Washington Gardener September 2017

SEPTEMBER 2017 VOL. 12 NO. 7

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tthe magazine for gardening enthusiasts in the Mid-Atlantic region

Locally Sourced “Slow” Flowers Garden Drama at Arena Stage Growing Grass in Shade Little Butterflies with Big Impact:

Skippers

Preserving Your Harvest:

Quick Pickles

Your Garden Task List Well-made Watering Cans DC-MD-VA Gardening Events Calendar

Meet Global Aquaponics

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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

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Barry Glick Sunshine Farm and Gardens 696 Glicks Road Renick, WV 24966, USA Email: barry@sunfarm.com

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www.sunfarm.com

Green Spring Gardens

www.greenspring.org

Your Ad Here

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 SEPTEMBER 2017

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

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For quick pickling at home, no special equipment is needed and the necessary ingredients are already pantry staples. Just combine your favorite fresh summer produce with a mixture of vinegar, salt, sugar, and spices—then let it chill in the refrigerator to develop flavor. Sweet Cucumber Chips photo courtesy McCormick & Company, Inc., Sparks, MD.

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Win passes to the Maryland Home & Garden Show.

See contest details on page 5.

The shade created by trees causes turf grass to compete with the trees for light, water, and essential nutrients. Turf grass in shaded areas is more prone to disease due to the restricted airflow and increased humidity, which causes the leaf blades to become more succulent, and thus increases disease pressure. Before deciding how to maintain your lawn in the shade, you have to decide whether you really need turf grass there.

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Florists Dana O’Sullivan and Della Blooms demonstrate flower arrangements using locally sourced flowers at the IFDA Field to Vase event, which focused on cut flower growers in the DC region.

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FEATURES and COLUMNS BOOKreviews 12-13 Japanese Garden Design; Organic Gardening Tips; Shade EDIBLEharvest 17-19 Pickles from the Garden HORThappenings 6 Tomato Taste; FOBG Sale; FROG Sale; Photo Workshop; Piet Oudolf Lecture in Delaware INSECTindex 7 Skippers NEWPLANTspotlight 11 Carex ‘Everillo’ NEIGHBORnetwork 20-21 Global Aquaponics PRODUCTreview 22 Watering Cans SPECIALfeature 14-15 Field to Vase Local Flowers; Gardening Comedy at Arena TIPStricks 10 Daffodil Plantings; Turfgrass in Shade; Compost Poster Contest

DEPARTMENTS

ADVERTISINGindex BLOGlinks EDITORletter GARDENcontest LOCALevents MONTHLYtasklist NEXTissue READERreactions RESOURCESsources

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ON THE COVER

Spicy Dill Spears. Photo courtesy McCormick & Company, headquartered in Sparks, MD. In our October 2017 issue:

A Visit to the Norfolk Botanical Garden Growing Ginkgo Trees and much more...

If your business would like to reach area gardeners, be sure to contact us by October 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/ SEPTEMBER 2017 WASHINGTON GARDENER

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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!

Ruth E. Thaler-Carter Proofreader Maeve Dunigan, Uyen Nguyen, and Nicole Reisinger Interns Cover price: $4.99 Back issues: $6.00 Subscription: $20.00 Your editor handing out raffle tickets on our Philadelphia Flower Show tour bus.

The Joke’s On Me

In this issue, we preview the new gardening comedy coming to Arena Stage, and it made me think about how important it is to have a good sense of humor about life in general and also to be able to laugh at yourself in particular. I will be going to the play myself next week, and I anticipate that much of it will ring true.

This morning, I got lost in the rabbit hole that is #AgHumor on Twitter. For a good 20 minutes or so, I scrolled through the most-recent posts with that hashtag—liking and sharing several as I went. Then I went back and clicked on some of the moreinteresting profiles I saw and followed several people—a professor of turf science at a local college, an owner of a farm equipment franchise, and a young farmer who listed sustainable agriculture as his main interest. I considered it time well spent.

When was the last time you shared a joke or cartoon on your social media?

Posting something that made you laugh allows others to get to know you better. You can connect through your mutual love of Monty Python or Louis C. K. I knew I had a friend for life in a fellow attendee at an arborist conference when we bonded over Jim Gaffigan’s monologue about eating Hot Pockets.

Humor is also a great stress reliever. When you have had a bad day, sharing your pain in a post on Facebook and asking for similar tales of woe can be cathartic. For instance, a garden blogging friend posted the other day that her wallet was stolen while she was traveling and the thieves racked up $3,000 in charges at CVS. She wanted folks to make her feel better by commenting about what they could possibly have purchased at the drug store for that amount. The answers were inventive and fun. We all felt for her and were able to show our concern in a light-hearted way.

Some of my favorite humorous videos to watch online are by Gerard Touhey. He owns Water Features by Gerard, based in Easton, PA, and posts short Facebook live videos that are full of energy and enthusiasm for his craft—they most often end with him drinking a pint of Guinness and proclaiming that “life is grand.” His sense of humor is in your face and might not be to your taste, but you won’t forget him!

Happy gardening!

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

WASHINGTON GARDENER SEPTEMBER 2017

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 7 ISSN 1555-8959 © 2017 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.

READERcontt

Reader Contest

Visit DCGardens.com for: Photos of 16 Major Public Gardens shown in each month of the year and Where to Buy Plants Where to Connect Local Garden Media Where to Volunteer Youth Gardens

Where to Find Designers

Tours and Events

Where to Learn to Garden

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.

For our September 2017 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, we are giving away five pairs of passes to the Fall Maryland Home & Garden Show at the Maryland State Fairgrounds (prize value: $18).

Fall is when we spend more time with friends and family in our homes.

With the holidays approaching, it is a great time to update, remodel, redecorate, and landscape your home. This is an opportunity to see hundreds of contractors in one location and purchase hand-made crafts and gifts.

There is something for everyone and many exhibitors are offering special show pricing.

Author and show favorite Boyce Thompson brings his interactive, cutting edge display of home products, including the virtual nursery, personal robot, home automation systems, speakers that screw into light bulbs, smart valves, and more.

Trash or treasure? Bring it in! With over 20 years of experience, Annapolis antique expert Todd Peenstra will appraise your jewelry, paintings, toys, clocks, pottery, glass, silver – anything old!

The Fall Maryland Home & Garden Show runs Friday, October 20, through Sunday, October 22. See more details online at www.mdhomeandgarden. com/fall.

To enter to win a pair of passes to the Maryland Home & Garden Show, send an email to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5:00pm on September 30 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. Please also include your full name and mailing address. Winners will be announced and notified on October 1. o SEPTEMBER 2017 WASHINGTON GARDENER

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HORThaenings ber, was elated that the event wasn’t ruined by nasty weather, as it had been for the past three years.

“It didn’t rain,” she said. “And when it didn’t rain, I knew we were in.”

Green Spring Gardens Fall Garden Day

Gardening and Nature Photography Workshop

Lucibella Farms’ Gardening and Nature Photography Workshop was held on the afternoon of August 27 at the farm.

Participants were invited to learn about both gardening and beekeeping from expert Michael Kiefer. Those at the workshop learned about growing herbs, perennial flowers, vegetables, and fruit trees, among other plants. Kiefer shared tips about beekeeping and raising chickens for eggs. Photographer Roshani Kothari taught about light, angle, composition, and the role of serendipity involved in capturing beautiful images. There was even a special guest, Charles Mewshaw, the landscape architect, horticulturist, and mastermind behind Lucibella Farm, who talked about the farm’s history and shared some stories about his favorite trees and plants on the farm.

Friends of Brookside Gardens 2017 Plant Sale

Friends of Brookside Gardens hosted their annual Plant Sale on September 9—10. The sale was open to the public and featured a 10 percent discount for Friends of Brookside Gardens members. On Saturday, the festival featured food trucks for patron enjoyment. Seasonal favorites, perennials, natives, and woodies were all available. All proceeds from the sale benefited Friends of Brookside Gardens.

“We try to do events that are interesting for the public; we want them to join our organization,” said Joan O’Rourke, who organized the event and started Friends of Brookside Gardens 21 years ago. “Every nickel that we make goes to Brookside.”

O’Rourke, who solely funded the addition of a brand-new production greenhouse set to open at Brookside in Octo6

WASHINGTON GARDENER SEPTEMBER 2017

the first week of September. Lecture attendees enjoyed a sneak preview of an upcoming documentary by Tom Piper about Piet Oudolf. A limited number of Oudolf’s book Hummelo: A Journey Through a Plantsman’s Life were also available for purchase.

Green Spring Gardens in Fairfax, VA, one of the state’s most innovative public gardens, brought numerous local plant and garden craft vendors to their “Fall Garden Day, Plant Sale and More” event on September 9. A silent auction, bake sale, live music, food, and kids’ table added to the festivities. The fundraiser event was sponsored by Friends of Green Spring.

