Washington Gardener Magazine May 2025

WASHINGTON g a rdener

the magazine for gardening enthusiasts in the Mid-Atlantic region

A Party Time Houseplant

Native Fleabane

New Ironweed

‘Prairie Princess’

Little Beasts at the NGA

Wood Thrush

Best Practices for Lush Lawns

Stevia, a True Superplant

Modern Cottage

Garden Tips

Garden Book Reviews and Contest

Azalea Miner Bee

Local Rose Breeder

Ben Williams

Need a Garden Club Speaker?

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.

RARE AND EXCEPTIONAL PLANTS FOR THE

Barry Glick

Sunshine Farm and Gardens

696 Glicks Road

Renick, WV 24966, USA Email: barry@sunfarm.com www.sunfarm.com

www.greenspring.org

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Are you trying to reach thousands of gardeners in the greater DC region/Mid-Atlantic area? Washington Gardener Magazine goes out on the 15th of every month. Contact KathyJentz@gmail.com or call 301.588-6894 for ad rates (starting from $200). The ad deadline is the 10th of each month. Please submit your ad directly to: KathyJentz@gmail.com.

Green Spring Gardens

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.

The British Embassy in Washington, DC, opens its gardens and ambassador’s residence to the public for a special open house event each year in early May during Passport DC, also known as the Around the World Embassy Tour. The National Gallery of Art hosts a new exhibit this summer—”Little Beasts: Art, Wonder, and the Natural World.” Female wood thrushes often camouflage their nests with litter to disrupt the nest outline. Photo credit: American Bird Conservancy.

Amazing Azaleas

One of my many hats is as editor of The Azalean for the Azalea Society of America. Part of my editorial duties are to attend that society’s annual conference, and this year, it was held nearby in the Philadelphia, PA, suburbs. We were fortunate to catch the azaleas blooming at their height in many of the gardens we visited.

In my own garden, the azaleas have finished blooming, but the planting of the azaleas I purchased at the conference still needs doing, as well as many other longneglected spring gardening chores. Every year, I think this is the one where I will get ahead of things and then once again, my schedule fills with talks, events, and tours—such is the life of the garden communicator.

Azaleas have a special local significance in our DC-area gardens, particularly due to the Glenn Dale azaleas and their historical connection to the U.S. National Arboretum. These hybrids, developed at the Arboretum, are a prominent feature of many local gardens and are known for their vibrant colors. I cannot imagine spring in DC without them!

Sincerely,

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

Credits

Kathy Jentz Editor/Publisher

Washington Gardener

826 Philadelphia Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20910

Phone: 301-588-6894

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Volume 20, Number 3

ISSN 1555-8959

© 2025 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.

All

Your editor at the Azalea Society of America annual conference, held this year at the Jenkins Arboretum in Devon, Pennsylvania.

Reader Contest

For our May 2025 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest, we are giving away a set of three grow bag pots (value $30).

These fabric garden bags are made of quality nonwoven fabric material, sturdy and breathable, providing an ideal growing environment for plants and flowers. The grow bags are one-gallon sized. They have handles sewn on for easy transport. The nonwoven material provides good drainage for plants, allowing roots to breathe freely and plants to grow faster and more vigorously. When not in use, they can be folded flat and stored easily. They are reusable for at least three growing seasons and are machine-washable.

To enter to win the grow bags, send an email by 5:00pm on May 31 to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com with “Grow Bag Pots” in the Subject line and in the body of the email. Tell us what your favorite article was in this issue and why. Please include your full name and mailing address. Winners will be announced and notified on/about June 1. Replies might be published. 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.

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.

Though the magazine regularly holds numerous enlightening features, I was particularly intrigued by the wealth of information contained in “How and When to Repot Houseplants.” Some of mine are beginning to outgrow their pots, so this was especially timely. Who knew to “skip the pebbles”? I will definitely be sharing that tidbit among my fellow gardening friends.

~ Smita Parida, Rockville, MD

An article in this April’s magazine that really helped me out was “How and When to Repot Houseplants.” I have a large collection of houseplants. While I have done very well in growing many of them, the article gave me many more helpful tips in repotting my plants.

Thank you to Savannah Scollar for the article.

~ Ann Baker, Manassas, VA o

Kathy Jentz

“Groundcover Revolution is must-have book for anyone who is interested in having less lawn, fewer weeds, and reduced mulching. The properties charts will save the reader time and money, the pictures provide inspiration, while the detailed plant portraits give the focused information needed for creating beautiful, functional landscapes.” ―C.L. Fornari, GardenLady.com

Ben Williams: Rose Breeder

By Madison Korman

Ben Williams has been around roses for as long as he can remember. His love for them started in the late 1940s, when he was just a boy tagging along with his father in the rose fields. What began as quiet moments in the dirt grew into a lifelong passion passed down through four generations.

His father’s journey into roses began in postwar Germany. While stationed there after World War II, he wandered into a garden in Baden-Baden and saw a man carefully studying a rose. That man, Mr. Krauss, sparked something. After returning home in 1946, Williams’ father began importing roses from a Danish breeder named Neils Hanson. At his first rose show at the

Smithsonian, every flower he entered won.

That inspiration carried over to Ben. As a teenager, he learned to hybridize and later tested roses at a company field in Pennsylvania. Over the years, his family has introduced nearly 150 named varieties. Some of their bestknown roses include ‘Rose Parade’, ‘Peggy Rockefeller’, ‘Kaitlyn’s Fancy’, and ‘Ben’s Gold’, which his father named after him. One was even planted at the Library of Congress to honor longtime librarian James Billington. Now operating as JB Williams & Associates, the family continues to grow. Ben’s sons Van and Scott are deeply involved. Scott handles market-

“When you create a new rose, you’re making a dream come true, and witnessing something no other person has ever seen. Just to see the glistening beauty of a well-formed bud of your own plant, or smell the haunting fragrance of a stately open bloom, gives pleasure enough to keep one’s heart young and pride enough to pop the buttons on any vest.

“Rose breeding is also the people, the warmth, the friendship, the opportunity to associate with the best hybridizers in the world. It’s the medium for the exchange of ideas in an area of pleasure that is not overcrowded, and where the opportunity for research and new discovery is always at hand.”

~ Ben Williams

ing, and Van creates new hybrids like ‘Vanderwalker’, a tall shrub with fragrant blooms. Grandchildren Luca and Victoria are also taking part. Their roses are tested and grown in the United States, South America, and Europe. Growers like Rose Unlimited in South Carolina and JC Bakker in Canada carry their disease-resistant varieties.

Williams believes the key to a good rose is careful breeding, with a focus on fragrance, form, and strong foliage. A former history teacher, Williams still cares for roses in his Calvert County and Chesapeake Bay gardens. He also helps revive damaged plants with pruning and feeding techniques that, he says, work like magic.

“Anyone can grow roses,” Williams said. “You just have to give them attention.” o

Madison Korman is an intern this spring semester with Washington Gardener. She is a recent journalism graduate of UMD College Park. She has enjoyed gardening and cooking from a young age.

Photo and original reporting by Esha Bhatti.

The National Gallery of Art recently opened “Little Beasts: Art, Wonder, and the Natural World,” an exhibition exploring the rich exchange between artists and naturalists at the dawn of European natural history. Thanks to an unprecedented collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), the National Gallery has on display nearly 75 prints, drawings, and paintings alongside some 60 objects from NMNH, marking the first time their collections of art and specimens have been displayed together. A new film by contemporary artist Dario Robleto further examines the intersection of art, science, and the natural world, bringing history into dialogue with contemporary culture. The exhibition i on view through November 2, 2025, in the National Gallery’s West Building.

“Little Beasts” explores how European artists spread knowledge about creatures big and small during the 16th and 17th centuries. Scientific technology, trade, and colonial expansion led to the study of previously unknown or overlooked species. In major cities like Antwerp, artists such as Joris and Jacob Hoefnagel and Jan van Kessel created highly detailed drawings, prints, and

paintings of these insects, animals, and other beestjes, or “little beasts” in Dutch. Their works inspired generations of artists and naturalists, fueling the burgeoning science of natural history. Rarely displayed art by more than a dozen others, including Albrecht Dürer, Teodoro Filippo di Liagno, and Wenceslaus Hollar, are also be on view alongside examples of the period’s illustrated zoological publications.

