Washington Gardener Magazine September 2016

SEPTEMBER 2016 VOL. 11 NO. 7

WWW.WASHINGTONGARDENER.COM

WASHINGTON WAS W WASHINGTO ASHINGTO

ggardener

the magazine for gardening enthusiasts in the Mid-Atlantic region

This Fall, Plant Bad-Tasting Bulbs to Deter Deer and Rodents Your Monthly Garden Tasks To-do List Testing the Japanese Rice Sickle DIY: Yard Flamingo Facelift Local Gardening Events Calendar

A Visit to Virginia’s Simpson Park Gardens Win a Trio of Espoma Organic Liquid Fertilizers

Improve Indoor Air with House Plants Fall for the Blues with Caryopteris

How to Grow Healthy Peaches and Nectarines

RESOURCESsourc

o oo ooo 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 wgardenermag@aol.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

www.sunfarm.com

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.

Specializing in Garden

Renewals & Renovations Yard By Yard Makeovers, LLC 7304 Carroll Avenue, #229 Takoma Park, MD 20912 301-270-4642 yardmakeovers@yahoo.com www.yardmakeovers.com

We can reshape and beautify neglected yards.

Order some today at: www.manuretea.com

Green Spring Gardens

www.greenspring.org

2

WASHINGTON GARDENER

A “must visit” for everyone in the metropolitan Washington, DC, area. It’s a year-round gold mine 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.

SEPTEMBER 2016

Your Ad Here

Are you trying to reach thousands of gardeners in the greater DC region/Mid-Atlantic area? Washington Gardener Magazine goes out on the 15th of every month. Contact wgardenermag@aol.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: wgardenermag@aol.com.

o

FEATURES and COLUMNS

o

6

INSIDEcontents

Located in the Del Ray neighborhood of northeast Old Town Alexandria, VA, the Simpson Gardens actually consist of five unique gardens, each created to demonstrate a different type of theme.

One of the joys of growing your own fruit is making it into dishes you can share.

Peach pie photo by Andrew Malone (Peach pie uploaded

by Mindmatrix) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

14

o

16 Caryopteris ‘Lil Miss Sunshine‘ photo is courtesy of Proven Winners, www. provenwinners.com.

BOOKreviews 17-19 Beetles; Foraging; President’s Gardens; Bonsai and Penjing DAYtrip 6 Simpson Gardens EDIBLEharvest 14-15 Peaches and Nectarines NEWPLANTspotlight 11 Pieris japonica ‘Cabernet’ PLANTprofile 16 Caryopteris PRODUCTreview 22 Japanese Rice Sickle RAINYDAYproject 20-21 Yard Flamingo Makeovers TIPStricks 10 Critter-resistant and Naturalizing Spring Bulbs; House Plants to Clean Indoor Air

DEPARTMENTS ADVERTISINGindex BLOGlinks EDITORletter GARDENcontest LOCALevents MONTHLYtasklist NEXTissue RESOURCESsources

24 11 4 5 12–13 11 3 2

ON THE COVER

Peaches for sale at the FreshFarm Market in Dupont Circle, Washington, DC.

Next month in our October 2016 issue: Growing Rhubarb in the Mid-Atlantic Beautiful Abutilon Stinging Saddlebacks 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 2016

WASHINGTON GARDENER

3

o

EDITORletter

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

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

The Takoma Horticultural Club’s Centennial Committee gathers at the end of the celebration party. Your editor is standing third from the right, wearing a black hat.

Marking a Milestone The Takoma Horticultural Club (THC) was founded in 1916 and is one of the oldest continuously operating garden clubs in the United States. I have been on the club’s board in some capacity for about 15 years and served as president for two of them. This year, I took on the duties of spearheading our Centennial Committee. At first, we planned small—a reception for leaders and a perennial planting somewhere in the town—but as talented and energetic volunteers came forward, plans expanded.

The small reception grew into a big party open to all. We decided to use the occasion to raise funds for various projects and solicited member donations. We have just secured a $1,000 grant from the Takoma Foundation for a Centennial Park at the corner of Piney Branch and Sligo Avenues, and we researched the history of the club. In that research, we found out extraordinary things! Among our past club leaders were men and women of significance in local and international horticulture. They include: • The first woman to serve as president of the club was Margaret Caldwell Lancaster, a garden planner and landscaper who was a vigorous and effective part of the larger Garden Club movement that appeared early in the 20th Century.

• Dr. William Stuart (1865–1951), a founding member of THC, was also known as “the Potato King,” for his role in advancing the potato industry.

• Wilbur H. Youngman (1896–1986), perhaps best known as the author of the Washington Star garden books, was also an early member of THC, joining in 1928, shortly after he moved to the DC area to work for the USDA as a seed specialist.