Tomato Taste 2017

Fenton Street Community Garden Party

On September 10 from 5 to 7 p.m., Fenton Street Community Garden in downtown Silver Spring, MD. hosted a garden party. Those attending were encouraged to bring a dish to share for the potluck. Attendees met the plot gardeners, watched a cooking demo, went on a scavenger hunt, enjoyed a raffle for kids’ garden tools, and gave extra produce to the Harvest Collection for Shepherd’s Table and Progress Place.

Piet Oudolf Lecture and Reception in Delaware

Piet Oudolf, a world-renowned Dutch meadow designer, nurseryman, and author, who is best known for the High Line in New York City, visited the Delaware Botanic Gardens for a lecture and reception on September 8 during a sold-out event. The lecture took place at the Lewes Public Library. Oudolf, who has been commissioned to create a two-acre meadow at the gardens, guided the planting of the first part of the meadow at the garden site during

On August 26, Washington Gardener held our 10th annual Tomato Taste at the FreshFarm Market in downtown Silver Spring, MD. From 10am—12noon, voters were encouraged to try an array of tomatoes, all of which were sold by local farmers at the market.

Participants then voted for their favorite. The event also featured tomato recipes, gardening tips, and activities for kids. Over 200 ballots were submitted over the course of the event, from both local attendees and those coming from as far as Baltimore, Miami, and Boston.

Only three votes separated the winning tomato, which proved to be the ‘Black Cherry’ from The Farm at Our House.

Coming in a close second was the ‘Red Grape’ from Spiral Path Farm. The winner of the ballot prize drawing was Bri Adams of Silver Spring, who received a tote bag full of gardening tools, tomatoes, and $25 worth of market tokens. o This issue’s “HortHappenings” were compiled by Maeve Dunigan, an editorial intern this fall at Washington Gardener. She is a senior multiplatform journalism major at the University of Maryland, College Park.

See many more photos from events listed here, as well as many more photo albums of recent local garden events, at the Washington Gardener Facebook Page: facebook. com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine. Recent albums include pictorials from the events listed on this page. Click on the PHOTOS tab, then select from the ALBUMS.

Don’t Skip the Skippers

by Carol Allen It is the way of the world! The “big guys” get all of the attention. It’s all about the Monarchs, Swallowtails, and Luna Moths. But what about all of those other equally hard-working, easily overlooked, butterfly pollinators? I’m referring to that difficult-to-identify tribe of Skippers. If you consult the Maryland Biodiversity Project, you will find 59 species that can be found locally. North America can boast of approximately 275 of the over 3,500 species worldwide since most skippers are tropical.

Skippers belong to the family Hesperiidae and can be further divided into two subfamilies: the Spread Wing skippers (Pyrginae) hold their wings open when they land and the Grass skippers (Hesperiinae) hold their forewings at a narrow angle to the rest of their body. Grass Skippers’ hindwings are held open and combined with the forewing position give them the characteristic fighter-jet appearance.

You will need to look sharp since these butterflies are small—most are under 2"—and move fast. In fact, they are called skippers due to their rapid and erratic flight pattern.

One that is often seen nectaring in area gardens is the Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus). With a wingspan of up to 2⅝", it is also one of our largest. Like many of the skippers they are a dull, dark brown-black, but the Silver-spotted Skipper has very noticeable gold spots on the forewing and a white band on the underside of the hindwing. The males perch on tall weeds or branches when scouting for females and will occasionally fly out and patrol their territories. Adults perch upside-down under leaves at night, to escape the hot sun, or when resting on cloudy days.

The caterpillars feed on many different members of the pea family, such as the Black Locust and Honey Locust tress and closer to the ground on Trefoils, Wisteria, Butterfly Pea, Kudzu, and others. The larvae of most skippers

form leaf tents by cutting a flap of leaf tissue and securing it over with silk.

You would think this would be an effective protection from predators, but the wasps in the family Vespidae recognize the leaf shelters and may also locate the caterpillars by their frass. To prevent this location-by-feces behavior, the larvae have evolved mechanisms to forcibly eject their waste material far away from their nests.

You know you have found the larvae because they can be up to 2" in length and are a colorful combination of redbrown head, yellow eyes, a yellow abdomen with darker stripes and spots, and bright-orange prolegs. They overwinter in pupa form and have two generations per year in our area. Look for the adults’ nectaring in your garden from May through September. Observers have noted that they prefer flowers that are blue, red, pink, purple, and sometimes white or cream, but never yellow.

At the opposite end of the size scale is the Least skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor). It is one of the area’s smallest butterflies coming in at a tiny wingspan of ⅞–1⅛” wide. This skipper is orange with a wide black band showing when the wings are held open, but all-over orange with the wings held up. Their flight pattern is weaker than most skippers and the males patrol for females in grassy areas. They can be found flying low within the leaves of plants rather than above. Eggs are laid on host grasses that include bluegrass, cultivated rice, Panicum, Spartina, and Imperata species. Larvae join several leaves together to form a protective nest and are an unassuming green with a large brown head. They overwinters as a late instar larvae. There are three generations per year here. The adults can be observed from May to October and can be found nectaring on Pickerelweed, Chicory, White Clover, Swamp Verbena, and other flowers found in or near moist meadows and marshes.

You may enjoy seeing the Common

INSECTindex Sootywing (Pholisora catullus) in your garden. This small (wingspan up to 1⅜"), mostly black skipper frequents disturbed areas. If you can get close enough, you will see clusters and rows of white spots on the outer third of the forewing. Females have more spots than males. They nectar on many common flowers, including members of the mint family, milkweed family, and garden vegetables such as cucumbers and melons from May to August. The small green larvae feed on Lamb’s Quarters, Amaranths, and Celosia, and are found in the typical skipper rolled-leaf shelters. There are two broods per year and the last brood overwinters as a late instar larvae.

A similar-looking skipper is Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius). However, this small butterfly’s host plants are various species of both red and white oaks. The wingspan ranges from a little over 1 ½–2". Males are very dark brown and females are a lighter brown.

It is in the females that the darker pattern of wavy lines and patches can be seen on the forewings. From April to September, the adults can be seen nectaring on Sneezeweed, Goldenrods, Mints, and other common pollinator garden flowers. The males can be found on hilltops or slopes perched on twigs about 1' off of the ground when scouting for females. The larvae employ the typical skipper leaf shelter to hide their plain, light-green bodies. Look for two broods per year.

As can be seen from this small sampling of the family, skippers are very diverse in their preferred nectar sources and their required host plants. To encourage their presence in your garden, plant a wide variety of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants.

Creating butterfly habitat includes a “no pesticide” policy; providing a water source (remember that butterflies prefer wet soil or rocks to drink from); planting a succession of nectaring plants for as long a season as you can manage; allowing overwintering sites; and diversity, diversity, diversity! 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 ISA-certified arborist. She can be contacted at carolallen@erols.com.

Grass Skipper photo by Hafiz Issadeen (Flickr: Skipper Butterfly (Family: Hesperiidae)) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

SEPTEMBER 2017 WASHINGTON GARDENER

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TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ September 16–October 15, 2017 • Monday, September 18, 8:00pm Herbs to Enrich Our Food, Health, and Environment and Plant Swap The Silver Spring Garden Club hosts a talk by herbalist Pat Kenny. She will share her deep knowledge of culinary and medicinal herbs that can be grown in our region. She will provide a variety of herb samples to taste, touch, and smell. Held at Brookside Gardens Visitors Center/Education Building, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD. Bring a plant to participate in a Plant Swap. This event is FREE and open to the public.

• Wednesday, September 18, 6–8pm Kimchi Workshop: Common Good City Farm Food Preservation Workshop Series Learn how to preserve food with Rachel Armistead of The Sweet Farm. Held at 300 V Street NW, Washington, DC. Fee: $25. Sign up at : https://www.eventbrite.com/e/food-preservation-workshop-series-tickets-33637590940.

• Saturday, September 23, 10am– 4:30pm Celebrate the National Garden Fest Highlighting the 3 acres of garden space adjacent to the conservatory, this day-long festival showcases the amazing diversity of American plants through the Mid-Atlantic Regional Garden, Rose Garden, and Butterfly Garden with special activities and programs. Highlights include tasty treats with native plants, Rose Garden tours, hands-on activities for all ages, and much more. Held at the U.S. Botanic Garden’s National Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW, Washington, DC. FREE: No pre-registration required. See: https://www.usbg.gov/ events/2017/08/09/festival-celebratenational-garden.

