Washington Gardener February 2018

FEBRUARY 2018 VOL. 12 NO. 12

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tthe magazine for gardening enthusiasts in the Mid-Atlantic region

Chef Gardens: Up Top with Urbana New Guide to Local Native Plants Meet Green Spring’s Nicole Conners Spray Away Spilling the Tea on Camellia Sasanquas

Your Garden Task List Grow 6 Great Sweet Peppers DC-MD-VA Gardening Events Calendar

17Award-winning Garden Photos

Haven’s Natural Brew Tea conditions the soil so your plant’s root system can better absorb nutrients needed to build a strong, healthy root base. The manure tea can also be applied to compost piles to accelerate the composting process.

Order some today at: www.manuretea.com

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RESOURCESsourc

Need a Garden Club Speaker?

Washington Gardener Magazine’s staff and writers are available to speak to groups and garden clubs in the greater DC region.

Call 301.588.6894 or email KathyJentz@gmail.com for available dates, rates, and topics.

RARE AND EXCEPTIONAL PLANTS FOR THE DISCRIMINATING GARDENER AND COLLECTOR Barry Glick Sunshine Farm and Gardens 696 Glicks Road Renick, WV 24966, USA Email: barry@sunfarm.com

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Contact kathyjentz@gmail.com or call 301.588.6894 for ad rates. The ad deadline is the 10th of each month. Please submit your ad directly to: KathyJentz@gmail.com.

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WASHINGTON GARDENER FEBRUARY 2018

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.

INSIDEcontents

FEATURES and COLUMNS

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ASKtheexpert 5 Japanese Maple Foliage; Broccoli Tips; Baking Soil: Attracting Wildlife BOOKreviews 6-7 Garden City; Starting a Garden; Recipes from the Garden CHEFgardens 12 Urbana, Washington, DC NEWPLANTspotlight 11 Tomato ‘Midnight Snack’ NEIGHBORnetwork 14-15 Nicole Conners, Green Spring PHOTOcontest 16-20 2018 Winning Garden Photos PLANTprofile 21 Camellia sasanqua PRODUCTreview 22 Energy Pro 360 Sprayer TIPStricks 10 Sweet Peppers; New Native Guide; Champion Hackbery

Camellia ‘Polar Ice’ is a hybrid introduced by the U.S. National Arboretum that will thrive in the Mid-Atlantic region up to Zone 6b. It has beautiful snowwhite flowers from fall into winter that are quite showy against the glossy evergreen foliage. Another plus is that the petals shed as the flower fades, unlike many Camellias that need to be dead-headed.

Photo taken at the U.S. Botanic Garden, Washington, DC.

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Win passes to the Maryland Home & Garden Show.

See contest details on page 15.

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DEPARTMENTS

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Chef Ethan’s Pesto Pizza Here is Chef Ethan McKee’s recipe for Basil Pesto using easy-to-grow herbs.

1 cup packed basil leaves 1 cup packed parsley leaves 4 cloves garlic ¼ cup toasted pine nuts 2 cups extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup grated Parmesan Salt and pepper to taste Combine the basil, parsley, garlic, and pine nuts in a blender.

Turn the blender on medium speed and pour in the olive oil.

Blend until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and fold in the Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Photo courtesy of Urbana.

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Congratulations to our Photo Contest Winners! Photo entries must have been taken during the 2017 calendar year in a garden located within a 150-mile radius of the Capitol Building in Washington, DC. Be sure to take photos all year long and gather the best of your images. We urge you to enter next year’s contest when the entry period opens up again this winter. Your photos could be winners, too!

A special thank you to our contest prize sponsors Capital Photography Center, Fiskars, Timber Press, and Washington Photo Safari.

Winning photographs from this year’s Washington Gardener Magazine photo contest will be on display at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens this summer. You are invited to the Washington Gardener Magazine Photo Exhibit Opening Reception on Sunday June 3. Details will be announced later this spring.

Our judge Elizabeth Olson had a mighty struggle this year to select the best from among such stiff competition of more than 200 images entered into this year’s competition. She is a certified photography judge with the Maryland Association of Agricultural Fairs & Shows (MAAFS).

ADVERTISINGindex BLOGlinks EDITORletter GARDENcontest LOCALevents MONTHLYtasklist NEXTissue RESOURCESsources

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ON THE COVER

A female cardinal at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD, by Lilian Cerdeira.

In our March 2018 issue:

Mahonia Plant Profile A Visit to Poplar Forest and much more...

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

Be sure you are subscribed!

Click on the “subscribe” link at http://washingtongardener. blogspot.com/ FEBRUARY 2018

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EDITORletter

Credits Kathy Jentz Editor/Publisher & Advertising Sales Washington Gardener 826 Philadelphia Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20910 Phone: 301-588-6894 kathyjentz@gmail.com www.washingtongardener.com Call today to place your ad with us!

Allison O’Reilly Kelly Zheng Interns Your editor giving out prizes at the recent Washington Gardener Seed Exchange at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA. Photo by Allison O’Reilly.

The Late, Great Henry Mitchell For the winter meeting of our Garden Book Club, we read and discussed Henry Mitchell’s On Gardening. I am a bit young to have read his column in the Washington Post, but I dimly remember seeing his “Any Day” colums, which were not garden-related. He passed away in 1993 and his “Earthman” columns were collected and published posthumously, because he didn’t see much worth in gathering them himself. How wrong he was!

His writings stand up as well today as the moment they were written. His humor and wisdom are charming and engaging. Reading him, you feel like you are right there at his desk, having a personal conversation.

I feel deprived to never have met Henry Mitchell in person and been able to discuss our mutual interests and debate our differences. One of those differences in opinion is his dislike of the bank of forsythia shrubs designed by Beatrix Farrand at the Dumbarton Oaks Park, which he called “asinine” and said could be attributed to a designer who had run “out of taste, brains, style, and sympathy with plants.”

Shocking!

Personally, I love that hill-side when it is at its yellow carpeted peak, but hey, we have many passions and plants still in common. One main mutual love was for backyard water gardening. I found no less than 28 references in this small book to growing hardy waterlilies and his small urban pond. How I would have loved to hear him opine about all the new waterlily introductions available to us today!

Mainly, what he and I share is more a love of the actual gardening process and less a focus on the actual results. My favorite quote from he book is, “It is not the little scene immediately before us, but the rich, complex, and often painful scenes accumulated years before that make gardening such a passion with some people.”

Happy gardening!

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

WASHINGTON GARDENER FEBRUARY 2018

Ruth E. Thaler-Carter Proofreader Cover price: $4.99 Back issues: $6.00 Subscription: $20.00 Address corrections should be sent to the address above.

• 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 Facebook Page: facebook.com/ WashingtonGardenerMagazine • Washington Gardener is a womanowned business. We are proud to be members of: · Garden Writers Association · DC Web Women · Green America Magazine Leaders Network · Green America Business Network To order reprints, contact Wright’s Reprints at 877.652.5295, ext. 138.

Volume 12, Number 12 ISSN 1555-8959 © 2018 Washington Gardener All rights reserved. Published quarterly.

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 uncredited photos in this issue are © Kathy Jentz.

KNOWitall

Ask the Expert

by Debra Ricigliano

Baking Potting Mix

I read you can bake potting mix to sterilize it for starting seedlings by spreading it in a shallow tray and setting the oven at 200 F for at least 30 minutes.

Can that be done in a microwave?

Would the microwave be better for not making the soil hydrophobic? If so, how long and at what setting?

We don’t recommend this practice for potting mixes because there is no guarantee that it kills disease-causing organisms. The microorganisms that live on the organic ingredients (peat moss, coir, compost, etc.) are mostly benign or beneficial. The pathogens that cause seedlings to flop over and die are collectively known as “water molds.” They multiply rapidly and infect plant stems when potting mixes are over-watered.

Allow the top of the potting mix to dry out a bit between watering to prevent this problem. It’s best not to re-use potting mixes for growing seedlings.

Instead, add it to outdoor container gardens or garden soil.

Broccoli Growing Tips

Do you have any tips or recommendations for growing broccoli in the springtime in our region? I have failed three times so far, but want to try it again.

You do not mention what problems you encountered with your spring-planted broccoli. Did the plants not produce heads or did they bolt? Were caterpillars a problem? Fluctuating weather conditions can quickly derail hopes for a big spring broccoli crop.

This year, plan to purchase healthy transplants from a local greenhouse or garden center and plant them 18 in. to 24 in. apart in mid-April (people often plant too early in the spring).

Add compost to the area before planting and fertilize one month after planting. Cover the plants with floating row cover material to exclude caterpillars, beetles, and bunnies. You may be surprised to know that many vegetable growers in our region have better luck with fall broccoli.