• Winn T. Simmons joined THC shortly after its founding, served as its third president, and later held every other club office. He was also an iris hybridizer, registering four varieties of tall bearded iris. His home on Aspen Street, NW, was the site of one of the area’s earliest small-scale nurseries, specializing in irises.

• Tenth president of the club, Benjamin Y. Morrison (1891–1966), was a pioneer in horticulture and the first director of the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, DC. A scientist, landscape architect, plant explorer, author, and lecturer, Morrison is known for his development of the Glen Dale Azaleas. Many of his hybrid azaleas can be found across the community, thus Takoma Park’s reputation as “Azalea City.”

I am proud to be in such company and to continue the legacy of this club, and hope you also find a local garden club to join and support.

Happy gardening!

Kathy Jentz, Editor/Publisher, Washington Gardener 4

WASHINGTON GARDENER

SEPTEMBER 2016

• 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 is a womanowned business. We are proud to be members of: · Garden Writers Association · Think Local First DC · 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 11, Number 7 ISSN 1555-8959 © 2016 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

Caption Contest

We asked our Facebook page followers to caption this photo of the Terrarium Contest entries waiting to be judged at the recent DC State Fair 2016 in Washington, DC. Look for more monthly caption contests at the Facebook.com/ WashingtonGardenerMagazine page.

Reader Contest

Winning Captions: “Year-round beauties and year long centerpieces!” ~ Anne Freeman Shonnard “Under glass on a steamy summer day, these green plantings thrive and flourish.” ~ Rooting DC “Hipsters anxiously await judging results for twee gardens—local beers help quench their nerves.” ~ The International Waterlily & Water Gardening Society “Trapped under glass these desperate little plants cry out in unison, but no one can hear their screams over the drum circle.” ~ G. Gurus “How to make a terrarium without swearing!” ~ Elizabeth Melbourne “You think YOU are hot! We are crammed in here cheek-to-jowl under glass” ~ Fred Newsome

For our September 2016 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away a set of Espoma Organic Start!, Bloom!, and Grow! liquid fertilizer. (The prize pack is valued at $30.)

Start!, Bloom!, and Grow! from Espoma (www.espoma.com) are low in salts and made with all-natural ingredients. They are safer and healthier for plants and don’t leave a fishy smell behind. And because they are liquid, they work immediately to give plants what they need most.

Providing the right balance of natural proteins, kelp extracts, humic acids and a proprietary blend of beneficial microbes, Start!, Bloom!, and Grow! each help plants grow bigger, better, and more beautiful.

The new, innovative Easy Dose cap makes fertilizing less of a guessing game. Each dose gives a precise feeding of specially formulated nutrients. Simply open the flip-top lid, invert the bottle, and release a premeasured dose of product directly into the watering can.

Espoma’s organic liquid plant foods are safe to handle. Apply directly to the roots for fast-acting results. The products are also safe for use around children and pets.

To enter to win the set of three fertilizers, send an email to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5pm on Friday, September 30, with “Espoma Liquid Fertilizer” in the subject line and in the body of the email tell us which was your favorite article in this issue and why. Please also include your full name and mailing address. The winner will be announced and notified on October 1.

SEPTEMBER 2016

WASHINGTON GARDENER

5

DAYtrip

Simpson Park Gardens:

Master Gardener Inspirations Text and and Photos Photos

by Cheval Force Opp

On a sticky hot July morning, I parked in the Alexandria, VA, YMCA parking lot and stepped out into the blazing sun, looking for Audrey Faden. A tallish, woman with a cane in hand and blue sunhat greeted me. Her growing smile crinkled her broad face right up to her bright eyes, intense behind oversized round glasses. Her enduring leadership in the garden made her the perfect guide for Simpson Park Gardens.

Born on a coffee farm in Kenya in 1941, Faden earned a BS in zoology and botany from Bristol University, England, in 1964 and a certificate of education the following year. She returned to Kenya, eventually heading the Education Section of the National Museums of Kenya, where she met her husband, Robert Faden. After years of travel for work, education, and plant collecting in Kenya, St. Louis, Sri Lanka, Africa, Chicago, and East Africa, the couple in 1985 came to the Del Ray neighborhood of northeast Old Town Alexandria. Faden became a Master Gardener and a volunteer at the Smithsonian research greenhouse and the Arlington demonstration gardens.

For an early Master Gardener project, she designed and installed the gardens in front of the old YMCA building, along Monroe Avenue. Three decades later, the plantings of Tulipa bakeri continue 6

WASHINGTON GARDENER

SEPTEMBER 2016

to blanket the entry every year in a spring flurry, delighting YMCA visitors.

One is Never Enough

I followed Faden into the couple’s fenced yard next to Simpson Gardens.