“Through their work, artists have always helped us make sense of the world,” said Kaywin Feldman, director of the National Gallery of Art. “‘Little Beasts’ gives us the chance to examine how the curiosity of artists helped to advance discovery in the study of the natural world...Delightfully detailed drawings, prints, and paintings invite art lovers of all ages to marvel at these artistic feats and to explore our wondrous world.”

Drawing primarily from the National Gallery’s collection, with special loans from the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Library of Congress, and other institutions, the exhibition begins in 16thcentury Europe, when artists like Joris Hoefnagel created detailed images of plants and animals.

The centerpiece of this exhibit is Hoefnagel’s “Four Elements,” one of the treasures of the National Gallery’s collection. This series of 270 watercolors bound into four books was originally in Emperor Rudolf II of Austria’s private collection and is almost never on view, due to its sensitivity to light. Not only will all four books be on display, but their pages will also be turned three times during the course of the exhibition, allowing access to even more of these delicate works.

The second section of the exhibition explores how printmaking—namely engraving and etching—enabled artists and naturalists to share their studies of the animal world with a wider audience of art collectors.

The third section focuses on Jan van Kessel’s celebrated paintings and the prints, books, and animals that inspired him. Seashells, insects, a parrot, a peacock, a porcupine, and a macaque will appear with Van Kessel’s works, showcasing his tremendous skill at rendering creatures of all kinds and allowing visitors to compare the paintings and their subjects. NMNH scientists have identified every insect in his “Insects and a Sprig of Rosemary” (1653) and created a custom tableau with specimens from their collection to appear alongside Van Kessel’s painting. A digital interactive kiosk will recreate the art cabinets upon which Van Kessel’s postcard-sized works were usually displayed. While no cabinets with paintings by Van Kessel remain today, an intact suite of paintings from the Oak Spring Garden Library allows us to reimagine these decorative cabinet fronts, which probably showcased specimens contained within.

As a coda to the exhibition, a commissioned, 40-minute film by artist Dario Robleto explores the lineage of tenderness and empathy that connects art and science through time. The film includes site-specific filming; historical footage; animations; and an original score, linking the works of Hoefnagel and Van Kessel to the efforts of modern-day conservators and image scientists at the National Gallery, who are responsible for preserving these valuable works of art for future generations. o

Wood Thrush

By Rick Borchelt

Pop quiz: What’s the District of Columbia’s official bird?

Maryland has the Baltimore oriole as its state bird. Virginia’s is the northern cardinal. But what bird has DC designated as its official avian emblem?

Here’s a hint: DC’s official bird, like many of DC’s denizens, is only a part-time resident, here for about five months out of the year and spending winters in Central America. It doesn’t have the brilliant colors of an oriole or a cardinal.

It’s a bird few of us ever see, but most of us will hear, as it arrives with waves of other migrating birds in April and May. From Rock Creek Park to Greenbelt Park, and the National Arboretum, or anywhere along the C&O Canal will come the sound of arguably the most proficient songster of our native birds: DC’s official bird, the wood thrush.

You’ll usually hear the thrush’s haunting, fluted eee-oh-laay at dusk and dawn from the greenwood, but during spring migration, they might be heard singing almost anywhere. This is the song that generations of Washingtonians have associated with summer in Washington.

No less a luminary than Henry David Thoreau extolled the wood thrush’s song. “The thrush alone declares the immortal wealth and vigor that is in the

forest,” he wrote in his journal in July of 1852. “Whenever a man hears it, he is young, and Nature is in her spring. It is a new world and a free country, and the gates of heaven are not shut against him.”

The wood thrush’s song is pitched specifically to carry well in the gloom of dense forests, where the male delivers it from an exposed perch in the lower canopy. It’s actually two songs delivered at the same time from the same bird’s throat; the wood thrush’s Yshaped voice box, or syrinx, can produce two notes at once that harmonize to produce the ethereal music we hear.

The song starts with a few barely audible clucks, followed by the main eee-oh-laay phrase and concluding with a complex trill. Premier songbird recordist Lang Elliot has a sample and a further discussion of wood thrush singing at tinyurl.com/3wzwdhzh.

The male song warns other males that he’s

staked his territory and is prepared to defend it. The song lets females know he has identified prime real estate for them—a patch of woodland with some large trees to hide from hawks overhead; scattered understory for rest and protection from land predators; and rich, moist loam that provides a thrush bodega for worms, insects, and spiders.

This habitat also provides a final crucial item for the avian shopping cart: small snails, or more explicitly, snail shells. The female needs calcium from snail shells she eats to manufacture the egg shells for her own brood.

The female thrush chooses both her mate and the location for her nest, usually in a fork of a shrub or sapling up to 20 feet above the ground. The nest is a cup of coarse grass and small twigs plastered with mud and lined with fine grass fibers. Wood thrushes often incorporate odd elements like long strips of bark, large dry leaves, or even ribbon or cellophane, on the outside of the nest. It’s believed these touches are more than decorative; they serve to break up the outline of the nest to confuse roving nest raiders.

Here she’ll lay a clutch of two to four (rarely up to six) unmarked turquoise eggs that will hatch in about two weeks. The male helps raise the chicks; if he’s as successful a father as she hoped, the female will abandon him to finish

A wood thrush in full song in New York’s Central Park. Photo credit: Rhodendrites.

Wood thrushes lay 2-4 plain sky-blue eggs. Photo credit: American Bird Conservancy.

raising her first clutch while she starts a second nest. About half of wood thrush pairs manage a second brood every season. By the end of September, most wood thrushes have departed our area until the following spring.

Befitting birds that live in the gloom of the forest, wood thrush plumage evolved to blend into their dim surroundings. In fact, the bird’s scientific name, Hylocichla mustelina, literally means “wood thrush that is weaselcolored”—from a distance it looks uniformly brown, but seen up close or in a shaft of sunlight piercing the forest, the colors pop as myriad shades of bright russet, chocolate, and tawny brown above a white breast spattered with large, black dots.

Since Thoreau penned his paean to the wood thrush, their song is heard less and less in the eastern forests. The species is in considerable decline, mostly from habitat loss and fragmentation on both its nesting grounds here in the U.S., and in Central America. Wood thrushes need large tracts of intact forest; our building roads and houses in woods exposes the bird to greater predation by hawks from above, and by the cats, rats, dogs, and raccoons that follow human habitation. Forest fragmentation also ups the chances of having their nests commandeered by brown cowbirds. In tropical America, thrushes face challenges from the leveling of tropical forests to grow coffee and other crops.

Listen as Thoreau did at the edge of your local woods while you can, reveling in the song that speaks of the “immortal wealth and vigor of the forest.” o

Rick Borchelt is a local naturalist and science writer who writes and teaches about natural history, gardening, and the environment. Reach him with questions about this column at rborchelt@gmail.com.

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A wood thrush standing sentinel on its territory at Dumbarton Oaks. Photo credit: Dan Rauch.

Lush Lawns Require Patience and Restraint

While many homeowners have their own spring lawn maintenance routines, many practices are untested or outright misconceptions. Mike Goatley, Virginia Cooperative Extension turfgrass specialist and professor in Virginia Tech’s School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, offers some scientifically proven tips to get the healthiest lawn possible.

Local gardeners may be tempted to boost their lawn’s green hue with an application of fertilizer, but too much fertilizer in the spring can be detrimental to the health of your grass.

“Always start with a soil test,” Goatley said. “If you haven’t performed a soil test on your lawn within the last three years, we recommend you work with your Virginia Cooperative Extension office or a private lab to have your soil tested. A soil test will indicate if you need to apply lime or other nutrients.”

A small amount of spring nitrogen can help jump-start growth, but applying too much will encourage foliage growth at the expense of the grass’s root system, and that can be a problem once summer heat and drought set in.

Here are tips for growing a lush lawn:

• When to apply fertilizer: The ideal time to apply fertilizer is right before a light rain of a quarter-inch to half-inch, not before a heavy downpour that will wash the fertilizer away. Gardeners should be careful to sweep any excess fertilizer on sidewalks or driveways back into the turf. Spring applications of fertilizer can be made as you start to think about mowing—in mid-March to mid-May.

• Spring seeding: Although the ideal time for establishing cool-season grass-

es is the fall, over-seeding, spot-seeding, and even full-lawn establishment are possible to do in spring. Summer heat is more likely to stress newly established cool-season grass, so gardeners must provide adequate irrigation and weed control throughout hot summer months.