Japanese Maple Foliage Our Japanese maple trees have not yet dropped all their leaves, which is unusual for them. We are curious about why this has happened and whether the trees will be okay in the spring?

This is most likely weather-related and was noticed by many homeowners in the area. Other woody deciduous plants also either dropped their leaves very late or did not drop them at all.

Temperatures this past fall stayed warmer than normal later into the season and then suddenly dipped. The warmer temperatures interfered with abscission, which is part of the leaf shedding process. The brown leaves should drop off on their own when new leaves start growing. Unless your tree has other issues, it should start growing normally next spring.

Attracting Wildlife

I have a fairly small yard, but I would like to make it more attractive to birds and other wildlife. What can I do this spring to have a more natural yard?

Basic elements for a wildlife-friendly yard include food, water, and shelter.

Provide food by planting native plants that produce berries, seeds, and fruit.

Plant ornamental beds with a mix of

perennials, vines like native honeysuckle, and herbs. This will reduce the lawn area and provide nectar and pollen for an array of pollinators, including butterflies and hummingbirds, and attract natural enemies (beneficial insects).

Also, include evergreens in your landscape plan. They provide year-round shelter from predators and nesting places for the breeding season.

A water source is important. It can be as simple as a birdbath or a shallow container of water placed on the ground in the shade. However, change the water on a regular basis to reduce mosquito breeding sites.

Taking these steps will make your yard more attractive to you and to the nature that surrounds you. o Debra Ricigliano is a Certified Professional Horticulturist. She has worked as a horticulture consultant for the University of Maryland Extension Home and Garden Information Center since 1997.

Debra enjoys gardening at her home in Highland, MD. She is a graduate of the Institute of Applied Agriculture at UMCP and a talented, all-around horticulturist. To ask a gardening or pest question, go to http:// www.extension.umd.edu/hgic and click on “Ask Maryland’s Garden Experts.” You can also attach a digital photo.

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BOOKreviews

The Beginner’s Guide to Starting a Garden: 326 Fast, Easy, Affordable Ways to Transform Your Yard One Project at a Time

By Sally Roth Publisher: Timber Press List Price: $19.95 Reviewer: Kelly Zheng As a true beginner to gardening, I found part of Sally Roth’s title to be a bit misleading. She does provide 326 fast, easy, and affordable ways to transform a yard, though.

Even without any background, the simplifications she talks about were easy to follow. I think this guide would have been more useful if I had read another one first on starting a garden.

Roth’s book is sectioned into manageable contents. They were not overwhelming, since there was a substantial amount of material to grasp. I broke down the 25 tabs into four larger groups.

The first group was similar to a preface that discussed the basics on how to get started. I enjoyed learning about the author’s background as she tells us her niche. She also conveys her desire to share her knowledge. I appreciated that she used her husband’s parents as a real-life example for the book.

She goes into detail on transforming the garden. She also uses photo to show the differences. Those were helpful, since I am a visual learner. I liked seeing the transformations which allowed me to understand what was happening.

The next group was the bulk of the guide—projects for the yard. There were 6

WASHINGTON GARDENER FEBRUARY 2018

12 easy, small gardens that she touches on. The first six are the lamppost to corners to the lawn, while the other six deal with topics from extending edges to dealing with eyesores.

I had never put much thought into the crooks and crannies of a garden.

Roth implies that anywhere in the yard can be a garden and her projects show just that. Additionally, it only takes a little investment to start.

“Fast, easy, and affordable” is truly at the heart of this book. Her gardening secrets are a great example. I am quite a frugal person, so it made me feel even better about what I could do for less. This guide also shows that nature can be simple. It takes dedication and patience, but the results are worth it.

My third group is for the photos. As a visual learner, photos are extremely important, especially in a guide. The photos were appealing and realistic.

There were a variety of shots and subjects. Nature photos can sometimes be hard to capture, since they are still lifes. She did not try to hide something that was less attractive. Transformation needs that “ugly” to show the “pretty” after.

Using different angles makes flowers, grass, and trees interesting. I also liked the captions. Those are helpful notices that tell another story of their own. I felt as if I was having a conversation with the author because they kept me engaged. Some illustrations act as “blueprints” to show placement of each item.

Aside from the photos, I liked the language she uses throughout the book.

It is straight forward. The discussion is ongoing and gives a sentimental touch to a “how-to” guide.

Nor was each paragraph a dense read, either. This is helpful because the guide is 253 pages long, excluding the resources, further readings, and index. I think people will appreciate the resources, since they include addresses and phone numbers for where you can find plants, along with catalogs.

Overall, Sally Roth’s guide met my expectations on the basics of good design and how to avoid the most-common planting mistakes. She elevates the definition of doing it yourself. This book shows that you do not have to be

an expert gardener to know what you are doing.

Kelly Zheng is a junior multiplatform journalism major, with a minor in technology entrepreneurship, at the University of Maryland, College Park. This spring semester, she is an editorial intern at Washington Gardener.

Garden City: Supergreen Buildings, Urban Skyscapes, and the New Planted Space

By Anna Yudina Publisher: Thames & Hudson List Price: $60.00 Reviewer: Allison O’Reilly Anna Yudina’s Garden City showcases a variety of existing buildings in their green glory, as well as innovative designs that could change the bleak nature of some of the world’s grayest cities. This coffee-table book explores the world of landscape architecture and the ways in which it can make major cities better through photos, diagrams, and brief explanations of integrating plants into different buildings.

Landscape architecture serves practical and aesthetic purposes, according to the book. Integrating vegetation into a building’s design often has environmental benefits such as reducing air pollution or eliminating a need for air conditioning.

“The garden city is a unique organism in which the natural and the manmade, construction and cultivation, the ‘bio’ and the ‘digital’ form one living and breathing whole,” Yudina explains in the introduction. The green features of each building vary from strategically

BOOKreviews placed garden beds, to trees growing from the roof, to plants sprouting from the walls thanks to a layer of soil under the building materials.

Garden City is split into five sections: Fusion, Expansion, Coexistence, Performance, and Fusion 2.0. Each section begins with an introduction that explains, in simple terms, the complexities of the green buildings. Most of the structures in this book are domiciles, but there are many exceptions, like office buildings or outdoor recreation centers. The majority are international structures, with exceptions like the High Line in New York and some plans for future projects.

This book is easy to read and understand. The concept is intriguing and the content is simple and not overly explanatory. The photos and building plans are beautiful and hard to look away from. The buildings’ innovative designs are prominent—features like external stairways and intricately layered terraces make them stand out from a sea of standard, rectangular high-rises. The plants, of course, add pops of color to big, gray cities and make the spaces look personalized.

Overall, this book is a great, relaxing read. It’s not the sort of book you’d want to sit down and read for hours, but instead, will flip through to learn some fast facts and look at the future of urban design. Garden City is a surface-level guide to eco-friendly architecture. It’s a good starting point for those who want to learn about the ways in which gardening can have a big impact on the environment.

Allison O’Reilly is originally from WinstonSalem, NC, and is a sophomore majoring in journalism as well as government and politics at the University of Maryland, College Park. This spring semester, she is an editorial intern at Washington Gardener.

Rosalind Creasy’s Recipes From the Garden

By Rosalind Creasy Publisher: Tuttle Publishing List Price: $15.95 Reviewer: Erica H. Smith Rosalind Creasy, author of The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping, is a founding member of the movement that brought vegetable

gardens into the front yard and edible plants into ornamental beds. She has been writing about edible landscaping since the 1980s. This cookbook, Recipes from the Garden, was originally published in 2008 and has been reissued in a paperback edition. It’s as timely as it ever was.

In the book’s introduction, Creasy talks about her history as gardener and cook, and remembers the days when cookbook authors were obliged to limit recipes to ingredients the average person could find in a local grocery store. When Creasy began writing, this rule was just beginning to be broken, and we saw an era of cookbooks full of Meyer lemons and Himalayan salt, along with other food products then difficult to find except in large cities.

Creasy also incorporates nonstandard ingredients, but in a different way: She urges us to start with the garden and grow the vegetables, fruits, and herbs ourselves, then bring them into the kitchen.

If you’re not a food gardener, or you only have room for a few tomato plants for fresh eating, you’ll still be able to prepare most of the recipes in this book just by shopping in supermarkets (including some that sell international produce). Others, you will just have to look at longingly, unless you can score squash blossoms, fresh pea shoots, or nasturtiums at a farmer’s market. The photos are all deliciously tempting, and there’s one of LavenderTinted Vichyssoise that really grabs the

eye—an amazing color! It’s not made with lavender, however, but with purplefleshed potatoes, and Creasy notes that you must use the deep-purple kind, because the paler sorts turn an unappetizing gray color when cooked.