It was easy to see why this small enclosure was not able to contain their garden ambitions. Plants crowded the ground; tufa containers and pots littered every available space except a walkway that threaded down the center. Even the house window wells are commandeered. By filling them with sand, they could root plant cuttings protected from the elements.

Faden shared stories of where plants originated and how each found their way to her as I craned to look up at towering trees that began as saplings years ago. The arm of a Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica glauca) ‘Pendula’ stretches a limb down the center of the space, like a theatrical curtain.

A Garden of Ideas

The YMCA’s new building construction opened the door in 1998 for the Master Gardeners to expand on their past success. Faden with the Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia submitted a plan for the Simpson Park Demonstration Gardens.

One of the first plantings installed

was the Water-wise Demonstration Garden, which turned an arid median strip into a welcoming entrance. A unique aspect of the design is a hidden gravel trough topping the central berm.

This functional feature allows water hosed onto the berm to slowly trickle down into the plantings, allowing for easier maintenance.

Simpson Park Gardens encourages homeowners with thriving, creative examples of ornamental and medicinal plants that grow successfully in local yards. Each of the seven gardens rooms has a focus; water-thrifty plants, plants in tufa rock, raised berm plants, fragrance plants, butterfly garden plants with a butterfly soak, and plants for shade. A decorative flagstone garden is the seventh project, created by a father and son for a Boy Scout merit badge. The duo used local stones to form a baseball diamondshaped pavement area in honor of the nearby Simpson Field.

Visitors enjoy meandering between the areas in the almost one-acre space. The site plan employs the classic design attributes of successful landscapes; backlighting, winding paths for contemplation of details, walls to define spaces, and vistas to entice exploration.

Specimen trees line the boundar-

DAYtrip ies to include a surprising variety of native, nonnative, and rare plants.

A Crape Myrtle (Lagerstromia faurei )‘Townhouse’ displays the most striking bark I have ever seen; dark chocolate with silvery swaths. Another tree, Hercules Club (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis L.), has startling fierce thorns dotting its trunk. Katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) seedlings collected by Mr. Faden from behind the National Museum of History are now two 40-feet-plus giants with heartshaped leaves that turn apricot in fall.

A seedling of Bougainvillea Golden-rain tree (Koelreuleria bepinnata), given by the late Fred Meyer from the U.S National Arboretum, dazzles visitors in autumn with yellow flowers covering showy, foot-long branched panicles.

Hard-working Gurus

Master Gardener volunteers were hard at work in Simpson Gardens, planting, weeding, and pruning on the Tuesday I visited. Simpson Gardens is one of five demonstration gardens cared for by the local Master Gardeners. I contacted Virginia Cooperative Extension agent Kirsten Conrad-Buhls to learn more about this generous gardener group.

The Arlington/Alexandria Association of Extension Master Gardeners formed in 1981 is the oldest in Virginia. The non-profit organization is called Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia and is only one group of Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners (VCE MG) in Virginia. Residents in nearly all Virginia counties and independent cities have local VCE MG programs.

Indeed, extension MGs are active in all 50 states, DC, and Canada. Known as one of the largest volunteer programs in the country, its mission of public outreach aims to encourage sustainable landscape management.

The VCE MG volunteer training recruits ambitious gardeners eager to contribute to the community. The program provides science-based home horticulture training for educational outreach efforts in a variety of local community settings. Each Virginia VCE MG commits to 120 hours of training: first about 66 classroom hours, then a 60-hour internship the following year to complete the training. “Certified” volunteers serve at least 20 hours a year and complete eight hours of continuing education to maintain their status as Master Gardeners.

Conrad-Buhls noted that in addition to working in the five demonstration gardens in Arlington and Alexandria, VCE MGs also work on social media, website blog posts and content, classroom education for adults, and afterschool youth education via the VCE 4H program. Also, VCE MGs staff the Daily Horticulture Helpdesk in the Fairlington Community Center, and four weekly plant clinics—two each in Arlington and Alexandria.

In our area, Fairfax County has two VCE-MG programs, Prince William, and Loudoun County have very active MG programs as do Fauquier and Stafford Counties. Maryland also has MG programs, as does Washington, DC. Check out your local Master Gardener websites for activities that will enrich your gardening life and support healthier landscapes in our region. Several websites are listed at the end of this article to get you started.

Green Magic

It is heartening to walk through this verdant garden created from an unused plot of dirt. Each volunteer brings a rich legacy of talent from their personal lives and careers, and the variety and

SEPTEMBER 2016

WASHINGTON GARDENER

7

DAYtrip

A ‘Townhouse’ Crape Myrtle with exeptionally ornamental bark.

vibrancy of the gardens reflect their devoted energy. Together, the VCE MG, community volunteers, YMCA leaders, and Faden have created a plot of magic that draws people together in the community to enjoy the beauty of living green plants.