• Mowing: Begin a regular mowing program that only removes one-third of the leaf blade at a time. For coolseason grasses, plan to raise the cutting height of your mower as temperatures warm. Goatley suggests Memorial Day as a target for raising mowing height for cool-season lawns closer to 3 inches. Choose an appropriate maintenance mowing height for the warm-season grass that meets the needs of the grass and your mowing capabilities.

• Herbicide: Spring applications of a pre-emergent herbicide should be made around the time forsythia begins blooming, so April is too late for most parts of the region. Be particularly careful with sprayable formulations of broadleaf herbicides now because of the increased potential that drift can harm the new, very sensitive growth of your ornamental plants.

With the informed recommendation provided by a soil test and a little patience as grass begins to grow, gardeners can set the foundation now for a lush summer lawn.

Find more information about lawn maintenance, visit https://ext.vt.edu/ lawn-garden/turfandgardentips/tips/ mowing.html. o

Modern Cottage Garden Design and Planting Tips

English cottage gardens are romantic and lush. Give your garden a fresh look and extra color that lasts all summer by adding summer-flowering bulbs to more traditional plants. Whether you go for the striking blossoms of dahlias, the graceful height of gladioli, or the subtle color palette of begonias, your garden will be a feast for the senses.

Cottage gardens are all about abundance and diversity. Rather than clean lines and symmetry, cottage gardens usually have a relaxed mix of plants that seem to grow almost casually. Classic flowers like roses, geraniums, hydrangeas, and climbing plants like

clematis and honeysuckle play the starring role. You can still make your garden even more lively, though, by adding summer-flowering bulbs. These bulbs will ensure beautiful, long-lasting flowering and add surprising color accents, giving your garden a playful feel.

Summer-flowering bulbs, such as dahlias, lilies, anemones, gladioli, and begonias, are the perfect addition for cottage gardens. Their colorful and often generous flowers add variety and height differences, contributing to the layering of the garden.

In cottage gardens, natural beauty and practicality go hand in hand. Most summer-flowering bulbs need lots of sunlight, but luckily, many cottage-style plants also do very well in sunny conditions. Make sure you plant the bulbs in well-drained soil and give them plenty of room to grow. Time to get started: Grab that shovel and start planting; your very own English garden is closer than you think.

Tips for prolonged flowering:

• Create a dynamic garden that will flower from late spring until late summer by combining flower bulbs of different heights and flowering times.

• Deadhead flowers regularly. This will ensure that the energy goes to new flowers. Many bulbs are droughtresistant, which is very useful during the summer months.

Find more information about flower bulbs at www.flowerbulbs.com. o

A spring application of fertilizer can be made around the time you begin to consider your first spring mow, according to Virginia Tech experts. Photo courtesy of Magic K from Pexels.

New Plant Spotlight

Ironweed ‘Prairie Princess’ Vernonia PPAF CPBRAF

True to its name, this perennial is as tough as iron. A native of North America, Vernonia are closely related to Asters with a fall display that will certainly turn heads. In late summer, clusters of rosy purple flowers will begin to cover the top half of the plant. Dark-olive-green foliage has a silver cast, adding interest through the rest of the year.

Compared with the native species, ‘Prairie Princess’ is more compact, has a fuller habit, and has sturdy stems that avoid opening up in heavy rains or under the weight of bloom. This variety was also selected for holding its foliage all season, unlike the species that can shed the lower leaves when stressed in the heat of summer. Growers of ‘Prairie Princess’ will also be delighted with its improved mildew resistance, helping it to keep the foliage clean through the end of the season.

Vernonia ‘Prairie Princess’ is an advanced generation hybrid of the native Ironweed that has a polished 3-foot stature of narrow dark-green leaves with a burgundy wash, perfect for the middle of the border. Clouds of violet flowers cover the clump in late summer and are enjoyed by gardeners and a host of pollinators. Its vigor and disease resistance will impress you. It is also deer- and rabbit-resistant.

This plant is part of the Proven Winners collection. For more information, visit https://www.waltersgardens.com/. o

Quick Links to Recent Washington Gardener Blog Posts

• Lost Trees and Climate Activism

• Growing My First Salad

• How to Grow Dill

See more Washington Gardener blog posts at WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com o

May–June Garden To-Do List

• If you started seeds last month, thin them and start the hardening-off process.

• Cut back spent Tulip and Daffodil blooms, but not the foliage!

• Divide and replant crowded Daffodils.

• Feed your roses and new plantings sparingly with slow-release fertilizer.

• Provide supports for fast-growing perennials such as delphiniums, peonies, and lilies.

• Tie up clematis and other fast-growing climbing vines.

• Hose off aphids, white flies, or spider mites on your roses or other perennials.

• Deadhead spent blooms on your annuals and perennials to encourage re-flowering.

• Water your newly planted shrubs, trees, and perennials.

• Weed regularly.

• Go on a local house and garden tour to see what plants are thriving in other area home gardens.

• Pinch back mums, salvias, and other late-season bloomers to encourage bushy, rather than leggy, growth.

• Check pots and containers daily for water needs.

• Plant dahlias, gladioli, caladiums, and cannas.

• Direct-sow annual flower seeds.

• Thin vegetable seeds sown directly in the garden.

• Move your houseplants outdoors for a summer vacation.

• Put slug traps around your vulnerable edibles and hostas.

• Prune back forsythia, spirea, and other early-spring blooming shrubs.

• Check for black spot on your roses—remove and discard any affected leaves in the trash, never back into your garden or in your compost—and apply a fungicide with Neem oil every two weeks during the growing season.

• Cut some flowers to enjoy inside—make a small arrangement for every room.

• Sow squash and melon seeds.

• Plant seedlings or direct-sow sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.

• Fertilize azaleas and rhododendrons, if needed.

• Divide crowded perennials and share them.

• Turn your compost pile.

• Start a water garden or renew an existing one for the season.

• Mark and photograph your bulb plantings now, while they are still visible.

• Keep a sharp eye out for fungal diseases and pests.

• Replace cool-season annuals with heat-loving ones.

• Be vigilant about mosquito breeding spots—any standing water, from a bottle-cap to blocked gutters—and clean them out immediately. Ask your surrounding neighbors to do the same. Put Mosquito Dunks in any areas that accumulate water.

• Plant tomatoes and peppers. To start them off right, put in cages/stakes at same time as you plant them, so you do not disturb their roots later. Place a collar (cardboard tube or hollowed cat-food can) around the tender plants to prevent cutworms. Put crushed eggshells in the planting hole of tomatoes for extra calcium and mix lime into the soil surrounding the plant to prevent blossom-end rot. Fertilize with kelp extract or fish emulsion.

• Hand-pick cabbage worms from cabbage and broccoli. o

The Urban Garden: 101 Ways to Grow Food and Beauty in the City is all about small-space gardening solutions!

By Kathy Jentz and Teresa Speight

Published by Cool Springs Press/Quarto Homes

Order it today at: https://amzn.to/3yiLPKU

GardenDC Podcast

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 and national horticulture. The latest episodes include interviews with experts on Urban Trees, Edible Native Plants, and Forest Bathing.

You can listen online at https:// washingtongardener.blogspot.com/ or on Spotify, Apple, etc o

Classes, Events, and Plant Shows/Sales

• Thursday, May 29, 6:30–8:30pm Cocktails & Conversations: Warming Climate, Wilder Weeds

Invasive plants are affected by climate change and efforts to restore natural habitats in and around the District. Hear first-hand from the researchers and community changemakers leading plant-centered climate change solutions. Come with curiosity and leave with a renewed sense of hope. Held at the U.S. Botanic Garden’s Conservatory Garden Court. Free: Pre-registration required at USBG.gov.

• Saturday, May 31

Garden Conservancy Open Days in Anne Arundel County

Two private gardens in Annapolis, MD, will open up to offer a glimpse into these rarely-seen sanctuaries for one day only to benefit the Garden Conservancy. Tickets for this garden visitation are $10 per person or $5 for members of the Garden Conservancy. Children 12 and under are free when accompanied by a parent or guardian. All registrations must be processed online through the Garden Conservancy’s website. Visit gardenconservancy.org/opendays.

