspire further reconnaissance” into the world of houseplant ownership.

Each interview offers a unique view of houseplants, from the best tips for care to the emotional and artistic

inspiration that plants can offer to each interviewee’s favorite houseplant.

Some advise talking to your plants and noticing their moods to care for them; others liken caring for plants to raising children by teaching independence.

The book offers insights into plant music, orchid collectors, and seeing plants not just as clutter in a house, but as “anti-stuff” that help add calm and peace to one’s home.

With each interview, Claffey includes information on the location, professions of the interviewees, plant density, light level, and types of plants the interviewees own. There is specific detail on the houseplants, while not directly focusing on the minutiae of how you should care for specific plants.

At the end of the book, there is a section on caring for a few common types of houseplants and for care in general, but that feels as if it’s just a footnote to the work. The real substance of the book is a focus on the admiration and love that these people have for their greenery, offering a new view of houseplants as more than just a social media trend; rather, they are essential to life, to creativity, and to joy.

Combined with aesthetically pleasing and creative photos from Lauren Bamford, this book offers a romantic and inspiring look into owning and caring for houseplants. This book will inspire anyone looking to incorporate more greenery into their lives and their homes, not just for visual interest, but for a more joyful and creative life. o Hadley Baker is a rising senior studying English and Spanish at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She is interning this summer with Washington Gardener.

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BOOKreviews

Deer-Resistant Design: Fence-free Gardens that Thrive Despite the Deer Author: Karen Chapman Publisher: Timber Press List price: $24.95 Order link: https://amzn.to/2E1biSl Reviewer: Beth Py-Lieberman Landscape designer Karen Chapman, like all gardeners, faces the extraordinary challenge of keeping the widely distributed, voracious North American ungulate Odocoileus virginianus from eating the flowers.

We’re talking deer here.

Chapman’s book Deer-Resistant Design promises “lush, deer-defying” gardens, and in a series of 13 stunning case histories, plus an array of deerresistant container gardens, she delivers. But every time, I turned a page, I could hear the ka-ching of the cash register. Oh, the heights you can scale if money is no object.

Chapman’s own home in Duvall, Washington, in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains is a magnificent, sprawling five-acre compound that includes, besides the main home, a greenhouse, barn, and small cabin. An idyllic patio for entertaining with raised planters is backed by a delightful double-fenced vegetable garden with two entrance gates. (The author’s neighbor chides her after the extraordinary expense she has gone to keep out, not only the deer, but the rabbits and the voles: “Karen, there are perfectly good stores where you can buy parsnips.”)

The property is an immense wonder of calculated vistas and glorious gardening successes, with a woodland border along a seasonal stream and a meadow that backs a sloping lawn.

In Stevensville, Michigan, at a vacation home overlooking the Great 20

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Lake, groundhogs join deer and rabbits chomping on the daylilies and coneflowers. Local artist Ted Brooks drops in an enormous “Egg” sculpture, crafted of nine tons of Fond du Lac flagstone, and the owners are off to the races with a glorious and enviable fountain garden, and other masterful outdoor rooms.

A country garden in Essex Falls, New Jersey, with a pool, spa, pool house, and pergola wouldn’t be complete without a checkerboard patio. In Austin, Texas, besides deer and rabbits, armadillos upend new plantings, but gorgeous drought-resistant plantings like pale-leaf yucca, variegated flax lily, and the bold paddles of a spineless prickly pear cleverly hold pride of place and defy the pests.

And in Portland, Oregon, where gophers and elk, join the gang of the usual pests, the home’s adjacent poolside yoga pavilion is complemented by the large boulders of a bubbling waterfall emptying into a pond surrounded, of course, by deer-resistant perennials, wildflowers, grasses, and shrubs.

But for the hale and hearty and with the strength of our convictions, we of the ordinary paycheck can borrow by example from some of these amazing high-end garden designs. On paging through each design confection, the payoff is the list of “Top 10 Plants” that enhances each garden. So many gardens can be saved from insatiable chompers, if only the right selections are made—’Jacob Cline’ bee balm, Jerusalem sage, American beautyberry, pink skullcap, northern maidenhair fern, viburnums, lilacs, astilbe, rosemary, coneflowers, the sages, laurels, daisies, maples, hollies, junipers. The lists, complete with identifying pictures, are worth the investment in this book.

