HORThappenings

By Jackie DiBartolomeo

On July 20, the Silver Spring Garden Club came out to tour the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. Located along the Anacostia River in NE Washington, DC, the gardens are a hidden oasis in the city filled with cattails, dragonflies, and their iconic waterlily and lotus flowers. It is a National Park Service site and is free and open to the public. The club was greeted by staff of the Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens (FoKAG), who showed them around to their favorite spots. Mid-summer is the ideal time to see the aquatic plants at their best. “Every lotus and waterlily is fragrant, so much so that walking between the ponds can feel like you’re in a sea of sweet perfume,” said Megan Singleton, communications and development associate for the FoKAG. FoKAG is currently working on bringing back in-person events safely to the gardens, with WELLderness outdoor events like yoga, forest bathing, and tai chi, as well as monthly volunteer events. See https://kenaqgardens.org/ for a list of upcoming activities. To get the most out of your time there, Singleton recommends visiting in the early morning when the lotus and waterlilies open up and the wildlife are most active. Make sure to bring binoculars for a chance to see osprey, beavers, bald eagles, and more in Kenilworth’s oasis. o

By Molly Cuddy

Common Good City Farm (CGCF), near Howard University in Washington, DC, hosted its annual Tomato Party on Thursday, July 15. The farm had tomatoes they grew for all their guests to taste. They offered a few heirloom varieties, as well as popular hybirds like ‘Sun Gold’ cherry tomatoes. A few dishes featuring tomatoes were also offered. Fish Scales, a local DC restaurant, provided blue catfish street tacos, with a cucumber tomato relish. Other meals included a pasta dish with tomatoes, zucchini, and an oregano dressing, and a tomato basil salad with peaches and corn. Along with the taste tests, there was also an opportunity to take a tour of the farm to see what was currently being grown. There were also plenty of activities for kids; there was a craft station, and garden-themed children’s books from the Shaw Library. Josephine Chu, deputy director of CGCF, said, “It was such a joy to welcome people to gather on the farm again and build community with our neighbors. We hope we can continue to host more community events and adapt as needed, to provide a safe and welcoming environment for everyone.” Check out commongoodcityfarm.org for any other upcoming events the farm is hosting. o

By Amanda Cash

This year, Washington Gardener hosted its 15th annual Garden Photo Contest for photographers in the Washington, DC, region to submit their garden photography. There were 21 winners out of more than 220 photos submitted this year. The categories were Garden Views, Garden Vignettes, Small Wonders, and Garden Creatures. The judge was Elizabeth Olson, a certified photography judge with the Maryland Association of Agricultural Fairs and Shows (MAAFS). This year, four additional Honorable Mentions were awarded because there were so many beautiful and worthy photo entrees. Many of the photos were taken from the photographers’ own home gardens, as well as in local public gardens. Some of the winning photos were taken with professional cameras and expensive lenses, while others were taken using a smartphone. In fact, the Grand Prize winner took her photo on her iPhone. The Grand Prize winner was amateur photographer Janet Sifers, who took the photo in her neighbor’s garden. Her photo was called “Raindrops on a Tulip.” First place in the Small Wonders category was amateur photographer Leslie Landerkin with her photo “Leaning In.” She took the photo of two lotus pods at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Washington, DC. She shot her photo with a Nikon D850. In the Garden Vignette Category, amateur photographer Teresa K. Hughes earned first place with her photo “Wooden Clogs,” taken at a private residence with her Nikon D810. Amateur photographer Lilian Cerdeira won first place in the Garden Creatures category with her photo “Carolina Chickadee on Redbud,” taken in Rockville, MD, with a Canon 7d Mark II. In the last category, Garden Views, professional photographer Howard Clark won first place with his photo “Sunday in the Park.” He took the photo at the Children’s Lake in Boiling Springs, PA, with his Canon 24-105 mm lens. The winning photos are on display at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, VA, and may be seen any time during the normal Visitor Center hours (10am-7pm daily). The photo show runs through August 30. Details about how to enter your photographs in next year’s photo contest will be published in the December 2021 issue of Washington Gardener. o