• Saturday, September 23, 5–8pm Magic in the Meadow 2017 Music, cocktails, decadent delicacies, and a golden sunset—fanciful fun is promised at the Cylburn Arboretum in Baltimore, MD. Set against an elegant backdrop of the Arboretum’s majestic forest and meadows, the gala celebrates and showcases the enchant8

WASHINGTON GARDENER SEPTEMBER 2017

ment of nature. All proceeds benefit the Arboretum’s education programs, which promote the appreciation and conservation of the region’s native landscapes.

Tickets are $125. See: http://www. adkinsarboretum.org/programs_events/ magic_in_the_meadow.html.

• Saturday, September 23, 12n–5pm 2nd Annual Pawpaw Festival Celebrate our largest native American fruit with tastings, ice cream and jam making, orchard tours, and fall fun for everyone. All ages welcome. Held at Long Creek Homestead, Frederick, MD. Tickets must be purchased to attend.

Order here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3053760.

• Saturday, September 23, 1–4:30pm Uncommon Evergreen and Deciduous Azaleas Public Sale and Auction Conducted by the Northern Virginia Chapter of the Azalea Society of America (NV-ASA). Silent auction at 1:00pm.

Live auction at 2:30pm. Held at the Kirkwood Presbyterian Church, 8336 Carrleigh Parkway, Springfield, VA. For additional questions, www.nv-asa. org/sale.

• Sunday, September 24, 11am–8pm 2017 DC State Fair The 8th annual DC State Fair will be held at Waterfront Station in Southwest DC (375 and 425 M St. SW). This free showcase of the region’s agricultural and creative talents and day-long celebration of all things homegrown will feature contests, entertainment, educational demonstrations, and local vendors. See https://dcstatefair.org.

• Sunday, September 24, 10am—12n and offered again at 1–3pm Floral Jewels Take inspiration from the Spectacular Gems and Jewelry from the Merriweather Post Collection exhibition and create a stunning jewel-toned arrangement in this hands-on workshop. Fee: $65, $55 member. Held at Hillwood Estate, Museum, & Gardens, 4155 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC. Register at: www. HillwoodMuseum.org.

• Sunday, September 24, 11am–8pm Fall Garden Day 2017 Come celebrate the beauty of the National Cathedral Bishop’s Garden at the second annual Garden Day, featuring games for children, garden information, food, music, and more. Garden day is FREE, and is sponsored by the All Hallows Guild.

• Wednesday, September 27, 7:30 pm Welcoming Bees to Your Backyard and Garden Talk Alison Gillespie will talk about how all over North America, bees are faltering from myriad problems. Beltsville Garden Club will meets in the multi-purpose room of the Duckworth School, 11201 Evans Trail, Beltsville, MD. The public is welcome and admission is free. To learn more about the Beltsville Garden Club, visit www.beltsvillegardenclub.org.

• Saturday, September 30, 10:00am Conquering Cool Season Edibles Many edible plants grow best in cooler weather. Try your hand at growing them and enjoy the “fruits”—or veggies— of your labor during the winter months.

Garden speaker Kathy Jentz will cover techniques for lengthening the growing season and which edible plants do best in our Mid-Atlantic climate. Fee $22. For more information and to register for this class, go to: https://apm.activecommunities.com/montgomerycounty/Activity_Search/conquering-cool-seasonedibles/33634.

• Saturday, September 30, 10am–4pm Annual Autumn Apple Festival Bring your family and enjoy hands-on children’s activities, apple tasting, cider pressing, and demonstrations of historic orchard tools. Celebrate the “American Fruit” by making cider in a historic barn, tasting heirloom apples, and viewing varieties of rare fruit provided by the Virginia Tech Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center.

Families are invited to enjoy carnival games and prizes, face painting, farmthemed moon bounce, and crafts, and participate in a good old-fashioned cake walk. Event is free with paid Museum admission to the Heritage Farm Muse-

TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ September 16–October 15, 2017 um, off Route 28 and Route 7 in Claude Moore Park, Sterling, VA. See www.heritagefarmmuseum.org.

• Wednesday, October 4, 6–8pm Garden Series: Extending Your Growing Season Held at the Chinquapin Recreation Center, 3210 King Street, Alexandria, VA. Parking available onsite. Speaker Christian Melendez is the growing manager at Mary’s Land Farm. He previously managed the Edmonston Urban Farm at ECO City Farms, and has worked on a variety of rural and urban farms, trying to blend best practices from both, while assisting others in their own growing adventures. This program is free and open to all. No registration is required.

• October 5-6 Virginia’s Urban Agriculture Summit Held at George Mason University’s Arlington campus. The agenda is filled with educational and networking opportunities. Cost: $75 regular; $40 for students. More details at https://vafb. swoogo.com/urbanag2017/36853.

• October 7-9 National Capital Orchid Society’s 70th Annual Show and Orchid Sale The orchid show and sale takes place at Behnke Nurseries, 11300 Baltimore Boulevard, Beltsville, MD, on Columbus Day Weekend. Exhibits will range from single-plant entries up to large, museum-quality displays featuring “the best of the best” from both commercial nurseries and private collections. There will be guided tours of the show as well as presentations by expert growers on a variety of topics. Members of the National Capital Orchid Society will answer questions. The commercial vendors are also a wealth of knowledge and can guide you to the plants that will grow best in your conditions. Further details and a complete schedule at www.ncos.us/fallshow.htm.

• Saturday, October 14, 9am–5pm African Violet Fall Sale The Baltimore African Violet & Gesneriad Club will hold their annual Fall Sale at The Shops at Kenilworth, 800

Kenilworth Drive, Towson, MD. Hundreds of beautiful African violets and other exotic houseplants will be offered for sale, plus leaves, cuttings, soil mix, plant rings, self-watering pots, and much more. Admission is free.

Save These Future Dates

includes an EcoMarketplace where businesses can market their products and services; and multiple networking opportunities for attendees to discuss current projects and new ideas. See: http://www.chesapeakelandscape.org/ events/2017-turning-a-new-leaf-conference/.

• Saturday, October 21, 2017 Garlic Planting Party Gear up for 6th Annual Garlic Planting Party at the Washington Youth Garden on the grounds of the U.S. National Arboretum. Come out and enjoy games, food, hot cider, and, of course, garlic planting.

Still More Event Listings

• Wednesday, November 1, 1–2:30pm Getting Your Garden Ready for Winter Beginner and intermediate gardeners are often overwhelmed by the long todo lists of garden tasks. Learn which chores are essential and which you can safely skip as you prepare your garden for winter. Discover cost-saving tips and tricks and how to “batten down the hatches” in case we have a bad winter.

Fee $22. For more information and to register for this class, go to: https:// apm.activecommunities.com/montgomerycounty/Activity_Search/getting-yourgarden-ready-for-winter/33636.

To submit an event for this listing, contact kathyjentz@gmail.com — put “Event” in the subject line. Our next deadline is October 10 for the October 2017 issue, for events taking place October 16–November 15. o

• Thursday, November 2, 6:30-8:00pm Garden Book Club Fall 2017 Meeting We will be discussing Ghost Image: A Sophie Medina Mystery (Sophie Medina Novels) by Ellen Crosby (fiction).

This is one of the few fiction selections our club has ever chosen. Meeting at Soupergirl, located right next to the Takoma metro stop. At this meeting, we will also decide the 2018 Garden Book Club titles, so please come with your suggestions. Please RSVP to washingtongardener@rcn.com or at facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine.

• Friday, November 3, 8am–5pm 2017 Turning A New Leaf Conference This year’s conference will be held at Hilton Washington Dulles Airport in Herndon, VA. The conference consists of various presentations from industry leaders, innovators and experts;

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

Advanced Landscape Plant IPM PHC Short Course January 8–11, 2018

For registration information, contact: Short Course Assistant University of Maryland Department of Entomology 4112 Plant Sciences Building 4291 Fieldhouse Drive College Park, MD 20742 Tel: 301-405-3911 E-mail: umdentomology@umd.edu

 Your Ad Here

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.

SEPTEMBER 2017 WASHINGTON GARDENER

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TIPStricks

Community Daffodil Plantings Brighten Spring

For the past 11 years, the Lewisboro Garden Club in South Salem, NY, has planted over 38,000 daffodils along local roadsides, turning mundane roadways into golden landscapes.

Inspired by the daffodils planted along driveways and around mailboxes in neighboring Pound Ridge, club members created the Golden Roads Daffodils project and volunteered to brighten up their community. Even enthusiastic local homeowners chose to plant daffodils on their own properties.

“It was like spontaneous combustion,” said George Scott, founder and committee chairman of the project.

The Golden Roads project sources its bulbs from Colorblends Wholesale Flowerbulbs in Connecticut, a firm that sells directly to landscape professionals and home gardeners across the country.

Having a minimum order of $60, “the pricing scale favors large purchases,” said Tim Schipper of Colorblends. As neighborhood planting projects rise in popularity, “it’s not unusual for friends and neighbors to pool their bulb lists to get a substantial discount in the cost per bulb,” Schipper said.