I hope the rich legacy of this and all community gardens will be cared for in the future by younger members of our region, and Simpson Gardens will grace this part of Alexandria for many years.

Find a Demonstration Garden Near You

Note that if you see Master Gardeners at work during your visit to any of these gardens, do not hesitate to ask them questions.

• Quarry Shade Garden at Bon Air Park One of the first demonstration gardens, It began in 1989 on the site of an old rock quarry. It has evolved over the years and now features native plants and is certified as a National Wildlife Federation “Backyard Wildlife Habitat.”

If you want to learn more about native plants, this would be a great place to volunteer. See: https://mgnv.org/demonstration-gardens-2/quarry-shadegarden/.

Located at Bon Air Park, Wilson Blvd. at North Lexington Street between Ballston and Seven Corners. Park in 8

WASHINGTON GARDENER

SEPTEMBER 2016

the lot next to the Rose Garden and follow the walkway into the park.

• Glencarlyn Library Community Garden Begun as a Boy Scout Eagle project in the early 1990s, but neglected over time, it was revived in 1999 by two VCE Master Gardeners. Today, this renaissance site includes a gazebo; arches; curving brick walk; several hundred sun and shade perennials, and more than 35 varieties of trees, shrubs, and vines; and many bulbs, herbs and medicinal. The banana plants are a treat for children. A great volunteer opportunity to work with a variety of garden maintenance and plant care. See: https:// mgnv.org/demonstration-gardens-2/ glencarlyn-library-community-garden/.

Located at the corner of S. Third and S. Kensington Streets off Carlin Springs Road.

• Sunny Garden Started in 1990, this contains an abundant number of sun-loving perennials, but also includes a few part-shade plants. If you have always wanted to grow a cutting garden, this would be a great place to volunteer. See: https:// mgnv.org/demonstration-gardens-2/ sunny-garden/.

Located at Bon Air Park, Wilson Blvd. at North Lexington Street between Ballston and Seven Corners.

• Potomac Overlook Regional Park / Organic Vegetable Garden The newest of the local demonstration gardens, it began in 2000 with a focus on organic urban vegetable gardening.

Volunteers in this garden learn to propagate plants from seeds, crop rotation techniques, composting, routine garden and soil maintenance, seasonal organic vegetable gardening techniques, and development of community educational materials and programs. An on-site water system, (including a rain barrel) and 20-foot-high “wildlife exclusion” fence support this active program.

See: https://mgnv.org/demonstrationgardens-2/potomac-overlook-regionalpark-organic-vegetable-garden/.

Located at Potomac Overlook Regional Park, 2845 N. Marcey Road, Arlington, VA. Park in the lot and walk past the Nature Center to the garden.

For More Information • Master Gardeners of Northern

Hercules Club tree has intimidating thorns dotting its trunk.

Virginia: https://mgnv.org/.

Simpson Gardens in Alexandria: https://mgnv.org/demonstration-gardens-2/simpson-gardens/.

• Demonstration Gardens: https://mgnv.org/demonstration-gardens-2/.

• Virginia Cooperative Extension, Master Gardener Program: http://www. ext.vt.edu/topics/lawn-garden/mastergardener/index.html.

• Maryland Master Garden Programs: https://extension.umd.edu/mg.

• District of Columbia Master Gardener Program: http://www.udc.edu/college_of_urban_ agriculture_and_environmental_studies/master_gardening. o Special thanks to Audrey Faden, Master Gardener Emerita, for introducing me to Simpson Gardens and to Kirsten Conrad Buhls, Agriculture Natural Resource Extension Agent, Virginia Cooperative Extension, for details of the Master Gardener Programs.

Cheval Force Opp lives and gardens in historical Dunn Loring, VA, with her husband, Dana, and corgi Marzipan. When she is not pulling weeds, she is visiting, writing, or speaking about gardens. She serves as a Regional Director for GWA, the Garden Communicators Association, an international professional organization supporting gardens and gardeners.

JOIN US FOR THE FIFTH ANNUAL

1

2

3

4

FEATURED SPEAKERS & TOPICS:

“Trees and the Built Environment” Wednesday, October 19, 7:30am-4pm

1. DR. EDWARD GILMAN Professor of Environmental Horticulture at the University of Florida and author of the Illustrated Guide

to Pruning

Silver Spring Civic Center, Great Hall 1 Veterans Place, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Part 1: “Tree Crown Reduction Strategies” Part 2: “Recent Advances in Nursery Production: Improving Roots and Tops.”

The fifth 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.