• Saturday, May 31, 9–11am 5th Annual UP Meadow Day

Family-friendly community event run by volunteers and sponsored by the Town of University Park, MD. March around the UP Meadow in a parade as your favorite pollinator or flower led by the mayor of University Park. Exhibitor tables include Bee Safaris, caterpillar adoptions, PG County Park Rangers, and a native plants giveaway. See details at https://www.facebook.com/ events/1356195895376417/.

• Tuesday, June 10, 11:30am–12:00n Gardener’s Focus Tour: Bounty of the Cutting Garden

This summer, unearth the boundless beauty of the cutting garden and explore sustainable gardening practices at Hillwood. From sunflowers and zinnias to eucalyptus and lisianthus, a weekly harvest supplies a bounty of flowers that are used in arrangements throughout the property. Learn about

sustainability at Hillwood through insider information about green initiatives and ecological horticultural practices. Tour the garden in all its glory and learn a few tips and secrets from a Hillwood gardener along the way. Details at https://hillwoodmuseum.org/estate.

• Saturday, June 14, 10–11:30am Ikebana Floral Design Workshop

Discover the elegance and simplicity of Ikebana, the traditional Japanese art of flower arranging, at Green Spring Gardens in Annandale, VA. Alice Buch, Second Degree Master of the Ohara School, will teach the basic techniques and principles of Ikebana while demonstrating a Hana Isho Rising Form arrangement that participants will then get to make themselves. No prior experience necessary. Please register for both the class and the $30 supply fee. $46 per person. Register online at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/ parktakes or call Green Spring Gardens at 703-642-5173. Code 3FB.WB70.

Looking Ahead

• June 24

The Stanton A. Gill Symposium

Join the University of Maryland Extension and MNLGA for a day honoring Stanton A. Gill. UME has organized a day-long symposium to celebrate Stanton and dedicate the Stanton A. Gill Lab at CMREC. The day will feature morning lectures by Dr. Michael Brownbridge and Dr. Paula Shrewsbury, who will share insights into Stanton’s research passions, including biological management and IPM. The afternoon will feature talks by five industry professionals who were mentored by Gill. Details at www.MNLGA.org.

Event Listing Updates

See updated event listings on the Washington Gardener discussion list. Join by emailing WashingtonGardenersubscribe@googlegroups.com

How to Submit Events

To submit an event for this listing, email washingtongardenermagazine@gmail. com with “Event” in the subject line. Our next deadline is June 5 for the June 2025 issue, for events taking place after June 15. o

Fleabane

By Kathy Jentz

Fleabane (Erigeron species) are a daisy-like wildflower that pop up in disturbed areas. They are considered a “pioneer species” and can act like an annual or biennial.

The common name fleabane comes from the belief that dried flower clusters of this plant could rid your home of fleas.

Erigeron annuus (formerly Aster annuus), is known as the annual fleabane, daisy fleabane, or Eastern daisy fleabane. It is native to North America and Central America. It blooms from June to October and grows to about 3 feet tall.

Eastern daisy fleabane is hardy to USDA zones 2 to 9. It grows well in full- to part-sun sites and it is tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions.

Erigeron acris (previously known as Erigeron philadelphicus) is commonly known as Philadelphia Fleabane, Bitter Fleabane, and Blue Fleabane.

Philadelphia Fleabane is native to most of the United States and blooms from April to June. It is hardy to USDA zones 2 to 9. It grows well in full- to part-sun sites and. it is tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions.

Erigeron pulchellus, known commonly as Robin’s plantain, is a biennial or short-lived perennial that is native to the eastern and central U.S. It has lavender-blue to white flowers that bloom from April to June. It is hardy to USDA zones 3 to 8.

Fleabane flowers are pollinated by a variety of bees, as well as flies, wasps, small butterflies, and other insects.

They are deer-resistant and drought-tolerant. o

Kathy Jentz is the editor

of

Washington Gardener

The Party Time Plant

By Savannah Scollar

I ran to the greenhouse. I had been selling plants at an event, sitting under my mushroom-patterned canopy, when something caught my eye. If I had first seen this plant online, I would’ve assumed it was photoshopped —it was too good to be true. Now, seeing such a plant carried in a brown paper shopping bag, I had to know where it had come from. “There’s only one left,” was enough to send me off on an urgent mission. I needed that plant!

I introduce this plant as “the party time plant”—and I introduce it a lot. Before I had extras to sell at my shop, I had made a bit of a game out of hiding “Mr. Party Time,” as I occasionally call him. On the floor behind a table? Nope. In a corner? Nope. He’d always be found, pointed out, and requested. Everyone wanted this plant, and could you blame them? Its leaves were multicolor, pinker than a magenta ink cartridge, split with the most vibrant perfect shade of green. The plant grew tall, starting off the size of a water bottle, then doubling that size over the span of a year. For me, $35 is a lot to spend on a plant, but Mr. Party Time was well worth it.

To put it more formally, the plant’s name is Alternanthera ficoidea ‘Party Time’. For new gardeners, hearing a name like that can be overwhelming, so I always just shorten it down. Alternanthera is in the amaranth family. It

shares this family with the extraterrestrial-looking cockscomb, the decorative globe amaranth (whose bright, spherical flowers are the texture of straw), and a variety of amaranth that served as a super-food for ancient civilizations.

As a grain, amaranth has a complicated history. The Aztecs used this plant in gruesome rituals. Cortez, upset by these rituals, outlawed the growing of amaranth and burnt the fields to the ground. The punishment for anyone caught growing amaranth? Death. Cortez set out to destroy the plants, attempting to rid the civilizations of them entirely. Luckily, this eradication was not as thorough as they’d meant for it to be, and the plant lives on to this day, having endured the tragedies that swept over the land where it was once cultivated. This remarkable endurance is fitting for a plant whose name is Greek for “one who does not wither.”

Alternanthera ficoidea, cousin to this surviving grain, is well-suited to an indoor garden. Again, it’s a bit expensive: A 2-inch pot of the plant can easily go for $12. The care of this plant is similar to other thin-leaved houseplants, such as the fittonia, fern, or polka dot plant. Don’t let it dry out! If it’s left to wilt for a day in dry soil, it’s basically kaput. Party Time also seems to be a big fan of fertilizer. Its old leaves will turn yellow and drop to the ground if the plant’s hunger is left unsatiated. The thing is, some varieties of this plant, not including Party Time, are actually supposed to be

yellow. ‘True Yellow’ grows in the color its name suggests, ‘Snowball’ has white borders, and ‘Grenadine’ boasts two shades of red.

If you master the care of this plant, you can get a lot of variety out of it, by collecting its wonderful range of cultivars. In the Caribbean and South America, this plant grows in a typical green, with small, spiky-looking white flowers along the stem. Who would’ve thought a rainbow of color could be brought out from something so ordinary? It’s no wonder this plant’s common names are “Joseph’s Coat” and “Joyweed.” Tall or compact, wavy or flat-leaved, this plant is a total joy to have around. I look forward to collecting its many shapes and colors. o

Savannah Scollar opened Easy Little Plants (easylittleplants.com), a houseplant shop in Olney, MD, in July 2023. She loves doing research, teaching private workshops, decorating with houseplants, and arranging adorable terrariums.

Pictured above, Alternanthera ‘Party Time’. Photo by Aftabbanoori, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Pictured below, Alternanthera ficoidea image taken at the now-closed Behnke Nurseries, Beltsville, MD. Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Azalea Miner Bee: Good Things Come in Small Packages

By Carol Allen

The idea that many plants depend on a specific pollinator has probably reached the status of common knowledge. This concept has urged gardeners and even commercial garden businesses to include more native plants than non-native where ever possible. Plants with local-ecotype provenance are actively sought in many gardening circles. The purpose is to support as much of the local insect population as possible.

Azaleas, members of the genus Rhododendron, have been studied for their pollination associates. Based on observation, swallowtail butterflies and bumblebees have been seen as successful pollinators.

The methods of pollination are many, and with swallowtail butterflies on

azaleas, there emerges an even more unique method: pollination by wing flapping. It seems that as the butterflies scramble over a truss of flowers, they pick up pollen on the edges of their wings and with further flapping, deposit it on the protruding stigma. Both azalea pollen and swallowtail wing scales have been found on the stigmatic surface of azaleas.