(And yes, I’ve made mashed potatoes out of pale-blue spuds, and… well, they still tasted fine.) To be certain of getting the right potatoes, you pretty much have to grow them yourself.

But, for the most part, you don’t need a big or varied garden to make these recipes from a combination of home-grown and purchased ingredients. The dishes all look amazing: some traditional, some innovative. (I really want to make the Bell Pepper Ribbon Cheesecake, which is a savory dish involving no sugar, lots of cream cheese, and a crust of tortilla chips, pine nuts, and chili powder.) Lots of herb blends, salad dressings, pestos, and the like are described in the early pages, followed by salads, soups, starters, side and main dishes, drinks from the garden, and a few desserts. Many recipes are vegetarian; others include meat. There’s an index by produce ingredient at the end, to make finding recipes easier.

I think what is most appealing about these recipes is the color palette, and that’s what you get when you start with garden produce: spectacular salads, vivid bright soups, a Golden Tomato Tart or Technicolor Nachos. They promise to be pretty tasty, too.

There’s no gardening advice or instruction in this book; you’ll have to get Creasy’s other publications for that.

You will, however, find a lot of inspiration for what to grow—just try to limit yourself to what you actually have room for in your garden! o Erica H. Smith is a Montgomery County Master Gardener whose volunteer activities include the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden in Derwood, MD, the Grow It Eat It program, and speaking engagements on food growing topics. She is the author of several novels; visit her website at ericahsmith.wordpress.com.

Got a gardening question you need answered? Send your questions to washingtongardener@rcn.com and use the subject line “Q&A.” FEBRUARY 2018

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TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Events ~ February 16—March 15, 2018 • Now through October 15 Wall Flowers: Botanical Murals Stop and take a look at the murals covering our city walls and you’ll notice plants are often featured. Plants in murals communicate the aesthetic, ecological, and historic importance of plants in the urban environment. This exhibit at the U.S. Botanic Garden features large-scale art by local artists who specialize in public murals that beautify our cities. Their murals depict plants using bold colors and monumental scale. The exhibit fosters creative conversations about botanical art and new ways to communicate the important roles plants play in our lives.

• Wednesday, February 21, 7:30pm Edible Architecture: Espalier & Trellis Design Talk The Takoma Hort Club invites you to a talk on growing a yard where trees are dripping with fresh fruits, shrubs are bejeweled with delicious berries, gourmet mushrooms sprout in the shade, and hardy kiwis fruit over an arbor. Join author and edible landscape designer Michael Judd in an exploration of combining form, function, and production in your landscape. Held at Historic Takoma, Inc., 7328 Carroll Ave., Takoma Park, MD. Bring a snack to share and wear a recycled name tag. This event is free and open to the public.

• Friday, February 23, 8am–4pm Green Matters: Restoring & Renewing Our Urban Landscapes This symposium helps shift the focus beyond sustainability strategies geared toward slowing environmental degradation by emphasizing solutions that heal damaged urban landscapes. Learn from experts about regenerative landscape design and gardening practices that help restore our ecosystems on both small and large scales. Presentations will also explore how to adapt strategies for climate resiliency aimed at preparing landscapes to absorb stresses and maintain functionality in the face of future climate change impacts. Held at Silver Spring Civic Building, 1 Veterans Place, Silver Spring, MD. Register at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org.

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WASHINGTON GARDENER FEBRUARY 2018

• Saturday, February 24, 9am–4pm The Maryland Horticultural Society and the Perennial Plant Association present their winter seminar: Perennially Inspired, a day-long program with horticultural experts discussing perennials.

This event will be held in Baltimore, MD. See https://mdhorticulture.org.

• Saturday, February 24, 11am–1pm Lecture: The Assassin’s Plot and the Physician’s Garden Treat yourself to a good murder mystery on a cold winter day. In this chilling tale, we will focus on the crime’s co-conspirators—plants. Medical artist Jeffrey Day, MD, of the National Library of Medicine will give common biochemical mechanisms and fun backyard examples of herbs that harm humans. Prefer your plants a bit less pathological? We’ll also explore medicinal garden denizens and how they heal. We’ll draw examples from popular fiction so you can discover your favorite author’s science savvy—or get an idea for a new book to read. Fee: $10 ($8 FONA) Registration required.

Held at the U.S. National Arboretum.

• Saturday, February 24, 9am–4pm 18th annual Montgomery County Master Gardener Spring Conference The day-long event in Derwood, MD, features multiple workshops, morning snacks, a delicious bag lunch, door prizes, networking with other gardeners, answers to gardening questions, handouts, and reference materials.

Participants can attend three of nine concurrent workshops, all taught by Master Gardeners and staff from the University of Maryland and UMD Extension. This year’s focus is “Garden Solutions for Our Changing Environment.”

Presentation topics include gardening in a changing climate, building healthy soils, garden bugs, living fences, vegetable and herb gardens, pruning, weed control, and much more. For more details and registration information, go to: http://goo.gl/i4nalm.

• Saturday, February 24 and Sundays, February 25, 11am–3pm Tool Sharpening at Behnke’s One tool for $3; two tools for $5, cash

only. Proceeds go to Emmanu-el United Methodist Foodbank. First come, first served. No more than two tools. No saws or mower blades. Held at Behnke Nurseries, 11300 Baltimore Ave Beltsville MD. • Monday, February 26, 8pm Tomato Growing Tips Talk The Silver Spring Garden Club invites you to a talk on tomatoes by Elizabeth Olson. The concept of growing the perfect tomato presents a challenge for any gardener. What is the standard of excellence—and what can be done to achieve it? Held at Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton, MD. The club meeting is FREE and open to the public.

• Tuesday, February 27, 7:30pm Dogbanes and Milkweeds Talk The Dogbane family (Apocynaceae) is the Maryland Native Plant Society’s plant focus for 2018. This family now includes not only the familiar Indian Hemp (Apocynum cannibinum), but also the milkweeds, whose flower structure is quite similar. Botanist Chris Puttock will present an overview of this fascinating and ecologically important family of plants. Held at the Kensington Library, 4201 Knowles Ave., Kensington, MD. The program is free and open to the public. Registration is not required. See: https://www.mdflora.org/.

• Wednesday, February 28. 7:30pm Members Share Night The Beltsville Garden Club will meet at the Duckworth School, 11201 Evans Trail, Beltsville, MD. The night features an African safari slide show that showcases both flora and fauna by a couple of club members, and member Anne Hardmann will share a brief talk on plant identification, based on her work at Brookside Gardens. The public is welcome and admission is free.

• Saturday, March 3, 10am–12n (repeated on March 9, 10, 23, and 31) Hands-on Workshop: Orchid 101: How to Get Your Orchid to Rebloom This hands-on workshop will teach you all the basics of orchid culture, includ-

TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Events ~ February 16—March 15, 2018 ing providing the proper light, water, temperature, fertilizer, and potting media. Techniques that encourage plants to rebloom will be particularly emphasized. Fee: $30, $25 Hillwood member. Held at Hillwood, 4155 Linnean Ave., NW, Washington, DC. See www.HillwoodMuseum.org.

• Sunday, March 3, 1:30pm Green Spring Gardens Winter Lecture Series: Evergreen Azaleas No southern garden would be complete without a beautiful azalea. Azalea expert Don Hyatt discusses the diversity of Asian evergreen azaleas, including old favorites, newer introductions, and recent trends in hybridizing. You are sure to find a beauty to add to your collection. Cost: $10.00. Held at 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria, VA. Register at https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ parks/green-spring/events.

• Friday, March 9, 12n–1pm Regionally Adapted Plants for MidAtlantic Gardens Kathy Jentz, Editor/Publisher of Washington Gardener Magazine, discusses native plants and explores those triedand-true plants that can take clay soil, deer, and/or periods of drought. Season by season, she’ll share her favorite plants that excel in local gardens. Held at the U.S. Botanic Garden’s Conservatory Classroom. It is free; however, preregistration is required, at www.USBG. gov/Programs.

• Saturday, March 10, 10:30am Spring Blossoms Tea & Garden Tour Enjoy the first days of spring in the heights of Georgetown. Start with a guided tour of the Tudor Place historic garden. Learn about the evolution of the 5½-acre estate through its open spaces, hidden beauties, and springtime blooms. After the tour, enjoy a delicious traditional tea, featuring tea sandwiches, scones, pastries, and historic tea blends. The outdoor portion of this event will take place rain or shine.

Dress for the weather. Fee for Tudor Place member: $40 and nonmember: $45. Register at tudorplace.org.