Daffodils are a popular springtime choice to brighten up roadside plantings. “Once the bulbs are established, they’re fairly maintenance-free and can bloom every spring for many years,” Schipper said. “Another big plus: They taste terrible—deer, voles, and squirrels won’t eat them.”

Daffodils have a long blooming period. For the best and longest results, densely plant a pre-mixed blend of bulbs selected for long bloom in a sunny spot where the soil drains well.

Colorblends offers 12 signature daffodil blends suited to colder or warmer climates. “Bulb planting season typically starts by late September in colder areas and late November in milder areas.

Once nighttime temperatures average between 40°F and 50°F, the soil has cooled sufficiently to encourage bulb rooting,” Schipper said.

During the die-back period, leave daffodil foliage in place for eight or more weeks after bloom to recharge the bulbs with the energy required to produce flowers the following spring. o 10

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Growing Grass in Shade

While shade can be a great natural resource for cooling humans and homes during the hot summer months, it can be quite detrimental for turf grass, according to the Maryland SoccerPlex.

Shade created by tree coverage causes turf grass to compete with trees for light, water, and essential nutrients.

Turf grass in shady areas is prone to disease due to limited airflow and increased humidity, causing leaf blades to become more succulent and therefore increasing disease pressure.

The folks at the Maryland SoccerPlex suggests contemplating whether turf grass is needed and if you can do without it before deciding on how to maintain your lawn in the shade. Since turf performs best in full sun for at least 4-6 hours a day, consider if shade-tolerant plants, ornamentals, mulch, pavers, or even a rock bed are a better solution.

Maintaining a shaded lawn can be difficult, but if turf is the best option for you, Maryland SoccerPlex offers a list of tips to make it manageable.

First, prune the tree back in certain areas to allow more air circulation and access to light. Pruning might be required at least once a year.

It is important to limit irrigation with turf grass due to the restricted air flow and access to light, so the less water, the better. When you do irrigate, make sure it is deep and infrequent because the more water that is present, the higher the likelihood of disease.

Shaded areas are petri dishes for diseases, such as ivy, moss, algae mildew, and dollar spot. Herbicides have restricted uses in shaded areas and pre-emergents are not needed because they attack grassy weeds, so the best choice is to use a pesticide made to control such diseases.

Turf does not require much fertilization due to its natural slow growth in the shade. Therefore, not as much nitrogen is needed. Using only 1.0lb/1000 square feet twice a year should be sufficient. You can always overseed to help increase the density of the turf.

Lastly, minimize the traffic in shaded areas if possible. Recuperation in shaded areas takes much longer than in non-shaded areas. o

Compost Poster Contest

The International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) Committee is holding its 16th Annual Poster Contest. The contest began September 1 and continues until November 6. The winning poster will be used to promote International Compost Awareness Week, May 6–12, 2018.

The theme is composting to build a better future. The ICAW Committee invites anyone who wishes to display their artistic creativity and love of compost to participate. From municipal, facility, or state agency representatives and industry professionals to students, youth groups, commercial composters, green industry businesses, gardeners, and environmentalists, everyone is welcome to join in the fun.

This year’s theme is based on how compost is not only good for plants, people, and the planet, but also for how it’s good for our future. Faced with pressing environmental and economic threats with water shortages, energy challenges, climate change, and depletion of natural resources, each of us can do something to help.

There is value in our waste, and by coming together with a global voice that promotes compost, International Compost Awareness Week shows how composting is good for the environment and for the future. Through composting, organic matter can be kept out of landfills, feed and improve soil health, and minimize chemical use. The committee’s goal is to create a global conservation plan that converts organics wastes into resources.

The poster contest winner will receive a $500 prize and have his/her poster reproduced and distributed nationwide and used as the official 2018 ICAW poster. Forms and rules for the contest can be found at http://compostfoundation.org/icaw. For any questions, send an email to info@compostfoundation. org.. o Tips column compiled by Nicole Reisinger.

She is a senior multiplatform journalism major and history minor at the University of Maryland Philip Merrill School of Journalism.

She grew up maintaining gardens with her family and has experience working with a premier floral designer in Annapolis, MD. This autumn, she is an editorial intern at Washington Gardener Magazine.

GARDENnews

Quick Links to Washington Gardener Blog Posts • Pepper Report: 2017 Pepper Trial Garden • Tomato Jam Recipe—with a Kick!

• Bloom Day Bouquet • Meet the Fall 2017 Interns See more Washington Gardener blog posts at: WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com o

September-October Garden To-Do List New Plant Spotlight Evercolor® ‘Everillo’ Carex

Carex oshimensis EverColor® ‘Everillo’ PP21002 Add drama to shady spots or containers with this versatile, easy-care grass. Use as a groundcover, to edge a path, or tuck into a window box.

This Japanese sedge is part of a series of new carex that was hybridized

by Pat FitzGerald, FitzGerald Nurseries, Ltd. in Ireland. He discovered this mutation of C. ‘Evergold’ in 2006. “The idea behind this series is simple, colorful, multifunctional, and easy,” according to FitzGerald Nurseries. “Simple to plant and grow. Colorful all-year-round due to the evergreen foliage. Multifunctional for use in many different situations.

Easy-to-grow in most good garden soils from full sun to shade and even in light substrates and rock wool used for vertical gardening.”

It looks great combined with other shade-garden foliage plants including ferns, hostas, and heucheras. This lowmaintenance plant can be cut-back and divided in early spring, if desired.

Features: Bright, colorful foliage; evergreen year-round.

USDA Zones: 5–9 Exposure: Part sun to shade Water: Medium Soil Type: Well-drained garden soil Fertilizer: Yearly in spring Dimensions: 12-18" H x 12-18" W Pruning: None needed Pests: Deer-resistant, Diseases: None Available from the Southern Living Plant Collection, http://southernlivingplants.com. o

• Keep an eye out for the first frost date. In Zone 6, it is expected between September 30 and October 30. In Zone 7, it is predicted for between October 15 and November 15.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Attend a local garden club meeting or plant exchange.

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

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

• Remove rotting fruits from fruit trees and compost them.

• Plant evergreens for winter interest.

• Plant garlic bulbs.

• Collect plant seeds for next year’s planting and for trading at the annual Washington Gardener Magazine Seed Exchanges.

• Plant hardy mums and fall season annuals.

• Fertilize your lawn and re-seed if needed.

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

• Transplant trees and shrubs.

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

• Bring in houseplants if you took them outdoors for the summer.

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

• Leave hummingbird feeders out until October 15.

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

• Watch your pumpkins/squash. Harvest them when their rinds are dull and hard.

• Divide ornamental grasses.

• Cut herbs and flowers for drying indoors.

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

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

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

• Begin conditioning the Christmas Poinsettias and Christmas cacti to get them ready for the upcoming holiday season.

• Bring Amaryllis indoors before a hard freeze. Repot every other year at this time.

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

• Your summer annuals will be reviving, now with cooler temps and some rain. Cut back any ragged growth and give them some fertilizer. They should put on a good show until the first hard frost. o SEPTEMBER 2017 WASHINGTON GARDENER

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BOOKreviews

400+ Tips for Organic Gardening Success

By Christy Wilhelmi Publisher: Gardenerd Press List Price: $7.99 (Kindle) Reviewer: Erica H. Smith Gardenerd.com is a website dedicated to information and advice on organic gardening methods (mostly, though not exclusively, for food gardens). It’s brightly colored, entertaining, friendly, and encouraging to newbies. For 10 years, they’ve been offering a Tip of the Week both on the website and via a podcast. 400+Tips is a collection of many of those informative snippets, all in one place.

I guess the first question to ask is: Should this really be called a book?

It’s not that I only believe in paper books—the digital format is the right choice for this publication—but a semiorganized collection of random gardening tips, with links to sources or further information, is neither very readable in the traditional front-to-back way nor particularly accessible as a reference.

Yes, you can search the Kindle book (or PDF, which is the format I reviewed), but then you can also search webbased resources such as University of Maryland Extension’s Grow It Eat It. Wilhelmi, in her introduction, suggests reading an entire section of tips— they’re organized by season, though not especially well within the season— 12

WASHINGTON GARDENER SEPTEMBER 2017

as the equinox or solstice approaches, and you could do that, then click the links you’re interested in and bookmark for future reference. Or you could, you know, read a book.

There’s plenty of good stuff here.