2. DR. KIM CODER

Trees provide many benefits: they cleanse and cool our air, stabilize our soils, provide wildlife habitat and beautify our urban and suburban areas. We encourage all arborists, landscape industry and environmental/green industry professionals, engineers, designers, housing developers and interested citizens to take advantage of this opportunity to learn new techniques and concepts on what can be done to ensure the survival of trees in our built environment.

Early bird pricing ($75) available until September 17th. Regular price for admission is $90.

PRESENTING SPONSORS

Professor of Community Forestry at the University of Georgia

Part 1: “Trees Surviving Ice Storms: Prioritize Damage Forms and Mitigation” Part 2: “Trees, Heat, and Drought: Changing Water Understandings”

3. JAMES URBAN, FASLA Owner of Urban Trees + Soils and the author of ‘Up

By Roots: Healthy Trees and Soils in the Built Environment’

“6 Critical Elements in Street Tree Design” Jim Urban will review the six concepts that need to be included in the design of any tree and provide direction to how each can be incorporated into the design and construction of tree planting spaces.

4. DR. ERIKA SVENDSEN Research Social Scientist with the U.S. Forest Service Northern Resarch Station.

“Cultivating Civic Stewardship in the Urban Forest” Dr. Svendsen will discuss the social and spatial interactions among people and groups that conserve, manage, monitor, advocate for, and educate the public about their local environments.

Montgomery Parks, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, encourages and supports the participation of individuals with disabilities. Please contact the Program Access Office at 301-495-2477 or ProgramAccess@ MontgomeryParks.org to request a disability modification. Visit MontgomeryParks.org/ProgramAccess for more information.

For more information, visit MontgomeryParks.org/Arboriculture Register at ActiveMontgomery.org for course #24294, or call the registrar at 301-495-2580.

SEPTEMBER 2016

WASHINGTON GARDENER

9

TIPStricks

The Right House Plant Could Improve Indoor Air

Indoor air pollution is an important environmental threat to human health, leading to symptoms of “sick building syndrome.” But researchers report that surrounding yourself with certain house plants could combat the potentially harmful effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a main category of these pollutants. Interestingly, they found that certain plants are better at removing particular harmful compounds from the air, suggesting that, with the right plant, indoor air could become cleaner and safer. Using plants to remove chemicals from indoor air is called biofiltration or phytoremediation.

The researchers presented their work a few weeks ago at the 252nd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in the Pennsylvania Convention Center. ACS is the world’s largest scientific society.

“Buildings, whether new or old, can have high levels of VOCs in them, sometimes so high that you can smell them,” says Vadoud Niri, Ph.D., leader of the study.

The researchers tested five common house plants and eight common VOCs, and found that certain plants were better at absorbing specific compounds.

For example, all five plants could remove acetone—the pungent chemical that is abundant in nail salons—from the air, but the dracaena plant took up the most, around 94 percent of the chemical.

“Based on our results, we can recommend what plants are good for certain types of VOCs and for specific locations,” Niri says. “To illustrate, the bromeliad plant was very good at removing six out of eight studied VOCs—it was able to take up more than 80 percent of each of those compounds—over the 12-hour sampling period, so it could be a good plant to have sitting around in the household or workplace.”

Niri says the next step in the research is to test these plants’ abilities in a real room, not just a sealed chamber. He would eventually like to put plants in a nail salon over the course of several months to see whether they can reduce the levels of acetone that workers are exposed to. o 10

WASHINGTON GARDENER

SEPTEMBER 2016

Plant Bad-Tasting, Naturalizing Bulbs

For those who love colorful spring bulb flowers, but are plagued by flowerdevouring deer or bulb-chomping squirrels, voles, and other critters, there is a solution. And it doesn’t involve smelly sprays, expensive fencing, or firearms.

Just switch to bulbs that taste bad, say the experts at Colorblends.com.

“Keep things simple. Plant flower bulbs that you’ll love, but animals won’t,” says third-generation bulbsman Tim Schipper, president of Colorblends (colorblends.com), a Connecticut-based flower bulb wholesaler.

For starters, says Schipper, whose company sells direct to landscape professionals and home gardeners coastto-coast, “Plant daffodils. Choose any variety, small- or large-flowering; yellow, white, orange, peachy-pink, or bi-colors.

Deer and rodents won’t eat them. The same is true for white snowdrops and snowflakes.”

He considers daffodils, snowdrops, and snowflakes to be deer- and rodentproof, “All three of these bulbs contain lycorine, a bitter alkaloid that’s toxic when eaten. Animals know to steer clear of them.”

Other bulbs Schipper recommends include many coveted blue and purple spring bloomers such as alliums, starflowers, glory-of-the-snow, and blue squill. These bulbs are considered deerand rodent-resistant in varying degrees, because they taste bad enough that animals usually avoid them.