• March 15–25 The Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital (DCEFF) The DCEFF has announced the main slate of films for the 26th annual festival. DCEFF 2018 runs in venues across Washington, DC, and in the suburbs of Maryland. Films of particular interest to gardeners include: Backyard Wilderness, Evolution of Organic Megastructures: Gardens by the Bay, and Plantae.

Tickets for this year’s festival will be available to the public on Wednesday, February 28. See the full schedule at https://dceff.org.

Save These Future Dates • Saturday, March 24, 9am–3pm Garden Party & Spring Fundraiser Community Forklift’s annual Garden Party is a fun-filled event offering up a ton of landscaping and garden supplies, host gardening demonstrations, local experts and vendors, local bands, and a local food truck. See full details at http://communityforklift.org/newsevents/calendar/.

• Tuesday, April 3, 6:30–8pm Pansy Boy with Busboys and Poets Books Artist and writer Paul Harfleet will introduce and read from his first book, Pansy Boy, a picture book he wrote and illustrated. The artist has created various incarnations of The Pansy Project from clothing and jewelry to an award-winning garden design at the largest flower show in the world, the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, where he won a Gold Medal and Best Conceptual Garden award with his designer brother Tom Harfleet. Held at Busboys and Poets in the Takoma neighborhood of Washington, DC. • Thursday, April 5, 6:30–8pm Garden Book Club For our spring 2018 Garden Book Club selection, we will be reading: A Southern Garden by Elizabeth Lawrence. We will meet at Soupergirl, located right next to the Takoma Metro stop. RSVP to washingtongardener@rcn.com or on the event page (https://www.facebook.

com/events/1482626398526968/).

The Washington Gardener Garden Book Club is free and open to all.

• Saturday, April 14, 2–7pm and Sunday, April 15, 9am–1:30pm 68th Annual Daffodil Show The Washington Daffodil Society is holding its annual daffodil show at the Alexandria Scottish Rite Temple, 1430 West Braddock Road, Alexandria, VA. The show features different forms and colors of this spring flower, including the popular trumpet and large-cupped daffodils, along with lesser-known small-cup, double, split-cup, and miniature daffodils. In addition to exhibits of daffodils, the show includes a design category and a multi-category photography contest, with photographs to feature daffodils. For more information, see the WDS website at http://thewashingtondaffodilsociety.org/.

• Sunday, May 6, 1–5pm Potomac Rose Society Presents: 3rd Annual Mid-Atlantic Symposium on Disease-Resistant Roses The event features Paul Zimmerman, internationally recognized rose expert and author of Everyday Roses. Learn how to establish and maintain healthy garden roses without the use of synthetic chemicals as well as which roses perform well locally in challenging conditions such as low light, poor drainage, tight spaces, etc. Participate in a guided tour of the Brookside rose garden. Held at Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton, MD. The symposium is free and open to the public.

Still More Event Listings

See even more 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, contact kathyjentz@gmail.com — put “Event” in the subject line. Our next deadline is March 10 for the March 2018 issue, for events taking place March 16–April 15. o FEBRUARY 2018

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TIPStricks

Arlington Cemetery’s

Champion Dwarf Hackberry

There are several Virginia champion and co-champion trees in Section 8 of Arlington National Cemetery (ANC). On January 23, 2018, a new co-champion tree was named there—a Dwarf Hackberry (Celtis tenuifolia).

The tree is estimated to be between 130 and 150 years old. Some other champion trees at ANC are State Champion Royal Paulownia, State Champion Yellowwood, State Co-champion Sawtooth Oak, and State Co-champion Pin Oak. To qualify as a champion or co-champion, the tree has to rank highest with regard to height, crown spread, and trunk circumference. The Virginia Big Tree Program, managed by Virginia Tech, determined that the Hackberry at ANC has added trunk growth to its original 15 inches since 1960.

“We’re proud to be the home of five Virginia champion and co-champion trees here at ANC,” said ANC Urban Forester Greg Huse. “It was amazing to find that in 57 years, the tree had only added 6 inches of diameter growth, a true testament to its designation as a dwarf tree species.”

The tree is a not a common species, but it is native to the Virginia area.

Three Dwarf Hackberry trees have been confirmed at the cemetery.

The Dwarf Hackberry is a small tree or shrub in the Elm family that typically grows 3 to 12 feet in height, but can grow up to 30 feet or higher. The Dwarf Hackberry has distinct features compared to the common Hackberry.

Some distinctive features are its shape, leaves, and fruits. The Dwarf Hackberry’s crown has a very dense and twisty form to the branches. It has stiff twigs and smooth, gray bark that becomes rigid and knotted as it ages.

The leaves are also much smaller than the common Hackberry.

The fruits have a yellow/orange-brown color and are sweet compared to the Hackberry’s darker, unpleasant, bitter fruit.

For more about important trees and horticulture programs, visit the ANC online at: www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/ Explore/Memorial-Arboretum-andHorticulture/Trees. o 10

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New Guide to Selecting Local Native Plants

Plant NOVA Natives is a social media campaign, funded initially with federal money from NOAA through Virginia’s Coastal Zone Management Agency, to encourage the public to use native plants to improve habitat.

Volunteers from the Virginia Native Plant Society, Audubon, Master Gardeners, Master Naturalists, and others produced a guide to locally native plants in the four counties of Northern Virginia, along with a rich array of online resources about how and why to use them, and where to learn more.

While the guide showcases the attractive variety of plants native to Northern Virginia’s varied geography, it also offers a palette of plants appropriate to the rest of the Mid-Atlantic region.

Plant NOVA Natives’ focus is to help gardeners do the right thing, the right way. Planting native plants is simple, inexpensive, and available to everyone.

Planted in the right place, native plants need less watering, pruning, and extra care than many imported ornamental plants. Native plants support butterflies, birds, and pollinators, as well as healthy water.

“People always tell me they are frustrated, because they do not know what is native and what is not,” said master gardener Joanne Hutton.

It tells gardeners how to get started, along with different featured natives.

These include perennials, ferns, grasses, sedges, vines, shrubs, and trees.

There are over 300 species in the index of Northern Virginia native plants.

Plants are organized by botanical category in Latin-name order. A quick reference to height patterns, light, moisture, and soil requirements is also there.

Lastly, the guide discusses invasive plants of particular concern. These are not native plants, so they are likely to cause environmental harm.

Native plants can be bought by local native-only sellers all year round or at special annual sale events. Other nurseries and garden centers with different plants include natives in their inventories, too.

For more about native plants, visit Plant NOVA at: www.plantnovanatives. org/home.html. o

6 Great Sweet Peppers

Six great sweet peppers are easy to grow, vigorous, and largely disease- and pest-resistant, according to Barbara Melera at Harvesting History (www.harvesting-history.com).

These are beautiful plants with unforgettable flavors and amazing fruits.

Sweet and hot peppers are indigenous to Central and South America. They have been cultivated since prehistoric times.

• ‘Chervena Chujski’ Most people believe this to be a hot pepper when they first see it. This remarkable Bulgarian heirloom is 7- to 9 inches long and cone-shaped. These striking red peppers are extraordinarily sweet. After roasting, they turn into “pure candy.”

• ‘California Wonder’ This is probably the most-popular green bell pepper grown today. The plants produce large, green, sweet peppers.

• ‘Red Cherry’ Sweet Pepper These are some of the oldest peppers still in cultivation and been grown in the U.S. since before 1860. The 1-inch, flattened, round, incredibly sweet fruit is borne on very productive plants.

• ‘Cubanelle’ Sweet Pepper ‘Cubanelle’ is a beloved Italian heirloom, a beautiful, plump, 6- to 8-inch red pepper that is deliciously sweet. It holds its texture well when fried.

• ‘Hungarian Sweet Wax’ Pepper Also known as the ‘Sweet Banana’ pepper, this is considered by many to be the most-reliable of all sweet peppers.

It is one of the most-popular peppers grown today and deserves its popularity.

The fruit is very sweet and flavorful. The plant produces an early abundance of fruit.

• ‘Pimiento’ Sweet Pepper The ‘Pimiento’ should be on your list if you like to try new things. It is highly underrated and one of the best sweet peppers grown today. It is beautiful, red, and heart-shaped. The 5-inch fruits have incredibly thick walls with incredibly sweet flesh. o Tips column compiled by Kelly Zheng. She is a junior multiplatform journalism major, with a minor in technology entrepreneurship, at the University of Maryland, College Park.

This spring semester, she is an editorial intern at Washington Gardener.