Now to choose a favorite landscape among this compendium of enviable and absolutely fabulous outdoor fairytale spaces. On a steep hillside challenged by erosion and shade in Charlotte, North Carolina, a wildly imaginative forest sprite took up residence in a tree-top mountain cabin with his Basset Hound Georgia Mae, a cockatoo, a parrot, and a cranky macaw.

His name is Jay Sifford and I want to be his bestie and spend long afternoons with him in this storybook wonderland with a tiered waterfall, a koi pond, clever craftings, and other eccentricities. Sifford, after years of careful study, struggle, and error, has

created a bohemian retreat where bald cypresses are trained over passageways from one garden room to another, and gravel pathways and granite stone steps meander through a symphony of plantings orchestrated to complement the multiple hues and patterns of the forest greens.

Japanese white pine, Rocky Mountain juniper, and Norway spruce provide cover for the tender hostas and coral bells. The dappled light and shadow of his fern glen is the perfect opportunity to nestle in a boardwalk or on a deck painted Chinese enamel red. The studied effects of this do-it-himselfer is balm to the soul for the many of us who try to eke-out a garden with just perseverance, physical strength, and the money left over after the bills are paid.

Sifford is the every-person gardener having made the mistake of putting in a garden that has to be watered and so he does it, just like any of us would, with a glass of wine in one hand and the hose in the other, and after three glasses, his garden is watered. o Beth Py-Lieberman is Smithsonian magazine’s museums editor. She gardens at home with visiting deer in Silver Spring, MD, and is the volunteer liaison for the Fenton Street Community Garden.

The Story of Gardening Author: Penelope Hobhouse with Ambra Edwards Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press List price: $60.00 Order link: https://amzn.to/34agzSq Reviewer: Jim Dronenburg In 2002, Penelope Hobhouse published The Story of Gardening. It was a mainstream book, and a good one.

Now there is a new edition, updated and expanded with the advances of the last 18 years, by Ambra Edwards.

Understand, please, that praise of the current version does not imply non-praise of the older one. Both are highly informative. Setting both side-by -side, not only does the text change—in parts—but so does the layout. And some of the illustrations are the same, some different.

Since the book deals with gardens for beauty and repose rather than farming food crops, this history of gardening starts out with the Fertile Crescent, Egypt, and then switches over to Greece and Rome. Obviously, records are sketchy the farther back you go,

BOOKreviews but the book deals with the earliest years nicely.

One correction made in this edition (I have both in front of me) concerns the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The first edition has them in Babylon, on vaulted terraces of brick, and in hollow columns for the roots of trees to go down. It does say that these were described, not at the time, but 500 years after. The new edition states that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were probably not on the Babylonian ziggurats—or even at Babylon—but at Nineveh, watered by an aqueduct to the top of an artificial hill, where the water was channeled down and made to supply a huge garden park.

The book goes on through classical Greece and Rome, and through the Islamic gardens as a continuation of the ancient Near East ideals, and of Roman and Greek learning during the Dark and Middle Ages, when the learning preserved in Europe was for the most part limited to the monasteries.

The scene switches to the gardens of Persia, and switches again to the Mughal conquest of India and the gardens there, and to the Islamic Moorish gardens and their influence on Europe.

Then into the Renaissance and its looking back to the classical Roman gardens, for the Italian garden and its influence, again, all over Europe.

Eventually, we get to the great gardens of the French, and their influence—and here we aren’t talking some peasant’s garden, but those of the great and powerful—as the rulers of the various states sought gardens to outshine other rulers’ gardens, as a symbol of national power. For the most part, these were gardens that did not use flowers as we do today, but evergreens and “hardscape” with elaborate statuary and water features, which told a story to those of that time, who knew the classical things and concepts the statuary referred to. These gardens did not celebrate Nature per se, but demonstrated iron control over it.

The scene shifts to England and the Tudor and Jacobean gardens, and then to William and Mary, the Dutch style, smaller on the whole, with more emphasis on still water (as opposed to fountains), and then into the English landscape style, which sought to praise (carefully sculpted) Nature, as opposed to shutting it out.

The development of herbals, and later, gardening books, is lovingly detailed—enough that your reviewer

went out and bought one of the books mentioned, in reprint. The massive impact of plant discoveries in America, and later, the Age of Explorers, where first wealthy patrons and then nurseries sent out collectors to North and South America, South Africa, and the East, is covered.

American gardening progress is covered, and there is coverage of the great 19th century advances in garden technique, garden writing, and garden books and magazines for everyone—not just the wealthy.