“If deer and rodents are starving, and there are edible alternatives, they’ll eat almost anything,” says Schipper.

“Alliums and starflowers, for instance, are not bothered by deer and, usually, not by rodents. But voles will go after them when food is scarce.”

Colorblends.com ranks these bulbs as best bets where deer are problematic:

allium, camassia, glory-of-the snow, winter wolf’s bane, crown imperial, snake’s head, starflower, and blue squill. Where rodents run amok, glory-of-the snow, winter wolf’s bane, crown imperial, and blue squill are typically left alone.

“Unfortunately, tulips and crocuses, which are eye candy to us, are actual candy to deer and rodents. They find tulips and crocuses irresistible,” says Schipper. “If this is a big problem where you live, don’t plant bulbs that animals like. Of course, if you can’t imagine spring without tulips, which I understand, try planting in a protected area near the house, especially where your dog hangs out.”

For those considering a crafty move such as planting tulips surrounded by critter-repelling bulbs like daffodils, Schipper has bad news. “Unfortunately, our furry friends don’t fall for that trick,” he says. “They find the tulips and leave the daffodils alone.”

Schipper says there’s another bonus to planting bad-tasting beauties—most of them also naturalize, returning to bloom for several years or more.

“These bulbs are good investments for long-term plantings, whether you’re bothered by deer and squirrels or not,” says Schipper. “If planted in a sunny location where the soil drains well, the same bulbs that animals tend to avoid will usually settle in, make a home, and maybe start a bulb family.”

To encourage bulbs to naturalize, allow the foliage to die back for approximately eight weeks after bloom, says Schipper. The leaves contain special cells called chloroplasts that trap energy from the sun, part of the process called photosynthesis that transforms light, carbon dioxide, and water into food. Letting the leaves die back allows the bulb to store energy for next year’s bloom.

“Bulbs are programmed by nature to both thrive and survive,” he says. “The bulb itself is really a built-in, underground food storage unit that fuels the plant’s future growth and reproduction.”

Says Schipper, “These are incredibly efficient plants that bloom profusely, with big color, when landscapes are otherwise bare. When you think about it, once you’ve seen bulb flowers in bloom, it really is hard to picture spring without them.” o

GARDENnews

Quick Links to Recent Washington Gardener Blog Posts • Butternut Squash: Savor Sunday • Beautyberry: You Can Grow That!

• Tomato Taste 2016 Results • Chicory: Wildflower Wednesday See more Washington Gardener blog posts at: WashingtonGardener.Blogspot.com o

September-October Garden To-Do List New Plant Spotlight Gay Goblin™ Lily of the Valley Shrub (Monrovia’s Enchanted Forest Collection®) Pieris japonica ‘Cabernet’ P.P.A.F.

Lavish clusters of elegant, rich-pink, pendant-shaped flowers appear in late winter and bloom well into spring.

Valuable in shady spots for its glossy foliage that follows bronze-tinted new spring growth. Mass where you need height, or line a partial-sun foundation or fence.

Provide well-drained soil, acidic and rich in organic matter. Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. Keep roots cool with a thick layer of mulch. Feed with a slow-release, acid fertilizer after bloom.

Available from www.monrovia.com.

Plant Details Plant type: Shrub USDA Hardiness Zone: 6 - 8 Deciduous/evergreen: Evergreen Growth habit: Mounding Growth rate: Slow Average landscape size: Slow grower to 5 to 7 ft. tall, 3 to 5 ft. wide.

Special features: Easy care, year-round Interest Light Needs: Partial Sun Water: Needs regular watering—weekly, or more often in extreme heat.

Foliage color: Green Blooms: Late winter to early spring Flower color: Red Flower attributes: Long bloom season, showy flowers Garden style: Asian/Zen, Cottage, Container, Hedge, Specimen, Woodland Garden. 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 cactus 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 2016

WASHINGTON GARDENER

11

TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ September 16–October 15, 2016 • Saturday, September 17, 10am–12n Fall Lawn Care and Lawn Renovation For a beautiful spring lawn, start now by learning and implementing the five fall “best practices” for a healthy, environmentally friendly lawn. Come learn about selecting the best turfgrass varieties, proper maintenance practices to have a healthy lawn and reduce pests, and how to properly calibrate a fertilizer spreader to apply just the right amount with the right product. If your lawn has endured years of neglect, weeds, wear and tear, or worse!, it might be time for a renovation. Learn how to determine the needs and best techniques for your situation from turf specialist Geoff Rinehart. Take home lawn care information to help you through the process. A guided tour of the new “Grass Roots” Exhibit will follow the classroom part of the workshop and refreshments and door prizes will be provided. Meet in the Visitor Center Auditorium at the US National Arboretum. Registration is free, but space is limited and registration is encouraged. Call 202-245-5965 or e-mail Geoffrey Rinehart at geoffrey. rinehart@ars.usda.gov to register.