GARDENnews

Quick Links to Washington Gardener Blog Posts • DIY: Seed Packets Made from Garden Catalogs • New Intern Introductions • Seed Exchange Speaker Highlights See more Washington Gardener blog posts at: WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com o

February-March Garden To-do List

New Plant Spotlight

Tomato ‘Midnight Snack’ Scientific Name: Solanum lycopersicum A unique cherry tomato that ripens red with an overlay of glossy black-purple on the skin when exposed to sunlight due to the accumulation of anthocyanin pigment. Sure to capture attention in your garden and at the table. Productive all season, yielding fruit that is wellbalanced and flavorful. Great in salads or eaten straight off the plant, ‘Midnight Snack’ is a guilt-free treat any time of the day or night.

Care Tips: Height can be controlled by withholding fertilizer. Best in-ground, grown with support.

Spacing: 18–36" (46–91cm) Height: 60–72" (152–183cm) Width: 36–48" (91–122cm) Exposure: Full Sun Days to maturity from transplant: 65-70 Fruit characteristics: Round, medium, red with black overlay, 1.5 in./4 cm Growth: Indeterminate This tomato is an All-America Selections Winner and introduced by PanAmerican Seed. o Tomato photos courtesy of All-America Selections.

• Cut some branches (Forsythia, Quince, Bittersweet, Redbud, Willow, etc.) for forcing indoors.

• Put suet out for birds.

• Keep birdfeeders filled and provide a source of water.

• Check outside plants and trees for animal (deer) damage.

• Mist indoor plants and set up pebble trays to increase humidity.

• Rejuvenate Holly bushes and Boxwood with a hard pruning.

• Plan landscape design projects.

• Check evergreens for signs of desiccation.

• Start seeds of cool-season vegetables and flowers.

• Keep ice-melting chemicals away from garden beds. Use coarse sand instead.

• Prune any dead or diseased wood off trees and shrubs.

• Fertilize trees, shrubs, and evergreens.

• Prune roses.

• Begin tilling beds (when the earth is dry enough to work, but not muddy) and work in compost.

• Plant or transplant trees or shrubs, including berries, roses, and evergreens.

• Apply pre-emergent weed control such as corn gluten.

• Protect tender plants by covering them with some type of cloth material, if an unusually cold day or night is forecast. Be sure to uncover when it warms up.

• Weed.

• Trim ornamental grasses such as Liriope, Mondo, and Pampas.

• Divide overgrown or crowded perennials such as Daylily and Shasta Daisy.

• Scan houseplants for insect activity.

• Dust your house plants with a slightly damp cloth.

• Clear perennial beds of any dead plant parts and debris.

• Clean and organize the garden shed.

• Clean, sharpen, and oil tools, if not already done last fall.

• Walk your yard to check plants and bulbs for heaving and place them back into the ground. Cover with more mulch to prevent further heaving.

• Apply dormant oil spray to ornamentals and fruit trees before dormancy breaks.

• Check and tune up power equipment (mowers and trimmers).

• Build garden furniture.

• Spread new gravel on paths.

• Mulch bare areas.

• Design new beds and gardens.

• Pick up new gardening books and magazines for inspiration.

• Start seedlings indoors under grow lights. Some good choices to start early are Peppers, Artichokes, Onions, Beets, Turnips, Cabbage, Kale, and Leeks.

• Put up trellises and teepees for peas and beans to climb on.

• Direct-sow early, cool-season crops as soon as ground soil can be worked.

Good choices are Peas, Lettuces, Mustards, Onion sets, Kale, and Cabbages.

• Start or turn your compost pile.

• Do an annual soil test and amend soils as recommended.

• Check for snow damage. Gently brush off snow weight, if you must, but it’s better to let snow melt off on its own. o FEBRUARY 2018

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CHEFgardens

Up Top with Urbana’s Ethan McKee

By Ana Hurler At Urbana, executive chef Ethan McKee and his team bring urban gardening to a new level: the rooftop.

From his restaurant’s location adjacent to the Kimpton Hotel Palomar near Dupont Circle in the heart of Washington, DC, McKee has been gardening on the hotel’s expansive rooftop for about four years. What started with seven 4 by 4 foot boxes has now grown to almost 60, planted with a variety of rotating produce and herbs.

“There’s anywhere from 30 to 40 different ingredients on the roof that we start off with,” McKee said. “In the springtime, we’re doing lots of leafy stuff: mixed lettuces, kale, Swiss chard, rapini. Some of those items we’re actually able to carry throughout the year, but we transfer in the summertime to more of the fruiting plants: tomatoes, eggplants, peppers.”

The rooftop harvests drive how the restaurant’s seasonal menu is created, with the addition of other locally sourced produce.

“What we’re doing here is our interpretation of northern Italian, Piedmonttype cuisine influenced by our region,” McKee said. “Taking things from what’s local and seasonal to us here in the Mid-Atlantic area and incorporating those ingredients.”

Planting the garden usually begins in late February, and everything is grown from seeds that are mostly organic and from sources also used by local farmers, McKee said. “We’re using the same produce that we would source from another local farmer, basically.”

Mckee said he also decided to use seeds because they’re more cost-effective.

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“You can buy for about $6 enough seeds for mixed greens for a whole summer for a restaurant,” he said.

At the beginning of the year, McKee plants a large amount of varieties so he can see what works well. Throughout the year, he will begin to streamline and only plant more of the most-successful varieties.

“Kind of homing in on which ingredients we get the most yield out of so we have the most cost impact, especially from a food cost standpoint,” McKee said. “Also just a quality standpoint, too, because all the produce that we’re pulling down from our garden is straight from the garden; it hasn’t traveled, it hasn’t done anything, so it has longer shelf life.”

At the beginning, McKee said he was very excited to try growing many interesting varieties of plants, such as heirloom tomatoes, but found out their yield would only be enough to supply the restaurant for a week.

“It’s like, okay, that was cool, but not really efficient for what we’re doing, because we can get the same quality heirloom tomatoes from one of our local farmers who actually has a farm large enough to supply throughout the season.”

After some experimenting, McKee learned that herbs and leafy greens are the most efficient. Last year, they grew around 500 pounds of basil to supply the entire season, he said.

“That’s really the goal: focusing on a few specific ingredients,” he added.

As the garden has evolved and McKee learns which plants are the most efficient, he has also had to learn how to maintain a garden of this size.

“Now we’re learning more of traditional farming practice, if you will, as far

as succession planting, so we can supply ingredients for our needs throughout the entire season without having to supplement with other vendors,” he said. “Now we’ve gotten it to a certain size where we can rotate crops.”

The garden’s increased size also means it needs increased maintenance.

In the summer, the garden is watered for an hour in the morning and at night.

It also must be weeded and re-seeded.

“It’s now like a real earth up there, so there’s just some random stuff growing now,” he said. “Not just weeds, but also plants that we planted the year before come up in other boxes across on the other side of the garden. You get all kinds of little fun surprises of stuff that just comes up.”

All of the garden’s 4 by 4 foot boxes are 1 foot deep and made with Cedar so they last through bad weather and repel bugs, McKee said. Each is lined with landscape fabric and filled with McKee’s dirt recipe: “a mixture of different composts—mushroom composts, leaf composts, we use lobster compost in some of them, top soil, vermiculites to lighten it a bit—being up on the roof, we try not to cave the hotel in.”

McKee said he’s always been into gardening. While he was growing up in Texas, his grandmother showed him how to grow prize-wining vegetables she would take to the county fair.

“To me, it just makes so much sense to do,” he said. “I decided that if we’re going to do it, though, we need to do it for real. And doing things in buckets is not really going to work for a restaurant.”

While McKee’s rooftop garden cannot supply all of the hundreds of pounds of produce needed for the restaurant, it does provide a special chef experience for diners looking to taste the freshest produce through Cicchetti at Urbana.

The exclusive experience is open to only 10 guests every Saturday evening at 6pm and 8:30pm for $65 per person.

Patrons get a front-row seat as McKee prepares a continuously changing eightcourse tasting menu, with nearly 100% of the produce from the rooftop. o Ana Hurler is a senior multi-platform journalism major at the University of Maryland, College Park. She was an intern with Washington Gardener during summer 2017.

ly On 20 t! as tf Ac t! ef sl ot sp FEB. 23, 2018 | 8:30am - 4:00pm Join Brookside Gardens and industry leaders as they share innovative strategies to design our landscapes in ways that prevent harm to existing ecosystems and regenerate the environment.

SEMINAR TOPICS Biophilic Urbanism – A New Approach for Creating Sustainable Environments Dr. Timothy Beatley, Teresa Heinz Professor of Sustainable Communities, University of Virginia Creating Healthy Soils Through Regenerative Gardening Practices Jeff Lowenfells, award winning author and columnist Habitat Matters: Restoring Ecosystem Functionality & Biodiversity Heather Holm, horticulturist, biologist, writer and landscape designer Lessons In Landscape Design: Integrating Natural Systems into the Built Environment Kate Hayes, Associate, SCAPE Landscape Architecture DPC, a firm specializing in ecological landscapes

REGISTER ONLINE ActiveMONTGOMERY.org (Course #40522) or call 301-962-1451 EARLY BIRD FEE: $85 p/person until January 12, 2018 STANDARD FEE: $99 p/person begins January 13, 2018 Registration includes continental breakfast & boxed lunch.