Bumblebees are well known for their “buzz” or sonication type of pollination. Certain plant groups, Ericaceae being one, have anthers that hold their pollen in tubes with a small pore at one end (poricidal anthers). This keeps the pollen from being knocked off, but requires a certain type of pollinator to release the pollen from the tubes. Blueberries and azaleas have poricidal anthers.

The buzzing activity of bumble bees shakes the pollen out of the tubes and onto their bodies, as well as the nearby stigmas.

Where does that leave the azalea miner bee (Andrena cornelli)? They work over each anther thoroughly. They collect large amounts of pollen in the long, widely spaced hairs on the tibia (middle segment) of the female bee’s hind leg.

Transfer of pollen from the scopal hairs to the azalea stigma is not gener-

ally observed, leaving some researchers to assume that the azalea miner bee is an inefficient pollinator.

Azalea miner bees are medium-small bees with sparse hairs on the abdomen. The body color is dark-brown to black. They are found in mixed woodlands, orchards, suburban, and urban settings. Azalea miner bees have been observed on native azaleas and rhododendrons in the wild, as well as hybrid azaleas in gardens. This is one more good reason to retain those large, traditional azaleas in the landscape.

Like most miner bees, the females are solitary and nest in bare, welldrained soil. The pollen is used to feed the young bees. Azalea miner bees are not aggressive and seldom sting. If your property is blessed with an area of nesting miner bees, allow them their two to four weeks of late spring activity.

Azalea miner bees are not abundant.

The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) lists 113 records with 28 occurrences supported with images. Andrena cornelli has been observed from Connecticut south to North Carolina. The Maryland Biodiversity Project holds 12 recorded sightings from nine counties throughout the state. o

Carol Allen describes herself as a committable plant-a-holic. She has more than 25 years’ experience in the horticulture industry, with a special interest in plant pests and diseases; is a Licensed Pesticide Applicator in the state of Maryland; and is an ISACertified Arborist. She can be contacted at carolallen@erols.com.

The Azalea Society offers membership to anyone with an interest in azaleas, from home gardeners, collectors and students to plant professionals. The Azalea Society website (azaleas.org) is the source of information about azaleas.

A zalea miner bee on azalea flower.

Photo by Beatriz Moisset, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Left: stamens, consisting of filaments and anthers. Most flowers release pollen by splitting the anthers along a line of weakness (top right); some only do it through a small hole or pore (bottom right). © Wikipedia Creative Commons.

Stevia

By Barbara Melera

In the last decade or so, the Stevia plant has become known throughout the United States as a natural, plantbased sweetener. It is now used in many products as a sugar substitute.

Stevia is a member of the Asteraceae family—the largest plant family on Earth. It is native to South America, specifically a region where the countries of Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina come together. In its native habitats, it is a perennial, but in North America, it is largely cultivated as an annual. Although Stevia has only recently become known to many of us, it has actually been cultivated for more than 1,500 years by the Guarani peoples, who live in the region where the plant is indigenous.

The Guarani, because of their isolation from the developed world, have maintained their ancient culture and language. As a people, they are farmers, hunters, and foragers. They are known for their intricate handicrafts, including basket weaving, cloth making, and wood carving. The Guarani discovered the plant and its sweetening qualities. They largely used it to sweeten a tea known as yerba mate and other drinks, and called it “sweet herb.”

There are some historical documents that suggest that Stevia was known in Spain in the early 16th century—brought there by Spanish explorers. However, most Europeans were introduced to Stevia when, in 1899, the Swiss botanist, Moises Santiago Bertoni, initially

scientifically named the plant Eupatorium rebaudianum, but six years later, in 1905, changed the name to Stevia rebaudiana. As the Europeans began to use the plant, large plantations were established in Paraguay and Brazil to grow crops of Stevia. During World War II, people in the United Kingdom began to consume Stevia due to cane and beet sugar shortages and rationing.

In 1931, two French chemists, M. Briedel and R. LaVieille, isolated the two main compounds that gave Stevia its sweetness: two glycosides that were named Stevioside and Rebaudioside. Glycosides are molecules where a sugar molecule is chemically linked to another molecule. Glycosides are a diverse group of compounds found in many plants and animals. They play various roles, including energy storage, defense mechanisms, and even being the basis for some medicines like cardiac glycosides.

Stevioside and Rebaudioside are 50 to 450 times sweeter than sucrose. Each Stevia leaf contains at least 60 steviol glycosides.

In the 1970s, the Japanese began major commercialization of the Stevia plant; today, Japan is one of the world’s largest producers. By the 1980s and 1990s, Stevia cultivation had begun to expand to other parts of the world including China and Ukraine.

In 1991, the FDA banned the import of Stevia products to the U.S. because of safety concerns. However, after more

than a decade of research on the plant, the FDA concluded that the safety concerns were unfounded. In 2008, the FDA granted Stevia products the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) certification. Three years later, the European Union (EU) approved Steviol glycosides as a sweetener.

Stevia is a truly remarkable plant. It contains a number of phenolic compounds that exhibit strong antioxidant properties. The plant is an important source of vitamins C and B2, as well as folic acid. The leaves are also rich in zinc, iron, calcium, potassium, sodium, and magnesium.

Most impressively, consumption of Stevia powder has been found to increase insulin levels in Type II diabetics, lower blood glucose levels, decrease blood pressure, and decrease liver triacylglycerides.

Growing Stevia

Stevia is a shrub that grows very well in containers and in the ground. In a container, the plant reaches heights of 30–48 inches with a spread of 18–30 inches. In the ground, Stevia can reach heights of 48–60 inches with a spread of 24–40 inches.

Healthy Stevia plants require full sun (a minimum of 5 hours during the middle of the day). The plants prefer a slightly alkaline soil (pH 6.5–7.5), but are not fussy. A pH of 5.5 will not kill these plants. Before planting, a dusting of lime may enhance the plant’s growth.

Propagating Stevia

I recommend that gardeners interested in growing Stevia start with cuttings or plants that have reached a height of, at least, 3–4 inches. Stevia seed is very difficult to germinate and takes a long time (weeks, not days). Seedling plants can be purchased at many nurseries and garden centers.

Stevia cuttings are very easy to root. Cuttings should be taken beneath a leaf node on a new growth stem. The stem can be 4–8+ inches long. Cuttings can be rooted in water, but gardeners achieve greater success and healthier plants when the cuttings are rooted in soil. To root cuttings, prepare several small pots (2–3 inches in diameter). Cut—do not pinch—the cutting, and dip the stem in rooting powder or gel. Make

sure the entire leaf node is covered. Insert the stem into a hole you have made with your finger and press the soil firmly around the stem. Water gently and keep the soil moist, but not soggy. Overwatering is the most frequent reason that the cuttings rot.

When the cuttings have rooted and the night-time temperatures are consistently in the 50s, the plants can be planted outside. If planting in the ground, the cuttings should be spaced 18 inches apart in rows 2 feet apart.

If planting in containers, choose a 12–14 inch diameter pot that is at least 10 inches deep. The pot should be filled with a soil mix that is 6 parts topsoil, 2 parts peat moss, and 2 parts composted manure or compost. The soil level should be within 1–2 inches of the top of the pot. You can dust the surface of the soil with ¼ cup of lime, but it is not necessary for the survival of the cutting.

Every 2 weeks, the plant should be fertilized with a fertilizer that has more nitrogen and phosphorus than potassium, for example, 10–10–5 or 6–6–3. When the plants are 8–10 inches tall, they can be pruned. This forces the plant to become bushier and produce more leaves. Throughout the summer, continue to prune the plant to encourage a bushy habit.

Stevia Tips

Few insects appear to cause problems for Stevia plants, but improper watering often causes problems—never let the soil dry out! Stevia plants are not very forgiving when it comes to lack of water. Most often, they do not recover. Conversely, never let the plant stand in water or the soil to remain soggy. Stevia is prone to rotting rapidly.

Even in temperate climates, Stevia can be grown all year, but it must be brought inside when the night-time temperatures start into the low 50s. As a houseplant, Stevia is rather finicky. Two factors are key to successfully growing Stevia indoors: watering and light. As has been stated, when indoors, Stevia plants cannot be allowed to dry out or sit in water. Moist soil is critical, but so is light. An indoor Stevia plant must be located in a south- or west-facing window where it will receive sunlight. In all likelihood, the stems will become

leggy, so make sure to prune the plant frequently, but always leave at least 8 inches of stem growth.