• Saturday, September 17, 1pm Hyattsville Horticultural Society Talk: Planting in a Post-Wild World.

The Hyattsville Horticultural Society (HHS) is sponsoring a talk by landscape architect Thomas Rainer. Rainer is coauthor, with Claudia West, of the 2015 book Planting in a Post Wild World, which recently won an American Horticultural Society Book Award. Rainer will address designing landscapes and gardens that provide ecological benefits while satisfying our craving for beauty and interaction with nature.

The HHS is pleased to be offering this event as part of the city’s Environmental Expo. The Expo’s theme is “Our Hyattsville Grass Roots.” The event will take place at the Hyattsville City Building at 4310 Gallatin Street, Hyattsville, MD, and surrounding streets from 10am–4pm. All events are free and will take place rain or shine. More on Expo: http://www.hyattsville.org/695/Grassroots-Expo.

12

WASHINGTON GARDENER

SEPTEMBER 2016

• Wednesday, September 21, 10am– 2:30pm Grow It Eat It Preserve It This session will cover the types of canned products that can be safely made at home and the necessary ingredients, equipment, and supplies. The basic steps of water-bath canning and food safety considerations will be demonstrated. Included in your registration fee are a take-home canned product, handouts, and the book, So Easy To Preserve, which includes tested recipes and in-depth information designed for both new and experienced food preservers. Bring a brown bag lunch. Course # 23574. Brookside Garden Visitor Center Auditorium. Instructor: Lisa Gonzalez, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, UMD. Fee: $40 FOBG: $37; registration required. To register: https://apm. activecommunities.com/montgomerycounty/Activity_Search/grow-it-eat-itpreserve-it/18579.

• Saturday, September 24, 9am–1pm National Public Lands Day at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Volunteer and celebrate National Public Lands Day in partnership with the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) and National Capital Parks-East. Spend the morning removing cut lotus from the ponds, clearing invasive plants from the forest, and picking up litter. When the work is done, come enjoy a FREE LUNCH, dance performance, and photo contest award ceremony in the picnic area. Individuals, groups, families, and friends are welcome—there is something for everyone!

SSL credit is available. Please sign up online here. Contact Tina with questions at tina@friendsofkenilworthgardens.org or 202-49-0456.

• Sunday, September 25, 12n–4pm All Hallows Guild Turns 100 Celebrate the National Cathedral’s Bishop’s Garden Centennial with a fun family afternoon in the garden. Food for sale, featuring Rocklands Barbecue, live music, croquet and other games on the lawn. Garden docents to answer all your questions and an Herb Cottage minicart with specialty jam, tea, and other

gifts for sale. Free tote bags and “Color the Cathedral Close” coloring books.

Bring your picnic blanket, relax with family and friends. Free and open to the public. See www.allhallowsguild.org.

• Wednesday, September 28, 7:30pm Plant Lecture by USNA Director The Beltsville Garden Club hosts: “Plants, Plants, Plants.” Dr. Richard Olsen (a Greenbelter), Director of the U.S. National Arboretum, will discuss new plants, old plants, cool plants, and plants not yet on the market. The public is welcome, and admission is free.

Refreshments will be served after the meeting. The Beltsville Garden Club meeting is in the multi-purpose room of the Duckworth School, 11201 Evans Trail, Beltsville, MD. • October 1 to 30, 9th Annual DC Design House Listed at $10.8 million by Nancy Itteilag of Washington Fine Properties, the five-story, 11,242-square-foot home includes seven bedrooms, eight full bathrooms, two half baths, three kitchens, five fireplaces, sauna, exercise and party rooms, wine cellar, elevator, plus an infinity pool. Built in 2010 by Gibson Builders and situated on a three-quarter-acre lot in the Wesley Heights/Berkley neighborhood, the home, designed

by GTM Architects, most recently was the temporary residence of the French ambassador while his house was undergoing renovations. The 2016 DC Design House benefiting Children’s National Health System is located at 2509 Foxhall Road, NW, Washington, DC, 20007.

Preview Day tickets are $60. (October 1). General admission tickets are $35 (October 2–30). Tickets can be purchased online at www.dcdesignhouse. com.

•Sunday, October 2, 10am–5pm Annual Bulb Sale: Best Bulbs for Our Vicinity The Takoma Hort Club annual bulb sale fundraiser is held during the Takoma Street Festival, Carroll Ave., Takoma Park, MD. Direct-from-Holland bulbs specifically chosen as well-suited for our local gardens—squirrel- and deer-

TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ September 16–October 15, 2016 resistant varieties, as well as those that naturalize readily. They will also have lots of the popular paper whites and a few “member recommendations.” THC members will receive a discount. See more about the club at TakomaHort.org.