BrooksideGreen.org | 301-962-1451 Silver Spring Civic Building 1 Veterans Place | Silver Spring, MD 20910

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NEIGHBORnwork

Green Spring’s Nicole Conners

By Allison O’Reilly

barrier island in Brunswick County. I had so many cool experiences with my internship that it ignited my own passion for plants and their properties, benefits, and beauty.

Q: How did you come to be the Green Spring Gardens’ site manager?

A: I am new to the Fairfax County Park Authority and was lucky enough to be selected in June 2017 as the site manager to replace Mary Olien—and I mean lucky. I absolutely love being at Green Spring and need to thank my cousin for forwarding along the position announcement! I like to think that everything I’ve accomplished thus far in my career led me to Green Spring Gardens. The position perfectly aligns with all my talents, skills, and passions!

Nicole Conners obtained her position as site manager of Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA, in the summer of 2017. She received both her bachelor of science in environmental studies and master of public administration in management and leadership at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Conners has always been a nature enthusiast and it was a no-brainer to pursue horticulture as a career. She has experience in environmental educating and working with Master Gardeners and public gardens. She is married with two children.

We recently caught up with her in the Green Spring Gardens’ glasshouse on a rainy winter day during the Washington Gardener Seed Exchange.

Q: Tell us a little about you and your background.

A: I am native to Fairfax County and a proud Herndonite; my family has always been here. I am actually the fifth generation to the Town of Herndon, VA. I like to think of Herndon as the biggest small town there is. My family is large and very loving, but I was teased by my siblings for being a tree hugger way before it was considered cool.

The outdoors has always called my name and for as long as I can remember, my favorite color has been green.

My love of the outdoors led me down south for college.

I was first exposed to horticulture at the New Hanover County Arboretum 14

WASHINGTON GARDENER FEBRUARY 2018

during an internship, while earning my undergraduate degree at UNC-Wilmington. I was immediately hooked and will forever remember my first mentor, the late David Nash. This is where my love of native plants first began.

David’s passion was to protect the coast, and he specialized in dune vegetation. I loved the work. I loved the propagation in the greenhouse of sea oats (Uniola paniculata) to revegetate the dunes. David adapted a floating system for growing tobacco to be used to quickly and safely grow dune plants—it was awesome. I loved sharing that work with schoolchildren on special field trips.

I totally enjoyed the days when we got to go into the field and plant; who wouldn’t love spending the day on the beach in the North Carolina sunshine? I conducted Geographic Information System (GIS) research for classes and validated that the farther north you went along barrier islands in North Carolina, the more seeds per spikelet sea oats would have.

David shared his passion well and he taught me so much. We would run transects of the dunes (don’t worry—we had special permits to be out there and we were always mindful of our surroundings) and David would teach me each and every plant. He would share their names and special characteristics, and factoids he knew. I remember the day we found the threatened seabeach amaranth (Amaranthus pumilus) on a

Q: What is a typical day at work like for you?

A: Every day is a little different, which is one thing I love about my position. I treasure my work with our talented staff and volunteers; they teach me so much.

I like that I get a mix of the outdoors and desk time (although I could always use more of both). My days fly by and I feel fulfilled.

Q: What is the best part of your job?

A: One of the best parts about my job is that I don’t feel like it is work. I have started my dream job and know it. I’ve always considered myself a lifelong learner and feel that I get to learn cool new things daily at Green Spring. My job has science, leadership, and the most wonderful people to share that with.

Q: What are some mistakes and triumphs you’ve faced in your career?

A: Oh, goodness, where to start? I have had my share of both. As far as mistakes, one project definitely stands out amongst the others. If you get to do projects over, this would be the one I want a mulligan on. The project was to create a small rain garden at a school and I wanted to involve the children as much as possible. I had the teacher and students conduct field tests to locate the rain garden area. We had several positive tests to confirm the area was suitable, but I didn’t think to remember all the construction fill that would have also been there. After construction, the area ended up holding

NEIGHBORnwork water too long for a rain garden. I have always been disappointed about the project results, but used it as a learning opportunity. Not only to better locate rain gardens, but for lessons in communications and public relations.

For triumphs, I feel grateful that I enjoy what I do, but I am most excited when staff has amazing successes and accomplishes remarkable tasks!

Q: What advice would you give to beginning gardeners in our area?

A: You have to be willing to try new and different things. Explore and experiment with different styles of gardening and different types of plants to discover your very own style. I love that about gardening—it is universal, but there is an individual aspect. Let your light shine.

Q: What kinds of interactions have you had with gardening enthusiasts you’ve encountered at Green Spring?

A: Green Spring Gardens attracts the best people. The best staff, the best volunteers, the best friend group, the best partners, and the very best visitors.

I love when people come to visit for horticulture resources in our reference library, to share in a gardening talk, to attend Spring Garden Day, to visit the Green Spring Master Gardeners Plant Clinic, and to buy the next plant for their collection from the Garden Gate Plant Shop. Gardeners are so excited to experience our demonstration gardens, glasshouse, ponds, and Beatrix Farrand landscape at the historic house. It is lovely and inspiring to see the sharing of knowledge and passion that goes on between gardeners at Green Spring.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

A: Please come and experience Green Spring Gardens, whether it will be your first or hundreth time. When you’re there, stop by my office and say hello, I look forward to meeting you! o Responses edited for length and clarity.

Allison O’Reilly is originally from WinstonSalem, NC, and is a sophomore majoring in journalism as well as government and politics at the University of Maryland, College Park. This spring semester, she is an editorial intern at Washington Gardener.

Reader Contest

For our February 2018 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away five pairs of passes to the Maryland Home & Garden Show (including Craft Show) at the Maryland State Fairgrounds (prize value: $24).

The Maryland Home and Garden Show (www.mdhomeandgarden.com/spring) is back at the Maryland State Fairgrounds for two weekends (Saturday and Sunday, March 3–4 and Friday, March 9–Sunday, March 11) with 400 contractors and experts to make it all possible. See a spectacular Train Garden created by the Baltimore Area American Flyer Club while colorful butterflies roam the exhibit. The Maryland Orchid Society will present a stunning flower show and sale with thousands of orchids on display. Visitors will be amazed at the many varieties of these spectacular flowers! Several Maryland wineries at the show will offer FREE tastings with bottles available for purchase.

To enter to win a pair of passes to Maryland Home & Garden Show, send an email to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5:00pm on February 28 with “Maryland Home & Garden Show” 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 mailing address. Winners will be announced on March 1.

Your Ad Here

Are you trying to reach thousands of gardeners in the greater DC region/MidAtlantic 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.

Y ou Can Make a Difference. . . by

Sharing Your Harvest

Plant an extra row in your garden and deliver the harvest to a local food bank or shelter. The need is great!

With your help, PAR can continue to make a difference for America’s most vulnerable.

Call our toll-free number (877.GWAA.PAR) or visit our website at www.gardenwriters.org/par for more information.

FEBRUARY 2018

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12th Annual Washington Gardener Magazine Photo Contest Winners

PHOTOcontt

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Garden Views Category

Beautiful, dramatic, or unusual perspectives of a garden landscape, including wide shots showing the setting.

First Place

Mike Whalen, Fairfax Station, VA “Field Day” Location: McKee-Beshers WMA, Potomac, MD Sunflower field right before sunset, looking into the western sky; July 18 at 8:40pm. Taken with Canon 80D camera with a Canon 18-135mm lens. ISO=800; 18mm; f/5.6; 1/30 sec, Mike is an amateur photographer with 12 years’ experience.

Second Place

Tom Stovall, Centreville, VA “Winter Tree” Location: Meadowlark Gardens, Vienna, VA Tom said, “I always try to get out to the gardens when we have had a snowfall.

I like to leave the first tracks! And one of my favorite trees to photograph yearround is this Weeping Cherry on the backside of Lake Caroline. Regardless of the time of year, it has always interested me, and this morning was just beautiful.” Taken using a Nikon D5 and Nikon 24-70 mm lens in natural light.

Third Place

Tom Stovall, Centreville, VA “Lake Caroline Reflections” Location: Meadowlark Gardens, Vienna, VA Taken using a Nikon D5 and Nikon 2470 mm lens in natural light. Tom is an advanced amateur photographer with 50 years of photography experience.