Using Stevia

Stevia is grown for its leaves, which can be harvested throughout the season. Fresh leaves make an excellent condiment for fruit salads, smoothies, sweet soups, and hot or iced tea. Fresh and dry leaves, when mixed with other herbs and fruits make delicious teas.

To make the white powder that is now often used as a sugar substitute, the leaves need to be dried and crushed. Depending on the weather, the drying process can take weeks to months. Using a dehydrator will speed up the process.

The research that produced this article taught me a lot and gave me a great appreciation and respect for this plant. I have frequently used Stevia as a condiment and sometimes I use it as a sugar substitute, but I never knew the extraordinary health benefits this plant possesses.

In truth, I have grown the plant as a curiosity for years. Now I will grow it vigorously for the nutrients it can provide me and my family. Stevia truly is a “superplant.” o

Barbara Melera is president of Harvesting History (www.harvesting-history.com), a company that sells horticultural and agricultural products, largely of the heirloom variety, along with garden tools and equipment.

Stevia cutting.

Stevia drying.

The Gardens of the British Ambassador’s Residence

This spring, Washington Gardener Magazine’s staff had the pleasure of visiting the British Ambassador’s Residence in Washington, DC, where we were given a tour of the beautifully curated gardens with head gardener John Sonnier. One overarching message he explained during our tour stood out as we walked through each garden room: “Mother Nature is in control.”

Sonnier, who has recently been awarded the Elizabeth Medal of Honour by the Royal Horticultural Society, has been an integral part of these gardens since 2009. He’s one of only 70 people who will eventually hold a medal, a number that honors the length of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. Originally hailing from Texas, where he also worked as a garden designer, Sonnier has spent the last 15 years focusing on the combination of gardening and history within the Ambassador’s Residence. His childhood experiences roaming the vast farms of Louisiana rooted him in the dirt from an early age. Now, he appreciates being able to take ownership over the everchanging garden projects.

“Gardeners, we come out and we just do our job everyday,” Sonnier said. “We just try to make a difference.”

By Skylar Drew

Our visit fell on a rainier day, so we settled down for tea and watched as the vivid greenery and flowers transformed before our eyes under the mist.

The British embassy’s long-standing presence in the U.S., dating back to 1791, eventually warranted the need for a permanent residence in DC. Despite its inviting nature, the residence is not a botanic garden or public art installation, but a private home for the ambassador, with new residents every four to five years. “This is a cottage garden,” Sonnier said. It’s meant to be lived in and savored.

British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens’ collaboration with garden designer Gertrude Jekyll for 40 years heavily influenced the garden’s current design, which Sonnier actively honors with each new plant introduction. Maintaining this historical integrity is important, he explained, and a timeline of significant events in Washington is currently being created to showcase the garden’s evolution over the past century. It’s no surprise that the visuals of this garden are so stunning, because an artist is largely behind its curation. Sonnier’s art had been shown in Italy, New York, and California by the time he was interviewing for the position, but a candid conversation with the then-ambassador brought him fully onboard for the project.

Some of the “hidden gem” Jekyll designs include the benches placed throughout the gardens, pots replicated in her style, and a unique staircase that seems to function as an echo chamber when you stand in the center and speak into the woods. According to Sonnier, they’re probably the most photographed stairs in the United States.

The gardens are representative of the relationship between the United States and United Kingdom, but each element—be it a flower, tree, or sculpture–is selected with undeniable intention. Belgian Sphinxes, U.S.-sourced Indiana limestone, Pennsylvanian ribbon-slate,

and trees planted by members of the royal family themselves are only a few features that make these gardens mesmerizing. Many of these decisions were personally directed by Lutyens, who believed the United States was an “endless land of resources.”

During a break in the rainfall, Sonnier led us further into the gardens, where a coral bark maple tree was planted by Princess Anne in 2014. The trees on the property seem effortlessly placed, but Sonnier has done his research. If you look at photographs of the residence from the 1900s, you’ll see a scene of endless rolling hills. When Sonnier looked at one photo from 1941, a ginkgo tree planted near the house inspired him to plant another one in its honor.

Gardening is considered one very integral part of English culture. King Charles himself is widely regarded as the “father of organic gardening,” so it’s only natural (literally!) that the residence’s gardens are completely pesticide-free. Patina, which Sonnier said had been unfortunately powerwashed from one of the pathways upon his arrival at the residence, is both natural and beneficial to its surroundings. Looking at the brick and marble structures around us, there was rarely a space that didn’t merge the natural and manmade.

“Gardening is all about timing,” Sonnier said. The cool-season violas we were greeted with upon our entrance to the gardens were to be replaced with purple Angelonia (the Queen’s color) within the week. Before the trees and shrubbery had grown to conceal the noise and distractions of the city, residents and their guests were able to see DC’s prominent monuments right from the center of the garden. Today, the sights from within the property are nothing short of a spectacular and private oasis.

Inside the home, nature is almost as present as it is when you’re standing outside. Every window provides a unique vignette of the outside world, a concept also implemented in the garden by British designer Capability Brown. Creating small, inviting sanctuaries that call people to visit them is another small piece of a larger, symbiotic garden. The amenities, like the pool and tennis courts on the property, are purposefully placed away from the house, with these vignettes in between them: “It forces you to get out there.”

The art pieces displayed throughout the home are just as intentionally curated at the plants around them. The glittering specks that reflect light in a Warhol portrait of Queen Elizabeth II? Diamond dust. Several pottery vases with sculpted orchids and tentacles protruding from them caught my eye.

Watching as bees, birds, and rabbits interacted with the intimate environment around them felt reminiscent of every fairy princess tale I’d ever known as a child. One of the personal favorite parts of my visit was being able to see the varieties of orchids both growing in the greenhouse and displayed inside the residence itself.

Cut-flowers don’t last long enough for the demands of the property, so each orchid is potted for longevity. In one hallway is an orchid named in the memory of Jackie Kennedy, who sought refuge with her children at the Ambassador’s Residence after the assassination of President Kennedy. In a connecting room is an orchid named for Winston Churchill, representing several plant collections that were sent to the U.S. during World War II for safekeeping. The embassy’s orchid collection is another

key part of Sonnier’s medal-earning achievement during his time as head gardener, and currently includes nearly 1,200 plants.

“This will never be an English garden,” he told us toward the end of our tour. Its British elements are only one piece of its complete magic.

This garden is honest to the original architects and designers of the home, with a noticeable English flair, but it is uniquely its own. Plants aren’t static, despite a universal wish amongst gardeners to save as many plants as possible. However, gardens like the one

that has been created at the British Ambassador’s Residence are a lived-in experience. Roses will run their course, organic gardening will always reveal challenges, but that’s exactly why intentional planting is so important, Sonnier said. Short blooming windows and harsh seasons allow people to appreciate what they can see and experience in the present. o

Skylar Drew is an intern with Washington Gardener this spring semester. She is a senior journalism major at the UMD College Park. She is from Bel Air, MD, where she watched her mom grow her garden.

Your Outdoor Room: How to Design a Garden You Can Live In

Author: Manoj Malde

Publisher: Frances Lincoln/The Quarto Group

List Price: $30.00

Order Links: https://amzn.to/4kuAIXr and https://bookshop.org/ a/79479/9780711282247

Reviewer: Marsha Douma

Your Outdoor Room is subtitled, “How to Design a Garden you Can Live In.” True to its title, this book is a guide for how to create an inviting outdoor space that is complementary to the design and esthetics of the adjacent house. The book is filled with photographs of beautiful gardens illustrating the ideas the author is writing about.

Manoj Malde started his professional career as a fashion designer. This makes him keenly aware how color, shape, size, and texture affect the esthetics of any indoor or outdoor space. Since outdoor rooms by definition have a lot of permanent structures that need a lot of thought and planning, the book starts there, with the basics of all the elements that go into a comprehensive garden plan. He discusses different design theories in easy-to-follow formats and illustrates, in useful photographs, the many different designs and materials available for the hardscape elements that will create the patios, pathways, and walls of the new outdoor room.

He suggests the master plan include the exact dimensions of the entire space, with an inventory of the placement of existing trees, shrubs, and perennials. He also suggests the gardener give a lot of thought to how the space will be used and maintained.