The scene shifts to China, and here the differences in the two editions seems much greater, insofar as the new volume sheds a much-more “current” light on Chinese civilization and the gardens it produced. This section would be worth reading for the development of Chinese gardening books alone. Many of the older gardens are, of course, only known from descriptions, but many from the later dynasties are still extant.

Gardens in Japan are also covered, from the early Heian gardens and their underlying symbolism, which tends to carry through until modern times—the Japanese gardens take much of their inspiration from the Chinese gardens, including the concept of not real landscape, but implied landscape. An arrangement of stones may imply the ocean, or a waterfall. There are sacred and semi-sacred implications in stones or the placement (or kinds) of trees.

Then, with a wrench, the scene shifts to modern gardens—modern meaning the last quarter of the 1800s on—starting with Robinson, through Lutyens/ Jekyll, Karl Foerster, the Arts and Crafts gardens, the Prairie School, and some of the English estates of the Victorian/ Edwardian period. Both sides of the Atlantic are lumped here as communi-

cation made things pretty much current everywhere at the same time. American and British expatriate gardens in Europe are all covered. There are small vignettes of some particularly influential “modern” gardeners, and then what happened when WWII disrupted established patterns—both of space and of money/labor.

The book has a section about gardens “looking forward,” which obviously is going to have the most change in content, 20 years later. It was wonderful in the first edition, but what is covered in the new edition leaves your reviewer stony cold. That’s all right; everything has some shortcoming.

That said, I cannot praise this book enough. Save your pennies and get it. You will never regret it. (And then save a few more pennies and also get the old edition used.) It is a 509-page delight, and the first edition is a bit longer. Read them little by little—I guarantee you won’t get through it in one go; the two together can take you through a long, cold winter. Or a COVID summer.

Get this book. Now. o Jim Dronenburg is a retired accountant and now gardens full-time in Knoxville, MD.

Note: These book reviews include links to Amazon.com for ordering them.

Washington Gardener Magazine may receive a few cents from each order placed after clicking on these book order links.

Love Reading?

These books were reviewed by volunteer members of the Washington Gardener Reader Panel. Reader Panelists may also be asked to review new gardening plants, tools, and seeds.

To join the Washington Gardener Volunteer Reader Panel, send an email with your name and address to: KathyJentz@gmail.com. We look forward to having you be a vital part of our local publication and its gardening mission. o AUGUST 2020

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EDIBLEharvt

DIY Project A Rabbit-proof Box

By Alexa Silverberg

Bunnies seem to multiply and come from everywhere to eat those delicious berries and greens you’ve been growing in your edible plot. They are cute, but sure are frustrating! Here are some easy how-to steps to create a rabbit-free zone in your garden.

Materials: • Drill • Screws • Wood* • Staple gun with heavy-duty staples • Gloves • Wire hardware cloth • Wire cutters • Safety glasses • Measuring tape *We used boards taken off a few old pallets, but you could purchase new wood.

Steps: 1. Measure your growing bed for how wide and long you need the box to be. Ours is a 3-feet-wide square. Create a bottomless box with sides about two to three feet high. You can adapt a raised bed frame.

2. Put on gloves and safety glasses to protect yourself while you drill and while you are handling the wire hardware cloth.

3. Have someone help hold the wood steady while you screw the wood corners and braces securely together with the drill. Repeat this until all four sides of the box are finished.

4. Start wrapping the hardware cloth around one side of the box.

5. Have a friend securely press the hardware cloth flat onto the wood, while you begin stapling the wire down with a staple gun. To get the staples to stay, the hardware cloth must be as flat and taut as possible on the wood.

6. Staple the edges first to make sure they are secure before stapling the sides.

Repeat until all four sides of the wood box are wrapped in hardware cloth.

7. Cut any excess of the hardware cloth with wire cutters and crimp/roll the cut edges over to ensure you can easily reach over the box without catching your clothing or cutting yourself.

8. Place the box around the plants you want to protect. There you have it: a bunnyfree growing area, perfect for protecting all of your favorite crops! o Alexa Silverberg is a broadcast journalism graduate of the University of Maryland and is from Short Hills, NJ. She was an editorial intern at Washington Gardener in the spring of 2019.

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

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Jentz Prints can be purchased on most Saturdays at the Eastern Market, and most Sundays at the Georgetown Flea Market.

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