There are also a bunch of tips that perpetuate gardening myths (water droplets will not burn your plant leaves in the sunshine; Epsom salts do nothing to increase calcium in your soil; scientific studies have shown little to no benefit from compost tea), so search science-based sources if something sounds fishy. (Linda Chalker-Scott of the University of Washington has a great site debunking myths.) But for the most part, the tips are useful for improving your garden and giving you confidence in activities like seed-starting, selecting what to grow (the Tomato Chooser app caught my eye), dealing with pests and diseases (Gardenerd is based in southern California, but Wilhelmi does her best to give universal advice), harvesting and using produce (recipes!), etc. Lots of links sell a product; some of these are affiliate links for tested items that provide Gardenerd a small bonus, and Gardenerd sells some merchandise directly on its website.

Some links are just for fun—check out the Zucchini 500 race sponsored

by North Carolina State University!

Zucchini cars are a great use for that overgrown monster.

Links have all been recently tested and will be updated in future editions as necessary. You can send an email if you find a broken link. Remember that you will need to read this on an up-todate device with an active internet connection.

Maybe this will feel more like a book to some readers, and you may find it works for you. I’d rather read the tips one at a time on the website or have them turn up in my inbox. If you want gardening tips that are more local in scope, don’t forget that Washington Gardener will provide one every day on social media.

Erica H. Smith is a Montgomery County Master Gardener whose volunteer activities include the MG Demonstration Garden, the Grow It Eat It program, and speaking engagements on food growing topics..

Visionary Landscapes: Japanese Garden Design in North America, The Work of Five Contemporary Masters

By Kendall H. Brown Publisher: Tuttle Publishing List Price: $24.95 Reviewer: Uyen Nguyen Did you know that Japanese-style gardens are more common today in other places around the world than in Japan?

Visionary Landscapes: Japanese Garden Design in North America, The Work of Five Contemporary Masters explores the art form that is Japanese garden design and how these gardens serve as a place of sanctuary that promotes personal health and well-being.

The book’s author, Kendall H. Brown, has written more than a dozen books about Japanese culture, art, and history. He is currently professor of Asian art history at California State University, Long Beach. International nature photographer David Cobb, of the Garden Writers Association, provides the stunning images of residential, commercial, and public gardens in the book.

Visionary Landscapes begins with a bit of history on Japanese gardening that adds substance to the rest of the text. During World War II, JapaneseAmericans built these types of gardens in their internment camps to help handle their desolation and prove that Japanese culture is versatile, yet durable. Today, the West views these gardens as “symbols of sophisticated beauty and international cooperation.”

The five chapters of this book take us into the world of five master landscape architects in North America who specialize in Japanese-style gardens—Hoichi Kurisu, Takeo Uesugi, David Slawson, Shin Abe, and Marc Keane. Each chapter opens with the author’s thoughts on the subject architect, a short bio of the architect’s

BOOKreviews background and involvement in Asian history and gardening, an anecdote and/or short essays from the architects themselves on why and how they got into gardening; then jumps to images, descriptions, and essays from the garden-users and patrons of some of each architect’s latest Japanese-style garden creations. These essays successfully dig deep into each designer’s individual style and the inspiration behind their garden designs.

Visionary Landscapes caters to gardeners who treat horticulture as a craft or artistry, but also serves as an eye-opening piece for the average reader. True to the publisher’s goal, this book explores the idea of nature as the original form of art that is rich in Asian culture and history—it bridges some of the cultural gap between Asia and North America. I especially liked the “Repairing the World” section where the author talks about the positivity in having a Japanese garden in view, at a hospital, for chemotherapy patients to look at while receiving treatment. This hospital, designed by Hoichi Kurisu, was actually located in Oregon — proving things that heal our soul and mind have no cultural boundaries.

It’s refreshing to read from an author so passionate about his subject. Brown truly believes in the timeless beauty of Japanese-style gardens and even goes so far as to denounce it as a Japanese art “craze,” unlike manga or anime, he writes. Cobb’s photos consist more of close-ups of certain components in each garden, rather than wide shots of the entire gardens themselves; but he is able to capture the essence of each thing and uncovers the importance of each object placed in a specific spot and why. The bright photographs would even make this book a great coffee table skim. I recommend this book to avid gardeners, historians, and average readers alike.

Uyen Nguyen is a senior multiplatform journalism major, with a minor in business, at the University of Maryland. She was born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and raised in Baltimore. She is the assistant managing editor of The Diamondback and the former fitness editor for The Campus Trainer. This autumn, she is an editorial intern at Washington Gardener Magazine.

Glorious Shade: Dazzling Plants, Design Ideas, and Proven Techniques for Your Shady Garden

By Jenny Rose Carey Publisher: Timber Press List Price: $24.95 Reviewer: Maeve Dunigan In Glorious Shade, Jenny Rose Carey takes the reader on a beautiful adventure through the shady areas where breathtaking gardens grow. With detailed descriptions and stunning photos, the author is able to teach the nuances of this type of gardening while providing plenty of context and personal anecdotes along the way.

Carey is the senior director at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Meadowbrook Farm in Jenkintown, PA. Through countless years of work in her field, she has come to be a renowned historian and educator. Previously, Carey worked for Temple University as an adjunct professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and later as director of the Ambler Arboretum. Hailing from England, the author also has a Victorian-era property, Northview., which contains diverse garden spaces, including a shade garden, moss garden, and stumpery.

“The ever-changing beauty of the shade garden is a celebration of life; a multi-faceted ecosystem full of diverse community of plants and animals,” writes Carey in the book’s introduction.

Though many are apprehensive about gardening in the shade, with Carey’s guidance, gardening in these areas becomes a rich and fulfilling activ-

ity, which results in a gorgeous space everyone can enjoy.

The publication covers every inch of material anyone could possibly need to start a shade garden. First, Carey notes the types of shade and how to handle each of them. She later delves into how seasonal changes can affect a shade garden, before informing the reader on the types of soils and roots involved in this type of gardening. Finally, Carey gives advice regarding techniques and maintenance of the garden, and she provides ideas for “designing in the shadows,” before ending with a section on how to choose specific plants for the garden. The knowledgeable author even adds charts regarding metric conversions and hardiness zones.

Carey does not limit herself to England and Pennsylvania—photos of gardens span from those in Wyoming, to Illinois, to Maine, and even one local area garden. Ladew Topiary Gardens in Monkton, MD, is featured as having purposeful paths and well-informed design in the section of the book that provides inspiration for garden arrangements and schemes.

Save for a select few, Carey photographed almost every landscape seen in the book. Her photo skills rival her writing, as each image perfectly complements the text alongside it.

Images in a book such as this are of the utmost importance, since it can be hard to envision the spaces only through description. Each photo, in bright, stunning color, is a lesson in successful shade gardening.

Overall, Jenny Rose Carey’s Glorious Shade is an overwhelming success.

The book, packed with pictures and tips, can soothe trepidations anyone may have about the seemingly difficult act of starting a garden in a shady area. o Maeve Dunigan is a senior multiplatform journalism major at the University of Maryland, College Park. In the past, she has worked in science journalism and as an intern for the University of Maryland’s Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, and studied media abroad at The Hague University of Applied Sciences in The Netherlands. This autumn, she is an editorial intern at Washington Gardener Magazine.

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SPECIALfeature

Field to Vase:

Local Flower Growers

Text and photos by Mika Park

The Independent Floral Designers Association (IFDA) held their 2017 Field to Vase Local Flower Grower Event on September 12 at the Cedar Lane Universal Unitarian Church in Bethesda, MD. The event showcased eight local flower growers and presented floral design demonstrations using flowers from the featured local growers. The arrangements made in the demonstrations were then auctioned off to participants.

The featured local growers consisted of Helen’s Garden, of Baltimore County, MD; Wollam Gardens, of Jeffersonton, VA; M&M Plants, of Comus, MD; Plant Masters, of Laytonsville, MD; Hidden Ridge Farm, of Clarksburg, MD; Dilly Dally Garden, of Sykesville, MD; and Marjorie Henry’s On The Windowsill.

The local growers displayed their fall harvest, made available for sale to attendees.

Attendees were given a swag bag with goodies like seeds, and gardening gloves. Refreshments were offered as well. All attendees were able to enter into a raffle, with florally focused prizes like arrangements, floral design materi14

WASHINGTON GARDENER SEPTEMBER 2017

als, and books.

The event began with Dottie Harrigan, administrator and member of the board of directors for IFDA, doing a floral arrangement on stage with Nancy Bushwick-Malloy, who was a program coordinator for IFDA for several years.

Harrigan gave advice for quick stem cutting and conditioning zinnias as she worked on her design.

Dana O’Sullivan, Vice President of Programs for IFDA and floral designer at Della Blooms, designed a floral arrangement using flowers from Dilly Dally Garden. Della Blooms is a floral design company that has developed relationships with local growers. Her design had a base of wire armature, which provided structure for her wide and flowing arrangement.