The author suggests the time to plan for a hot tub, fire pit, swing set, outdoor grill, additional storage area, a close to the kitchen herb and vegetable garden, or an outdoor eating area large enough for the entire extended family, is now, at the beginning of the project.

The next step is creating a theme for the garden. English cottage, sophisticated city, meditation and relaxation, or a tropical jungle garden are a few of his ideas. Once there is a theme, he suggests deciding on a color palette. This order—overall design, careful consideration of the primary uses, garden theme, and color palette—makes it then easier to select hardscape materials, outdoor furniture, paint colors, and plants.

His emphasis on the importance of the planning stage is because all his outdoor rooms are designed using considerable hardscape features—patios, paths, garden stairs; perhaps creating different levels in the garden, ponds, walls, and other structures. It is a “measure twice and cut once” approach. The author also includes a section about sustainability, and a general discussion of making the proper plant selections to invite wildlife into the garden.

I think any homeowner interested in creating an outdoor space, or who has already embarked on a plan for one, will benefit from reading this book. I particularly found the section on garden paths, and the idea of creating levels in the garden, both interesting and applicable for how I am tweaking my own garden.

Your Outdoor Room begins with a discussion of the details important in building a garden room that is a natural extension of your house. A hybrid room has aspects of an indoor space but it is outside. Even though most of the book is about hardscape features and general design principles, the final third concludes with the essential role of plants, with suggestions for how to use them wisely to further the design, because “plants breathe life into an outdoor space.”

These quotes are good examples of what this book is about: “...always think of your garden as part of your home…it is people who bring life into a home but it is plants that bring life into a garden.” o

Marsha Douma is a retired dentist and lifelong gardener who also enjoys swimming, tennis, and playing the piano. She lives in Rockville, MD.

The Generosity of Plants: Shared Wisdom from the Community of Herb Lovers

Author: Rosemary Gladstar

Publisher: Storey Publishing

Order Link: https://amzn.to/4dlw2ka and https://bookshop.org/ a/79479/9781635869026

List Price: $28.00

Reviewer: Skylar Drew

The Generosity of Plants by Rosemary Gladstar is a 220-page collection of inspirational poetry, quotes, plant profiles, and knowledge that gardeners and writers of all experience levels can enjoy. Gladstar, who is deeply entwined with the world of herbalism, found inspiration for this collection from gardeners and writers who have inspired her over the past five decades.

This isn’t a typical gardening book—it’s a creative collection of art. However, I see a perfect opportunity for growth for the everyday writer or gardener who reads it. I chose to read this book one or two pages at a time, often multiple times throughout the day. Its visually stunning pages, intricate designs, magical font styles, and beautiful plant photography offers an almost scrapbook-like effect. On some days that I read quotes and excerpts from its pages, I was inspired to do writing of my own. If gardening and writing are intersecting interests for you, I’d recommend using each page as a journal or illustration prompt.

“Nowhere in the garden or in nature do you find an ugly flower,” Gladstar writes on page 101. The same is true for a private writing space. There are no wrong words, no wrong quotes in any intimate writing environment. Take this book outside, flip to a random page, and see how inspiration

might strike. Illustrated journaling is another outlet that I think of when reading this. I drew orchids and wrote about their importance in my home after flipping through these pages, so I recommend drawing your favorite plant, flower, or animal before writing. o

Skylar Drew is an intern this spring semester with Washington Gardener. She is a senior journalism major at the UMD College Park. She is from Bel Air, MD, where she watched her mom grow her garden.

The Essential Book of Succulents: A Guide to the 250 Best Varieties for Beginners

Author: Kentaro Kuroda

Publisher: Tuttle Publishing List Price: $18.99

Order Links: https://amzn.to/43pb13N and https://bookshop.org/ a/79479/9780804856003

Reviewer: Madison Korman

Kentaro Kuroda, a horticulturist and founder of Flora Kuroda Gardening in Japan’s Saitama Prefecture, brings years of plant expertise to The Essential Book of Succulents. Known for his artistic group plantings and nostalgic designs, Kuroda offers beginners a practical and engaging guide to growing and arranging succulents with confidence.

The book opens with a beginner-friendly overview of what succulents are and why they are ideal for new plant owners. Kuroda explains the basics of selecting healthy plants, the importance of light and airflow, and the value of watering sparingly. He also introduces three main types of growth: spring and fall growers, summer growers, and cold-hardy winter growers. This helps readers understand the seasonal needs of their plants.

Part one of the book provides a detailed care guide for popular varieties like Aloe, Agave, Crassula, Sedum, and different types of cacti. Each plant profile includes visual identifiers, daily care tips, a cultivation calendar, and advice on pruning, fertilizing, and propagation. Kuroda explains that succulents prefer well-draining soil and should be repotted in containers slightly larger than their current ones.

The second section focuses on how to arrange succulents, both indoors and outdoors. Kuroda walks readers through combining rosette shapes, vertical growers, and clumping types. He shares ideas for mixing

textures and shades of green to create visually striking displays. The section includes instructions for both single pot arrangements and group clusters.

The final part of the book is a catalog of 250 varieties that are well-suited for beginners. With its combination of practical care instructions, design ideas, and visual inspiration, The Essential Book of Succulents is a valuable addition to any plant lover’s shelf. Kuroda’s calm tone and clear instructions make caring for succulents simple and enjoyable o

Madison Korman is an intern this spring semester with Washington Gardener. She is a recent journalism graduate of UMD College Park. She has enjoyed gardening and cooking from a young age.

Horti Curious: A Gardener’s Miscellany of Fascination Facts and Remarkable Plants

Author: Ann Treneman

Publisher: Mitchell Beazley

List Price: $24.99

Order Links: https://amzn.to/4mjQ6b3 and https://bookshop.org/ a/79479/9781784729639

Reviewer: Beth Py-Lieberman

Should you have designs on your garden club’s “Cliff Clavin Award for Little-Known Facts,” here’s your preparatory guide.

Ann Treneman’s Horti Curious: A Gardener’s Miscellany of Fascinating Facts & Remarkable Plants, produced by the UK’s Royal Horticultural Society, is certain to become the go-to for the trivial, monumental, and eternal verities of anything botanical, floricultural, arboricultural, or agricultural.

Treneman served as The Times of London’s fierce theater critic, as well as a political satirist and feature writer. She made a late-career change to acquire a master’s degree in landscape architecture. She now sports awards and acclaim for her RHS show gardens and still exercises her journalistic pen with a Sunday column for The Times

For Horti Curious, she leans into both, and delivers to her readers a plant lore feast amidst Matt Windsor’s delightful illustrations and gorgeous design work.

“If plants could talk, they could tell us some amazing stories—of survival, derringdo, drama, beauty, friends and enemies,” Treneman writes, explaining that her plan was to create a wunderkammer, or a cabinet of curiosities. “The subjects are as small as an orchid seed and as large as Greenland, as old as Adam and Eve and as young as tomorrow.”

As the famous know-it-all Cliff Clavin of television’s “Cheers” might say: “Little known-fact”: Pineapples share a similarity with the pyramids of Giza. Both are illustrations of the Divine Proportion, or the Golden Ratio, and can be broken down to show the Fibonacci sequence. Go ahead and tuck that into your back pocket for your next cocktail party. The Fibonacci sequence, named for an Italian mathematician, is the sum of the two numbers that proceed it. A pineapple has 5, 8, or 13 spirals, (Fibonacci numbers); the sequence numbers can also be applied to the proportions of the Great Pyramids.

Linnaeus had systems of order in mind when he organized and categorized the plant world. Little-known fact: Turns out he was a man of faith, although he disappointed his father by not seeking the cloth. “God created, Linnaeus organized,” he was known to boast. But he also had a rather florid pen, especially when it came to describing the sex life of plants: “The actual petals of a flower contribute nothing to generation, serving only as the bridal bed which the Creator has so gloriously prepared, adorned with such precious bed curtains, and perfumed with so many sweet scents…” Make that the setting of your next tryst.

Scent in the plant world is a heady experience. In the fall, the Katsura tree wafts with the aroma of sweet caramel; anise hyssop perfumes

Book Reviews continued on page 22

with a licorice smell, and a curry plant gives off the aroma of, well, curry. But then there’s also the scent of rotting flesh that steeps from the well-known penis-shaped Amorphophallus titanum; “Bradford” pear trees stink like dead fish; female Ginkgo biloba in the autumn carry the smell of vomit, and yellow skunk cabbage, smells like, well, skunk.