WASHINGTON GARDENER FEBRUARY 2018

PHOTOcontt

Groupings of plants in beds or containers, unusual color or texture combinations, garden focal points, and still scenes.

This is a new category this year.

First Place

Mar Acevedo, Springfield, VA “White and Pink Tropical Water Lily with Reflection“ Location: Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Washington, DC Taken using a Nikon D7100; lens -AF-S Nikkor 55 - 300mm 1:4.5 - 5.6 G. He is an amateur photographer with four years’ photography experience.

Second Place

Eva L. Lanyi, Alexandria, VA “Sunrise Lilypads” Location: Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Washington, DC Early morning at the Victoria amazonica pond. Taken using a Nikon D750; 24-120mm lens at 102 mm; ISO 50; f8; 1/20; taken just after sunrise in August 2017. Eva is an amateur photographer with five years’ experience.

Third Place

Caroline Turner, Garrett Park, MD “Still Life” Location: Ms. Turner’s home garden Watering can with Clematis growing on garden shed trellis. Taken using an IPhone 5 S with natural lighting. She is an amateur photographer with six years of photography experience.

FEBRUARY 2018

12th Annual Washington Gardener Magazine Photo Contest Winners

Garden Vignettes Category

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12th Annual Washington Gardener Magazine Photo Contest Winners

PHOTOcontt

18

Garden Creatures Category Images of insects, birds, frogs, domestic pets, wild animals, etc., in a private or public garden setting.

First Place

Lilian Cerdeira, Rockville, MD “Cabbage White Butterfly on Lantana” Location: Landscaped median at the intersection of Broadwood Drive and Grandin Avenue, in Rockville, MD Taken using a Canon EOS Rebel T3i, 55250 in natural light. She is a pro-amateur photographer with 30 years’ experience.

Second Place

Georgette Grossman, Dunn Loring, VA “Technicolor Spider” Location: Ms. Grossman’s home garden Basilica Orb Weaver Spider taken using a Fuji X-Pro2 with Touit 2.8/50 mm lens at f/9.0, 1/40 sec, ISO 1000; tripod in natural light. She is an amateur photographer with 12 years’ experience.

WASHINGTON GARDENER FEBRUARY 2018

Third Place

Tom Stovall, Centreville, VA “Hooded Merganser and Turtle” Location: Huntley Meadows, Alexandria, VA Tom said, “While walking along the trails at Huntley Meadows, I noticed this male Hooded Merganser on a log next to a Painted Turtle. I watched for a while and noticed this interesting, humorous expression. I called it ‘You talking to me!?’”

Taken using a Nikon D5 and Nikon 600 mm lens in natural light. Tom is an amateur photographer with 55 years’ experience.

PHOTOcontt

Tight close-up or macro image of a single flower, plant parts, leaves, fruits, etc.

First Place

Georgette Grossman, Dunn Loring, VA “Bee on Echinacea” Location: Ms. Grossman’s home garden Bee on Echinacea flower taken using a Fuji X-Pro2 with Nikon 105 mm with teleconverter lens at f/unrecorded, 1/500 sec, ISO 400 in natural light. She is an amateur photographer with 12 years’ experience.

Second Place

Ron Taylor, Fairfax Station, VA “Sunflower at Sundown” Location: McKee-Beshers WMA, Potomac, MD Taken using a Nikon D750, 24-120 mm lens, 1/125, f9, ISO 1800. He is an amateur photographer with five years’ experience.

Third Place

Mike Whalen, Fairfax Station, VA “Fly Away” Location: Mr. Whalen’s home garden A milkweed pod whose seeds are about to take to the sky; March 21 at 11:15 am. Taken with Sony A6300 camera with a Sony 90mm macro lens. ISO=200; 90mm; f/10; 0.6 sec; taken on a tripod. Mike is an amateur photographer with 12 years’ experience.

FEBRUARY 2018

12th Annual Washington Gardener Magazine Photo Contest Winners

Small Wonders Category

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12th Annual Washington Gardener Magazine Photo Contest Winners

PHOTOcontt

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Grand Prize Winner (on the cover)

Lilian Cerdeira, Rockville, MD “Female Cardinal in Ornamental Grass” Location: Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD A contemplative female cardinal taking in the sunset. Taken using a Canon EOS Rebel T3i, 55-250 in natural light. She is a pro-amateur photographer with 30 years’ experience.

Honorable Mention - Garden Views

Eva L. Lanyi, Alexandria, VA “Green Garden” Location: Street view of a garden in Waterford, VA Taken using a Nikon D750; 24-120mm lens at 70 mm; ISO 100; f8; 1/20; taken mid-morning in May 2017. Eva is an amateur photographer with five years’ experience.

Honorable Mention - Garden Vignettes

Savannah Scollar, Silver Spring, MD “Box of Flowers” Location: Ms. Scollar’s home garden Flowers and leaves from her garden, in a box, just picked for drying. Taken with an LG G4 phone, natural lighting. She is an amateur photographer and is 15 years old.

Honorable Mention - Garden Creatures

Wendy Niemi Kremer, Herndon, VA “Spider’s Repose” Location: Ms. Kremer’s home garden White crab spider on Conoclinium coelestinum. Taken with an Olympus OM-D E-M5II and Lensbaby Composer Pro with Sweet 50 optic, f/4.0, 1/125, ISO 200, natural light only. She is an amateur photographer with eight years’ experience.

Honorable Mention - Small Wonders Eva L. Lanyi, Alexandria, VA “Lotus Landing” Location: Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Washington, DC Sunrise landing of a bee on a lotus blossom. Taken using a Nikon D750; 70-300mm lens at 300 mm; ISO 500; f8; 1/640; taken shortly after sunrise in July 2017. Eva is an amateur photographer with five years’ experience.

WASHINGTON GARDENER FEBRUARY 2018

PLANTprofile

spilling the

real tea on

Camellia sasanqua

By Kathy Jentz

Camellia (Camellia sasanqua) is a gorgeous shrub covered in long-lasting blooms that will help get you through the worst of the winter doldrums. This Camellia’s white, pink, or red blossoms stand out in high contrast against glossy, dark-green foliage.

It is smaller, easier to grow than the common Camellia (C. japonica). It is less stiff and more pliable than its Camellia cousins. Try it as a container plant, as a hedge, or esapliered against a brick wall.

Sometimes referred to as “Christmas Camellias” or “Fall Camellias,” the sasanqua varieties of Camellia are native to the coastal forests of southern Japan. The Japanese use the leaves of sasanqua to make tea, and the seeds are pressed into tea seed oil for use as a lubricant and in cooking and cosmetics. It was introduced into Europe by Dutch traders in 1869.

This Camellia is hardy to zones 7-10, so may not thrive in the colder parts of our Mid-Atlantic region or may require some extra protection to get it through in very cold winters.

Camellias should be lightly fertilized and pruned sparingly, only as needed.

Once established, they are fairly lowmaintenance. They typically only need to be watered during dry spells.

My personal favorite Camellia sasanqua is ‘Yuletide’. This one, pictured above, is planted on the grounds of the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, DC, and looks terrific each year around the December holidays.

The ‘Mine No Yuki’ Camellia sasanqua is one of the most popular camellias of all time. It is highly desired for the abundance of stunning, frilly-edged, pure white flowers.

Another favorite is ‘Winter’s Charm’, which is a cross of C. sasanqua with C.

oleifera. It was bred by the late Dr. William L. Ackerman, author of Growing Camellias in Cold Climates. His Camellia breeding work at the U.S. National Arboretum is legendary. The Camellias there are well worth a visit in late winter/early spring as they easy to view and photograph.

Many local nurseries carry Camellias for sale and the Camellia Society of the Potomac Valley has an annual sale each spring. Two good mail-order sources are Camellia Forest Nursery (www. camforest.com) in Chapel Hill, NC, and Cam Too Nursery (www.camtoocamellia. com) in Greensboro, NC. For more information about growing Camellia’s locally, visit the Camellia Society of the Potomac Valley’s web site at http://cspv.org/. o Kathy Jentz is the founder and editor of Washington Gardener.

FEBRUARY 2018

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PRODUCTreview

Spray Away

by Louise Clarke

For houseplants, winter can be a stressful time, since the humidity they’re accustomed to in nature is scarce in our heated homes. Have you noticed tiny white stippling and webbing on leaves, the calling cards of spider mites? Are you overwintering orchids or tillandsias (air plants)? Increasing indoor humidity is a natural way to deter mites that thrive in arid conditions, and improve plant health. Orchids, air plants, and others need higher humidity levels than our indoor spaces typically provide.