David Powers, marketing and sales manager and floral designer at Potomac Florals Wholesale, designed a piece using flowers from Wollam Gardens. His arrangement played with height contrast and included magnolia, Russian olive, miscanthus grass, hibiscus, and hydrangea, among other plant varieties.

Demonstrations of floral designs on stage using flowers from the local growers featured helped attendees learn about how to use locally grown flowers in their own arrangements. They were encouraged to purchase from the growers’ stands.

Local flower growing is a crucial element of the Slow Flowers movement, which takes a stand against imported flowers and the waste of valuable resources involved in their transportation by highlighting the importance of using domestically grown flowers.

Eighty percent of cut flowers used by florists for arrangements in the U.S. are imported, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. The Slow Flowers movement sees that the commodification of flowers “result[ed] in a floral industry largely based on high volume, low-cost production” that has posed challenges to independent flower farmers in the U.S., according to Deborah Prinzing, a leading local flower advocate, creator of SlowFlowers. com, and author of Slow Flowers and The 50 Mile Bouquet.

Melanie Hoffman, owner of Hidden Ridge Farm, spoke to these challenges.

“It is difficult as a commercial grower to produce massive volume on a predictable scale,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman said this is especially applicable to growers who try to adhere to sustainable growing practices, which is another principle of the Slow Flowers movement. She is determined to grow sustainably without the use of pesticides and chemicals, despite market competition with growers who are better equipped to reliably produce on a large scale due to their use of such products.

The floral industry recently began to value local flowers more than imported ones, according to Hoffman. “Before two years ago, no one wanted local flowers, but now it’s what everyone wants!” she said.

The Slow Flowers movement also aims to reduce the carbon footprint of flower transportation. Hoffman said that the jet fuel, water, and packaging involved in importing flowers abuse environmental resources. On top of this, the flowers spend so much time in transportation, as well as at wholesale,

SPECIALfeature that florists do not get fresh flowers when imported, she said.

Hoffman had not been to an event like the Field to Vase Local Flower Grower Event before, and thinks it will have a positive impact on the relationship between florists and local flower farmers.

Tobie Whitman, owner and founder of Little Acres Flowers, the only floral design store in DC to exclusively use locally grown flowers, also said that events of this nature will help strengthen ties between florists and local growers. “For designers who aren’t as aware of local flowers, events like this let them know which resources are out there,” Whitman said.

She said that even apart from the sustainability perspective of local flower usage, the event showcased the raw beauty of locally grown flowers. It demonstrated that florists do not have to support an argument by incorporating local flowers, and that their beauty speaks for itself, Whitman said.

Whitman launched Little Acres Flowers in 2013, and the concept stemmed from two places. She worked as a floral designer at a high-end florist company, and noticed that customers wanted fresh and seasonal flowers.

“Because the vast majority of flowers available were imported, they were not seasonal or fresh,” Whitman said. After doing research, she found growers, like Wollam Gardens, in the area that grew product that met the criteria of customers. She saw supply and demand, and decided to start her own company that only designs with locally grown flowers.

Mira Courpas, a floral designer at Little Acres Flowers, recommends reading Flower Confidential by Amy Stewart for those interested in learning more about the Slow Flowers movement. The book exposes the pitfalls of the largescale flower industry, and she said it gives crucial information that points to the importance of the Slow Flowers movement. o Mika Park is a junior multi platform journalism major at the University of Maryland. This past summer, she was an editorial intern at Washington Gardener Magazine. She was born in Holland and raised in Brooklyn, NY.

Dan Domingues as Pablo Del Valle, Steve Hendrickson as Frank Butley, and Sally Wingert as Virginia Butley in “Native Gardens,” running September 15-October 22, 2017, at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. Photo by Dan Norman for Guthrie Theater.

Local Gardening Play Debuts at Arena Stage

by Kathy Jentz

Good fences make good neighbors … right? From the outrageous mind of playwright Karen Zacarías comes this hot new comedy about the clash of class and culture that pushes well-meaning neighbors over the edge. Tania, a very pregnant Ph.D. candidate, and Pablo, her rising attorney husband, move next door to Virginia and Frank, a deep-rooted DC couple with an impeccably trimmed backyard. But when a questionable fence line puts a prize-worthy garden in jeopardy, neighborly rivalry escalates into an all-out border dispute, challenging everyone’s notions of race, privilege, and where to draw the line on good taste. Native Gardens is a coproduction between Arena Stage and the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis where it has had a successful run.

Zacarías, the playwright, has lived in DC since 1991 and recently started gardening at her home in Mount Pleasant, while researching the play. “I’ve always wanted to set a comedy in our own unique backyard of Washington, DC, and I hope the discussion goes all over the map—from mosquitoes, mulch, and gardening, to immigration, class, and privilege,” she says. “I would love the audience to discuss the idea of what an American is in this day and age; what they would do if they were in this situation; and finally, to share their stories about arguments with their neighbors.”

Director Blake Robison predicts that local gardeners will especially enjoy this metaphor of a European-style formal garden next door to the informal Native plant habitat. The juxtaposition causes friction, but both are beautiful in their own ways.

“We ask everyone to recognize and laugh at themselves before they judge others,” Robison said. “No one is the ‘bad guy,’ but no one comes out smelling like a rose, either.”

While the play was in rehearsal and being shaped, the political climate shifted, recalled Robison. “The world has changed around the play. The election happened during that period—giving it an added layer and depth today.

“The audience reactions have been far beyond what we imagined,” Robision said.

“It is written in a broad, sitcom-style approach comparable to ‘I Love Lucy,’ yet it is sprinkled with many in-jokes and insights that locals will recognize.”

Come for the controversy, stay for the comic acorn battle! o Kathy Jentz is editor of Washington Gardener Magazine.

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2017 Trees Matter Symposium Wed, Nov. 1 | 7:30 am – 4 pm Silver Spring Civic Building Silver Spring, MD The sixth annual Trees Matter Symposium focuses on the health and welfare of trees in our increasingly developed landscapes. Learn from some of the country’s leading experts about innovative efforts to plant, protect and preserve trees in urban and suburban settings. � Early bird pricing ($85) available until September 30th. � Regular price for admission is $95.

Dr. Richard Olsen

Director of the United States National Arboretum ��“Tree Selection In A Changing And Challenging Urban Environment”

Dr. Jason Grabosky

Professor of Urban Forestry at Rutgers University ��Part I: “Developing An Urban Context To Service Life Expectations For Canopy Management Planning” ��Part II: “Trees, Soils and Pavement...Oh My!”

Dr. Susannah Lerman

Research Ecologist in the Urban Forests, Human Health, and Environmental Quality unit of the US Forest Service ���������������������������������������������� Forest For Wildlife”

Dr. Andrew Koeser

Assistant Professor of Environmental Horticulture and Landscape Management at the University of Florida ��“Tree Risk Assessment - Separating Perception From Reality.

MontgomeryParks.org/Trees-Matter-Symposium � Register at ActiveMontgomery.org for course #42469 � 16OrWASHINGTON call 301-495-2580 GARDENER SEPTEMBER 2017

EDIBLEharvt

Pickles from the Kitchen Garden

by Elizabeth Olson Pickling is a wonderful way to preserve many products of a kitchen garden.

Whether used to handle a surplus of one crop during peak season or as a way to prevent loss of remaining crops at the end of the season, pickling provides an opportunity for gardeners to consider a surprising array of recipes.

Although cucumbers are the most-common garden product used in making pickles, the number of crops that can produce fine pickles is remarkable.

Pickles can be made from crops ranging from late-season, underripe tomatoes to cabbage and beets. Gardeners can keep this in mind when selecting which fruits and vegetables to grow.

In addition, some seasonings for pickling can be grown in the kitchen garden. One of the easiest to grow is dill. It is a great asset to any gardener who pickles at least some of the harvest from the kitchen garden. Both the leaves and the seeds have lots of flavor. The leaves are sometimes called dill weed, and they can be used fresh or dried for future use. If the plants are allowed to bloom, fresh sprays added

to pickled products will enhance the visual appeal. Seeds allowed to mature fully can be harvested and stored. Wellregarded dill cultivars are ‘Bouquet’, ‘Dukat’, ‘Fernleaf’, ‘Mammoth Long Island’, and ‘Vierling’.

There are several ways to pickle fruit and vegetable crops. The easiest ways are to acidify them in order to either make refrigerator pickles or to process them in a boiling-water canner.

Refrigerator pickles must be stored in the refrigerator, hence the name, and have a relatively short shelf life. Their recipes usually indicate how long they can be safely stored. Pickles processed according to safe food handling practices in a boiling-water canner can be stored unopened for many months at room temperature.

Some fruits and vegetables from the kitchen garden can be pickled whole, while others can be cut into slices or smaller pieces prior to pickling. Here are some popular choices, along with some comments or suggestions: • Beans (sliced single type—for example, green beans—or a mix of beans to

Many traditional seasonings for pickles can be grown in home gardens. Garlic, chili peppers, and dill are grown outdoors.