Horti Curious may be this season’s most thoughtful garden gift. It’s the companion must-read for any weed warrior’s afternoon tea time—beautiful to behold and quick to delight. Who knew that bees see the world in a purple haze—a combination of yellow and UV light that we can’t see but for the bee makes “their view of a flower border an almost psychedelic experience.”

And as for that Fibonacci pineapple, it’s also the only known plant in the world that makes an enzyme to digest protein. Littleknown fact: The enzyme supposedly targets belly fat. o

Beth Py-Lieberman is the author of The Object at Hand: Intriguing and Inspiring Stories from the Smithsonian Collections (Smithsonian Books, 2023). Until her retirement in 2023, Py-Lieberman served as senior museums editor at the award-winning Smithsonian magazine.

Note: The books for these reviews were provided free from their publishers. These book reviews include links to Amazon.com and BookShop.org for ordering them. Washington Gardener Magazine might receive a few cents from each order placed after you click on these links

Life with Flowers: Inspiration and Lessons from the Garden

Author: Frances Palmer

Publisher: Artisan Publishers

List Price: $30.00

Order Links: https://amzn. to/3H4tpr5 and https://bookshop.org/ a/79479/9781648291395

Reviewer: Teri Speight

A well-written, simply gorgeous book is an understatement. This book is an appetizer for floral enthusiasts and avid gardeners of all levels. Frances Palmer takes the reader on a seasonal stroll that provides quite the inspiration to beautify their spaces, inside and out.

Giving the reader inspiration in the form of recipes for arranging flowers, adding flowers in edible delights, as well as DIY projects to create your way, the ideas and instructions are inspiring. I found the photography simply amazing. It shows the reader what to acquire or what to observe in the garden, for use in creating something beautiful.

Frances Palmer provides common-sense reminders such as saving a few blooms for yourself, when creating arrangements for special occasions or giving them to others. Growing and arranging instructions are provided as she shares favorite flowers. The author understands the independent nature of the garden, as well as what happens when absence from the garden is required. Many gardeners do not admit to common occurrences that happen when the garden is left unattended. Returning to a garden with a mind of its own, Palmer shared how an idea

from her travels enabled her to successfully reclaim her pest-ridden dahlias.

This book has filled my mind with thoughts of lilies in tulipieres, growing more plants with spires, and growing for the late summer garden. The recipe for the rose geranium cake, indoor growing, preferred suppliers, and especially gardens to visit all make this a book that should be a part of every gardener’s collection. o

Teresa J. Speight is a native Washingtonian, mother, grandmother, steward of our land, and history lover. She is the author of Black Flora: Profiles of Inspiring Black Flower Farmers + Florists and co-author of The Urban Garden: 101 Ways to Grow Food and Beauty in the City

“Inspire. Connect. Grow.”

The National Garden Bureau is a nonprofit organization that exists to educate, inspire, and motivate people to increase the use of garden seed, plants, and products in homes, gardens, and workplaces by being the marketing arm of the gardening industry. Our members are experts in the field of horticulture and our information comes directly from these sources. Find out more at https://ngb.org/

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MARCH/APRIL 2005

• Landscape DIY vs. Pro

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MAY/JUNE 2005

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JULY/AUGUST 2005

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2005

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2006

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MARCH/APRIL 2006

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MAY/JUNE 2006

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JULY/AUGUST 2006

• Hydrangeas

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006

• Shade Gardening

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006

• Horticultural Careers

• Juniper Care Guide

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2007

• Indoor Gardening

• Daphne Care Guide

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• Houseplant Propagation

MARCH/APRIL 2007

• Stormwater Management

• Dogwood Selection & Care Guide

• Early Spring Vegetable Growing Tips

• Franciscan Monastery Bulb Gardens

MAY/JUNE 2007

• Roses: Easy Care Tips

• Native Roses & Heirloom Roses

• Edible Flowers

• How to Plant a Bare-root Rose

JULY/AUGUST 2007

• Groundcovers: Alternatives to Turfgrass

• How to Pinch, Prune, & Dead-head

• William Paca House & Gardens

• Hardy Geraniums

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2007

• Succulents: Hardy to our Region

• Drought-Tolerant Natives

• Southern Vegetables

• Seed Saving Savvy Tips

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007

• Gardening with Children

• Indoor Bulb-Forcing Basics

• National Museum of the American Indian

• Versatile Viburnums

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008

• Dealing with Deer

• Our Favorite Garden Tools

• Delightful Daffodils

MARCH/APRIL 2008

• Patio, Balcony, Rooftop Container Gardens

• Our Favorite Garden Tools

• Coral Bells (Heuchera)

MAY/JUNE 2008

• Growing Great Tomatoes

• Glamorous Gladiolus

• Seed-Starting Basics

SUMMER 2009

• Grow Grapes in the Mid- Atlantic

• Passionflowers

• Mulching Basics

• Growing Hops

FALL 2009

• Apples

• How to Save Tomato Seeds

• Persimmons

WINTER 2009

• Battling Garden Thugs

• How to Start Seeds Indoors

• Red Twig Dogwoods

• Unusual Edibles to Grow in Our Region

SPRING 2010

• Community Gardens

• Building a Raised Bed

• Dwar f Iris

• Broccoli

SUMMER 2010

• Fragrance Gardens

• Watering Without Waste

• Lavender

• Potatoes

FALL 2010

• Vines and Climbers

• Battling Stink Bugs

• Russian Sage

• Garlic

WINTER 2010

• Paths and Walkways

• Edgeworthia

• Kohlrabi

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SPRING 2011

• Cutting-Edge Gardens

• Final Frost Dates and When to Plant

• Bleeding Hearts

• Onions

• Flavorful Fruiting Natives

JULY/AUGUST 2008

• Landscaping with Ornamental Grasses

• Edible Grasses to Graze On

• Slug and Snail Control

• Sage Advice: Sun-Loving Salvias

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008

• Autumn Edibles — What to Plant Now

• Beguiling Barrenworts (Epimediums)

• Best Time to Plant Spring-blooming Bulbs

• 14 Dry Shade Plants Too Good to Overlook

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008

• Outdoor Lighting Essentials

• How to Prune Fruiting Trees, Shrubs, Vines

• 5 Top Tips for Overwintering Tender Bulbs

• Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009

• Compost Happens: Nature’s Free Fertilizer

• Managing Stormwater with a Rain Garden

• Visiting Virginia’s State Arboretum

• Grow Winter Hazel for Winter Color

MARCH/APRIL 2009

SUMMER 2011

• Ornamental Edibles

• Urban Foraging

• Amsonia/Arkansas Blue Star

• Growing Corn in the Mid-Atlantic

FALL 2011

• Herb Gardens

• Toad Lilies

• Sweet Potatoes

• Cool Weather Cover Crops

WINTER 2011/EARLY SPRING 2012

• Green Roofs and Walls

• Heaths and Heathers

• Radishes

SPRING 2012

• Pollinator Gardens

• Brunnera: Perennial of the Year

• Growing Yacon

SUMMER 2012

• Tropical Gardens

• Captivating Canna

• Icebox Watermelons

SPRING 2013

• Great Garden Soil

• All About Asters

• 40+ Free and Low-cost Local Garden Tips

• Spring Edibles Planting Guide

• Testing Your Soil for a Fresh Start

• Redbud Tree Selection and Care

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• Squash Vine Borer

SUMMER/FALL 2013

• Miniature/Faerie Gardens

• Beguiling Abelias

• Best Viewing Spots for Virginia Bluebells

MAY/JUNE 2009

• Top Easy Summer Annuals for DC Heat

• Salad Table Project

• Grow and Enjoy Eggplant

• How to Chuck a Woodchuck

• Growing Great Carrots

WINTER/EARLY SPRING 2014

• Ferns for the Mid-Atlantic

• Chanticleer Gardens

• Beet Growing Basics

Jentz Prints

Antique Botanical Prints for the decorator, collector, connoisseur, and art lover.

Jentz Prints can be purchased most weekends (weather-dependent) at the world-famous Eastern Market.

Antique prints are affordable—most in the $10-$30 range—and they are the perfect gift idea for that plant lover in your life. And don’t forget to buy a few for yourself!

For more information or to get a detailed show schedule, please contact Jentz Prints by email at UllrichJ@aol.com.