A great way to supply a humidity boost, liquid fertilizer, or a concentrated water stream to blast bugs is the Energy Pro 360 degree pressurized handheld sprayer, part of the Crescent Garden (www.crescentgarden.com) series of quality plastic products. Designed and made in Italy by Epoca, the Energy Pro 360 is constructed of HDPE (high-density polyethylene), a strong, impact-resistant, but lightweight plastic that ultimately is recyclable. It has a comfortable pistol grip and thumb-activated trigger that make handling and application easy.

At 13" high by 5.5" wide, the sprayer holds just over half a gallon, or 2.2 liters, according to the scale molded into the opaque white body. Gaskets are nitrile, suitable for use with water, petroleumbased oils, and plant-based oils.

To pressurize, the plunger atop the spray rig is pumped until you feel significant resistance. A quality feature is the brass nozzle, not usually found on consumer sprayers. What makes this sprayer elite among others is its ability 22

WASHINGTON GARDENER FEBRUARY 2018

to deliver its contents in any position.

If you’ve tried using other sprayers to squirt the underside of leaves, you’ve probably found frustration. When you tilt the typical sprayer from vertical, the rigid fill tube loses contact with the liquid and spraying stops. Because the EP360 has a flexible, weighted fill tube, it always travels to the bottom of the sprayer, drawing the contents, regardless of its position.

The common indoor plant pests you’re likely to encounter—aphids, mealy bugs, white flies, scales, and spider mites—are usually keeping to the shadows on the undersides of leaves. Armed with the Crescent Garden sprayer, you can easily attack them with water, horticultural oil, insecticidal soap, or a pesticide. If using pesticides or herbicides, be sure to read and follow the label, wear appropriate protective gear, and dispose of excess product safely.

In my tests with water, the sprayer took 15 pumps to pressurize 1 liter. The stream of water jetted an astounding 6+ feet, and continued for more than 2 minutes. This could substitute for a Nerf Super Soaker in a pinch. Surprisingly, the brass nozzle did not allow me to change the stream pattern significantly, something my commercial sprayers do.

The Epoca sprayer website described the brass nozzle as adjustable, but that didn’t jibe with my experience. For close-up spraying, it delivered water as a potent stream; as the target distance increased, the stream opened slightly.

At close range, I was able to blast mealy

bugs vacationing on my Bird of Paradise into oblivion, so much the better using only water. At a distance, I was able to drench my air plants without dislodging them from their accommodations.

For liquid fertilizers, the Energy Pro 360 will deliver a precise spray, good for targeting root zones in the garden or individual pots. To use as a foliar sprayer, you will have to stand farther from the target to broaden coverage, but you’ll be able to wet the undersides of leaves with continuous, even pressure. For precise herbicide application, this sprayer fits the bill. Spotting dandelions in the lawn can be achieved with the laser-like stream, or “weeding” between desirable plants in mulched beds. If you decide to use the sprayer for both fertilizers and pesticides, I would recommend dedicating a sprayer to each, and labeling them to avoid mix-ups.

Proper maintenance includes relieving pressure when finished spraying, which is accomplished by rotating the wheel that’s found on the spray rig’s right side. Hissing air can be heard instantly entering the sprayer, your indication that it is safe to open. Beware; trying to open a pressurized vessel could result in your being moistened! Rinse two to three times with water, partly refill, then pressurize the unit and spray water through the nozzle to flush any remaining particulates. Depressurize, empty, and store. This will prolong the sprayer’s life, eliminate problems with subsequent applications, and assure you of spraying only what you’ve loaded.

All in all, I’m glad to add the Crescent Garden Energy Pro sprayer to my plant care and bad-bug-destroying arsenal. It seems well-made and sturdy, and I was especially delighted to use it as a bugblaster/humidifier. My orchids and air plants are going to enjoy the rest of their winter indoors. o Louise Clarke is a degreed horticulturist employed by the Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia, PA, where she tends more than 1,200 woody plants and two green roofs, as well as leading workshops, writing, and lecturing on horticultural topics. As a zonedenial gardener, she tends Halcyon, her lush home garden—a mixture of tender tropicals, bulbs, perennials, unusual annuals, and vines. She rarely has time to admire the garden while seated in her home-made tiki hut.

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

MAY/JUNE 2007 • Roses: Easy Care Tips • Native Roses & Heirloom Roses • Edible Flowers • How to Plant a Bare-root Rose

MAY/JUNE 2005 • Stunning Plant Combinations • Turning Clay into Rich Soil • Wild Garlic • Strawberries

JULY/AUGUST 2007 • Groundcovers: Alternatives to Turfgrass • How to Pinch, Prune, & Dead-head • William Paca House & Gardens • Hardy Geraniums

JULY/AUGUST 2005 • Water Gardens • Poison Ivy • Disguising a Sloping Yard • Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2007 • Succulents: Hardy to our Region • Drought-Tolerant Natives • Southern Vegetables • Seed Saving Savvy Tips

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Container Gardens • Clematis Vines • Sponge Gardening/Rain Gardens • 5 Insect Enemies of Gardeners

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007 • Gardening with Children • Indoor Bulb-Forcing Basics • National Museum of the American Indian • Versatile Viburnums

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2005 • Backyard Bird Habitats • Hellebores • Building a Coldframe • Bulb Planting Basics

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008 • Dealing with Deer • Our Favorite Garden Tools • Delightful Daffodils

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2006 • Garden Decor Principles • Primroses • Tasty Heirloom Veggies • U.S. Botanic Garden MARCH/APRIL 2006 • Top 10 Small Trees and Large Shrubs • Azaleas • Figs, Berries, & Persimmons • Basic Pruning Principles MAY/JUNE 2006 • Using Native Plants in Your Landscape • Crabgrass • Peppers • Secret Sources for Free Plants JULY/AUGUST 2006 • Hydrangeas • Theme Gardens • Agave • Find Garden Space by Growing Up SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006 • Shade Gardening • Hosta Care Guide • Fig-growing Tips and Recipes NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006 • Horticultural Careers • Juniper Care Guide • Winter Squash Growing Tips and Recipes • Layer/Lasagna Gardening

MARCH/APRIL 2008 • Patio, Balcony, Rooftop Container Gardens • Our Favorite Garden Tools • Coral Bells (Heucheras) MAY/JUNE 2008 — ALMOST SOLD OUT! • Growing Great Tomatoes • Glamorous Gladiolus • Seed-Starting Basics • 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

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2007 • Indoor Gardening • Daphne Care Guide • Asparagus Growing Tips and Recipes • Houseplant Propagation

MARCH/APRIL 2009 !

OUT Tips D • 40+ Free and Low-cost Local Garden SOL !

T • Spring Edibles Planting Guide OU LDfor a Fresh Start • Testing YourSO Soil ! Selection and Care UTTree • Redbud O LD Viewing Spots for Virginia Bluebells • SOBest

MARCH/APRIL 2007 • Stormwater Management • Dogwood Selection & Care Guide • Early Spring Vegetable Growing Tips • Franciscan Monastery Bulb Gardens

MAY/JUNE 2009 • Top Easy Summer Annuals for DC Heat • Salad Table Project • Grow and Enjoy Eggplant • How to Chuck a Woodchuck

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 • Dwarf Iris • Broccoli SUMMER 2010 • Fragrance Gardens • Watering Without Waste • Lavender • Potatoes FALL 2010 • Vines and Climbers • Battling Stink Bugs • Russian Sage • Garlic WINTER 2010 • Paths and Walkways • Edgeworthia • Kohlrabi SPRING 2011 • Cutting-Edge Gardens • Final Frost Dates and When to Plant • Bleeding Hearts • Onions 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 • Squash Vine Borer SUMMER/FALL 2013 • Miniature/Faerie Gardens • Beguiling Abelias • Growing Great Carrots WINTER/EARLY SPRING 2014 • Ferns for the Mid-Atlantic • Chanticleer Gardens • Beet Growing Basics

Are you trying to reach thousands of gardeners in the greater DC region/MidAtlantic 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).

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Got a Washington, DC-area garden group, plant society, or neighborhood club that you think should be profiled here? Send the full details to KathyJentz@gmail.com or call 301.588.6894.

Got a Garden Question?

Got a gardening question you need answered? Send your questions to KathyJentz@gmail.com and use the subject line “Q&A.” Please also include your first name, last initial, and what city and state you are writing from. Then look for your answered questions in upcoming issues.

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FEBRUARY 2018

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Jentz Prints

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

Jentz Prints can be purchased on most Saturdays at the Eastern Market, and most Sundays at the Georgetown Flea 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, to make a private appointment, or to get a detailed show schedule, please contact Jentz Prints by email at UllrichJ@aol.com. You can also find Jentz Prints on eBay.com under the seller ID: printyman.

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WASHINGTON GARDENER FEBRUARY 2018