Bay trees can be grown as indoor-outdoor container plants. Above photo of ‘Endeavor’ pickling cucumbers and seasonings courtesy of ReneesGarden.com.

be used in three bean salad) • Beets (sliced or sectioned large beets such as ‘Cylindra’ or whole baby beets) • Cabbage (chow-chow relish) • Carrots (sliced large or whole baby carrots) • Cauliflower (Florets used in Fall Garden Relish. See page 18.)

• Celery (sections used in relishes or giardiniera) • Corn (kernels from regular-size cobs used in chow-chow relish) • Cucumbers (Some sliced or chunked Asian cultivars are recommended for pickling. Western cultivars specifically noted for pickling are usually shorter, denser, and often knobbier than slicing cucumbers. They have the same cultural requirements. Recommended pickling cucumbers include ‘Alibi’, SEPTEMBER 2017 WASHINGTON GARDENER

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EDIBLEharvt ‘Boston Pickling’, ‘Endeavor’, ‘National Pickling’, and ‘Parisienne Cornichon de Bourbonne’. Western slicing cucumbers usually do not make the best pickles.

However, a recipe that uses them to make tasty bread-and-butter pickles is at the bottom of this column.)

• Garlic cloves (The cloves should be the same size and are great in Pickled Dilled Okra. See page 19.)

• Garlic scapes (These should be harvested before they straighten and become tough.)

• Okra (‘Hill Country’ is a very good choice. Its thick walls hold up well when pickled. The seeds are available from SouthernExposure.com.)

• Onion (Sliced, cured yellow onions have great flavor and texture when pickled.)

• Peaches (Cling peaches are preferred by many cooks. All peaches have their best texture after processing if harvested when they are slightly underripe.)

• Peppers (Medium- and thick-walled peppers such as jalapeño and bell peppers pickle very well. Thin-walled chili peppers can be dried and used in pickle seasoning mixes.)

• Radishes, daikon (These radishes can be huge and have to be sliced.)

• Tomatoes (Whole, green/underripe, medium-small to small-sized fruits pickle well.)

The recipes on these pages provide a pickled showcase for several vegetables, all of which grow very well in the greater Mid-Atlantic region. Even small quantities of produce left over at the end of the season can be combined into delightful relishes. Gardener cooks can experiment with variations in ingredients in refrigerator pickles, depending on personal preferences and availability of individual crops. However, recipes for preserved pickles are tested and need to be followed exactly.

Refrigerator Pickles

Quick and easy, these recipes are ready to eat in a week or less.

Keane’s Favorite Fresh Pickles Recipe courtesy of Rose Marie Nichols McGee of NicholsGardenNursery.com.

You can never make too much of this recipe. Use long cucumbers, short ones, or even the round lemon types, adjusting 18

WASHINGTON GARDENER SEPTEMBER 2017

for size. If firm seeds have developed, scoop out the centers with a spoon before slicing.

Cornichon Refrigerator Pickles Recipe courtesy of John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds.

Ingredients 3 long or 5 medium cucumbers, peeled 1 sweet green pepper 1 sweet red pepper 1 medium onion 1 T salt 2 tsp celery seeds ¾ C sugar ½ C cider vinegar

Your prized, tart little cornichon pickles are perfect with pâté de campagne, baguette, and a glass of wine.

Directions Cut cucumbers into ⅛-inch thick slices.

Cut peppers in half, remove seeds, and thinly slice peppers. Peel onion, cut in half, and thinly slice. Mix cucumber, pepper, and onion slices with salt and celery seed. Let stand for one hour.

Combine sugar and vinegar, pour over vegetables, mix well, cover, and refrigerate. Pickles are ready to eat in about a day. Store in the refrigerator for up to one month. This makes about 5 cups of delicious bread-and-butter type pickles. Variations include reducing the sugar, using fresh dill instead of celery seed, or adding a spicy pepper to the mixture. The pickles are good enough for lunch, especially with a scoop of cottage cheese on the side.

Daikon Tsukemono (Radish Pickles) Recipe courtesy of KitazawaSeed.com.

Most Japanese meals are served with vegetable pickles (tsukemono). The pickling involves various methods depending on desired flavor and length of storage.

Ingredients Daikon (giant white radish) 1/3 C salt 2½ C sugar ½ C vinegar Chili pepper Directions Cut daikon into ½-inch x 1½-inch pieces. Pack daikon into a glass container.

Bring salt, sugar, and vinegar to a boil.

Pour the hot vinegar solution over the daikon. Cover with lid. Refrigerate 3-4 days and stir once or twice during this time. This tsukemono is not intended to be kept for a long time.

Ingredients Cornichon pickling cucumbers, picked when 2" long (the width of a child’s finger) 15-20 tiny, peeled silverskin onions 1 very hot pepper 1 T kosher salt A few whole peppercorns Fresh tarragon White wine vinegar Directions Lightly rinse the little cucumbers. Rub skins with a kitchen towel. Pack them into a sterilized glass jar with the salt, onions, pepper, peppercorns, and fresh tarragon. Fill the jar with white wine vinegar. They’ll be ready in a week and keep for months in the fridge.

Preserved Pickles

The following recipes are courtesy of the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP), which adapted them from the sources noted in each recipe. The center recommends reading Using Boiling-Water Canners before beginning. Additionally, the center recommends that anyone new to home canning read Principles of Home Canning. Both publications are posted on the center’s website, http://nchfp. uga.edu/.

Please note that the processing times for all of the following recipes are based on altitudes of zero to 1,000 feet. For higher altitudes, consult the NCHFP website.

Fall Garden Relish Original recipe from So Easy to Preserve, 5th ed. 2006. Bulletin 989, Cooperative Extension Service, The University of Georgia, Athens. Revised

by Elizabeth L. Andress, Ph.D., and Judy A. Harrison, Ph.D., Extension Foods Specialists.

Ingredients 1 quart chopped cabbage (about 1 small head)

EDIBLEharvt 3 C chopped cauliflower (about 1 medium head) 2 C chopped green tomatoes (about 4 medium) 2 C chopped onions 2 C chopped sweet green peppers (about 4 medium) 1 C chopped sweet red peppers (about 2 medium) 3¾ C vinegar (5%) 3 T canning salt 2¾ C sugar 3 tsp celery seed 3 tsp dry mustard 1½ tsp turmeric Directions Procedure: Combine washed chopped vegetables; sprinkle with the 3 tablespoons salt. Let stand 4 to 6 hours in the refrigerator. Drain well. Combine vinegar, sugar, and spices; simmer 10 minutes. Add vegetables; simmer another 10 minutes. Bring to a boil.

Pack boiling hot relish into hot jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened, clean paper towel; adjust two-piece metal canning lids. Process in a boiling-water canner. Recommend processing time at our altitude is 10 minutes.

Yield: About 4 pint jars.

water canner for 10 minutes at our altitude. Yield: 8 to 9 pints.

Pickled Beets Original recipe from the Complete Guide to Home Canning, Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA, revised 2009.

Ingredients 7 lbs. of 2- to 2½-inch diameter beets 4 C vinegar (5%) 1½ tsp canning or pickling salt 2 C sugar 2 C water 2 cinnamon sticks 12 whole cloves 4 to 6 onions (2- to 2½-inch diameter), if desired Directions Procedure: Trim off beet tops, leaving 1 inch of stem and roots to prevent bleeding of color. Wash thoroughly. Sort for size. Cover similar sizes together with boiling-water and cook until tender (about 25 to 30 minutes). Caution:

Drain and discard liquid.

Cool beets. Trim off roots and stems and slip off skins. Slice into ¼-inch slices. Peel and thinly slice onions.

Combine vinegar, salt, sugar, and fresh water. Put spices in cheesecloth bag and add to vinegar mixture. Bring to a boil. Add beets and onions. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove spice bag.

Fill jars with beets and onions, leaving ½-inch headspace. Add hot vinegar solution, allowing ½-inch headspace.

Adjust lids and process for 35 minutes in a boiling-water canner at our altitude.

Variation: Pickled whole baby beets.

Follow above directions but use beets that are 1 to 1½ inches in diameter.

Pack whole; do not slice. Onions may be omitted. Yield: about 8 pints. o Elizabeth Olson is a Maryland Certified Professional Horticulturist. She is also an avid home gardener who is fascinated by the plants that she grows. She can be contacted through Washington Gardener magazine.

Pickled Dilled Okra Original recipe from the Complete Guide to Home Canning, Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA, revised 2009.

Ingredients 7 lbs. small okra pods 6 small hot peppers 4 tsp dill seed 8 to 9 garlic cloves 2/3 C canning or pickling salt 6 C water 6 C vinegar (5%) Directions Procedure: Wash and trim okra. Fill jars firmly with whole okra, leaving ½inch headspace. Place 1 garlic clove in each jar. Combine salt, hot peppers, dill seed, water, and vinegar in large saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour hot pickling solution over okra, leaving ½inch headspace.

Adjust lids and process in a boiling-

Rubbing these small cucumbers with a clean kitchen towel will remove the knobby spines. Photo of ‘Parisienne Cornichon de Bourbonne’ pickling cucumbers courtesy of John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds.

SEPTEMBER 2017 WASHINGTON GARDENER

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NEIGHBORnwork

Meet Alex Tobing, Global Aquaponic Systems

by Uyen Nguyen

Alex Tobing started Global Aquaponic Systems three years ago with his brother Harris Tobing and business partner Mike DeBleecker. The trio wanted to create a more-sustainable way of farming and find a way to produce completely organic and healthy food for their families. Once Global Aquaponic Systems grew, they aimed to use the farm to educate the public about aquaponics and to provide affordable, fresh, and organic food for the DC area.

“It’s a hobby that turned into a fulltime job,” Alex Tobing said. Located in Silver Spring, MD, their semi-self-sustaining facility contains about two dozen plants such as lemongrass, curry plant, and avocado, and 300 pounds of blue nile tilapia, koi, and goldfish, while their farm raises free-range chickens and goats.

Their naturally grown fish-waste products act as an organic food source and provide the plants with nutrients.In turn, 20

WASHINGTON GARDENER SEPTEMBER 2017

the plants filter the water for the fish.

No soil is used in aquaponics, there is little maintenance, and the entire system recirculates.

Although Tobing often travels internationally, such as to Indonesia or Holland (where his parents are from), he is very familiar with the DC region. He grew up in the Silver Spring area, graduated from Wheaton High School and Montgomery College, then received a business management degree from the University of Maryland in 1992.

Currently, he is a licensed builder by trade; owner and president of Alexander Design/Build Group; and director of operations, partner, and owner of Global Aquaponic Systems.

Q: How and why did you start Global Aquaponic Systems Corporation?

A: I moved to and lived in Alexandria, Egypt, for 18 months in 2012-2013.

We home-school our three children and

Mike DeBleecker (left) and Alex Tobing (right) in their greenhouse at Global Aquaponic Systems in Silver Spring, MD. Photo

by Uyen Nguyen.

The plants they grow include: mint, bell peppers, watercress, lemon grass, lemon balm, figs, curry plant, chiya moya, papaya tree, avocado, sweet thai basil, green peppers, chili peppers, cayenne peppers, strawberries, sorrel, Asian long bean, tomatoes (4-5 different varieties), chard.

it was the best time for “family time.”

Living off the Mediterranean, the food was natural and affordable. When we returned to the States, to eat healthy was very expensive and it didn’t feel right, so I did some research and initiated opened Global Aquaponic Systems with Mike DeBleecker and my brother Harris Tobing.

Q: What mistakes and/or triumphs have you encountered in your work?

A: Global Aquaponic Systems is a tri-

NEIGHBORnwork umph in all aspects. An idea, a trial, and a product. There are really no mistakes; just opportunities to understand and try to capture the natural ecological system and bring it into an urban setting. We are fortunate to be in an “adult playground” since the opportunities are endless. Aquaponics is full of science and we have a 360-degree spectrum of avenues to grow in.

Q: What is a typical day like for you?

A: Since we all have full-time jobs, there is no “typical day” for us in Aquaponics.

We do our best to maintain with the limited time. It is semi-self-sustainable. If we had funding, we would have one fulltime employee to harvest and manicure our plants for optimum potential, keep a farm market open daily, and do more experimental projects.

Q: What is the best part about working at Global Aquaponic Systems?

A: Everything. Like I mentioned earlier, the opportunities are endless. Fun. Providing all-natural produce.

Q: What is your favorite thing to grow at Global Aquaponic and why? The fish, chickens, goats, or the produce?

A: Repetitive, but the opportunity to experiment and try new things. Never a boring time.

Q: What is the benefit of growing plants and raising fish in the same environment? Is there a way for the average home gardener to get involved in aquaponics?

A: The benefit is with itself, where they depend and coexist with each other.

Human nature—a natural ecological system. Aquaponics can be done by the average home gardener, if they are willing to take our Intro to Aquaponics [course]. We are structuring a curriculum with Johns Hopkins, UMD, and USDA to teach the intellectual properties of basic aquaponics. We are also in the process of designing and building a light-weight home system.

systems, and commercial systems.

Q: What is your goal for the future of Global Aquaponic Systems?

A: Our goal is to educate everyone on local, national, and international levels, as well as provide all-natural produce.

Q: Anything else you want to add or think would be of interest to our magazine readers?

A: Make an appointment and take a

tour of our facility! You can contact us through http://globalaquaponic.com. o Uyen Nguyen is a senior multiplatform journalism major, with a minor in business, at the University of Maryland. She was born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and raised in Baltimore. She is the assistant managing editor for The Diamondback and the former fitness editor for The Campus Trainer. This autumn, she is an editorial intern at Washington Gardener Magazine.

Q: Tell us about any ongoing projects at Global Aquaponic Systems.

A: There will be aquaponics classes (available to all ages; public and private schools) for home systems, backyard SEPTEMBER 2017 WASHINGTON GARDENER

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PRODUCTreview

Watering Cans Head-to-Head

by Louise Clarke As a prelude to using watering cans during elementary school summers, I cultivated a quirky habit. I’d lean out the bathroom window every morning to look at the patch of four o’clocks growing below. Taking a cupful of water, I’d pour it out the window, watching the stream splash onto the waiting flowers.

One humid morning, I did this without looking, and the repairman who was repointing the kitchen window below got a most unexpected, refreshing jolt. After my embarrassed apology, I was gently scolded by Mom to use the watering can.

When I was a kid, the family watering can was a clumsy, galvanized thing, with a cracked plastic handle, and exposed wire bail. That made it hard to hold when full, and watered me as well as the petunias. While galvanized cans are still available, and vintage ones make sought-after collectable garden ornaments, lighter-weight, long-wearing plastic cans are attractive alternatives.

Two that I use include a UK-made Haws 1½ gallon Practican and the new, made-in-the-USA Dramm 5-liter (1.33 gal) can. The Haws can, like early Fords, comes in only one color—in this case, British green, while the Dramm can is available in a delectable six-color rainbow—from berry to yellow. You can color-coordinate with your other Dramm watering products, or indulge your English garden fantasy with the mostproper Practican.

Multiple sizes are available from both companies in a range from ½ gallon to 1¾ gallon capacity. Should you fancy 22

WASHINGTON GARDENER SEPTEMBER 2017

the Haws can, other plastic models in their inventory are offered in a range of colors.

Both cans are molded of lightweight, yet flexible, sturdy plastic. Well-balanced with comfortable handles, that design feature alone makes watering more efficient and less of a struggle.

Each is reinforced to support the most-likely-to-be-damaged neck and spout areas. In the Haws can, the support is an open triangle, giving you an extra place to grip it. In the Dramm can, you supply support from below the neck. The long necks allow you to supply constant water pressure and reach into beds and pots more easily. Plastic construction is also good for delivering liquid fertilizers, since the plastic is chemically non-reactive.

The Haws Practican features a uniquely designed tall neck, which keeps water from sloshing out during transport and when watering. Where was this during my early watering days?

The elongated neck allows you to water at a steeper angle, especially when the can is full.

Watering roses (why not daisies?) supply a gentle shower, good for seedlings and moistening large areas.

Delicate plant divas will applaud the gentle spray delivered by the upturned rose, while established plants will relish the downturned rose’s more-forceful delivery. Roses are detachable from both cans, providing flexibility to deliver a concentrated stream of water. The Haws can cleverly provides a “parking place” to store its oval, brass-faced

rose. Dramm’s round rose design is one molded piece, which I’ve found to be more durable than the two-piece English rose.

I suppose one shouldn’t leave the watering can outside year-round, but I have, and the plastic is forgiving of my negligence. With good care, one should expect years of useful service from either can. Haws guarantees their outdoor plastic cans for five years; Dramm cans carry a lifetime guarantee.

Since my youthful escapades, I still derive pleasure from watering my garden. Especially when watering my containers, I’m interacting with my plants, assessing their needs, and enjoying their beauty. And those four o’clocks still appreciate the drink.

For more information: • Dramm Lawn & Garden— https://rainwand.com/model/5-literwatering-can/ • Haws UK— https://haws.co.uk/collections/indoorwatering-cans/products/6-litre-plasticpractican. 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 tiki hut, made from repurposed materials.

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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 SEPTEMBER 2017