• Thursday, October 6, 5–8pm Washington Youth Garden’s Annual Strolling Supper Celebrating 45 Years An evening of food, drinks, auctions, and dancing at Pepco Edison Place Gallery, 702 8th St. NW, Washington, DC. Purchase your early bird tickets today at http://strollingsupper2016.bpt.me/.

• October 8–10, (Columbus Day Weekend) National Capital Orchid Society’s 69th Annual Show and Orchid Sale The show and sale will take place at Behnke Nurseries, 11300 Baltimore Boulevard, Beltsville, MD. The show features museum-quality exhibits presented by commercial nurseries, visiting orchid societies from across the MidAtlantic Region, and individual hobbyist growers, from amateurs to connoisseurs. There will be 10 top East Coast vendors offering a wide selection of orchids, supplies, and orchid décor. The show will have free lectures on orchids and how to grow them. Accomplished growers will be providing tips on getting your orchids to grow and bloom, and will answer your specific questions. An “Orchid Doctor” will be onsite during the show, and society members will be stationed throughout the show and sales areas to answer questions. Further details and a complete schedule are available on the National Capital Orchid Society’s website at www.ncos. us/fallshow.htm, and you can follow the society on Facebook. Questions may be addressed to Roddy Gabel, show chairman, by e-mail at NCOS2016@hotmail. com or by phone at 301-646-3657.

• Saturday, October 15, 9am–12n Beauty in Sustainability Symposium Virginia Native Plant Society’s Laura Beaty and renowned landscape designer Larry Weaner show you how to create stunning gardens that are easier to maintain by echoing the eco-

logical processes in nature. Following the symposium, Weaner will sign his new book, Garden Revolution: How Our Landscapes Can Be a Source of Environmental Change, available for sale in the gift shop. $38/person. Register online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/ greenspring using code 290 484 7201 or call 703-642-5173.

• Saturday, October 15, 9am–5pm African Violet & Gesneriad Fall Sale The Baltimore African Violet & Gesneriad Club annual event will be at The Shops at Kenilworth, 800 Kenilworth Drive, Towson, MD 21204. 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. If you have any questions, contact bshuffman2@aol. com. or call 301-854-2021.

at Green Spring Gardens. Start saving and labeling your seeds now!

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/.

Events are also posted on the Twitter feed (@wdcgardener) and Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ WashingtonGardenerMagazine.

How to Submit Local Garden Events

To submit an event for this listing, contact: Wgardenermag@aol.com—put “Event” in the subject line. Our next deadline is October 10 for the October issue (due out about September 15), listing events taking place from October 16-November 15. o

Save These Future Dates: • Thursday, November 3, 6:30–8pm Discuss “Paradise Under Glass” with Washington Gardener Book Club For the Garden Book Club Fall 2016 Meeting, we will be discussing Paradise Under Glass: An Amateur Creates a Conservatory Garden by Ruth Kassinger. Join us at Soupergirl, located right next to the Takoma metro stop. RSVP to washingtongardener@rcn.com or at the book club event page at facebook.com/ WashingtonGardenerMagazine by October 25, so we know how many chairs to reserve for our group. At this meeting we will also be deciding the 2017 Washington Gardener Magazine’s Garden Book Club selections, so bring your suggestions. Soupergirl offers soups for sale that are incredibly healthy. They are 100% plant-based, low-salt, low-fat, and most importantly, absolutely delicious, so plan to come a bit early to purchase and eat your dinner with the garden book club. The Washington Gardener Magazine’s Garden Book Club is free and open to all.

• Washington Gardener Magazine’s 2017 Seed Exchanges are January 28 at Brookside Gardens and February 4

The National Arboretum presents a lecture on October 1st at 10am by Stephanie Cohen, “The Perennial Diva” entitled “PERENNIALS THAT DRINK RESPONSIVELY” Discouraged by the hot humid weather? Does your garden look tired and wornout because of the heat? Don’t despair because The Diva will discuss all kinds of perennial plants that can take the heat and still come out swinging.

Remember that the climate is changing and as gardeners we have to change, too. Besides there will be no heavy drinkers or water guzzlers at this lecture!!!

Fee: $15 ($10 FONA) Registration required.

United States National Arboretum 3501 New York Avenue NE, Washington, D. C. 20002-1958 Tel: 202-245-2726 www.usna.usda.gov SEPTEMBER 2016

WASHINGTON GARDENER

13

EDIBLEharvt

by Elizabeth Olson Peach and nectarine trees require diligent planning and upkeep, but the sweet and luscious fruits that they can provide are worth the effort. Trees that are well-planted, properly maintained, and healthy have the potential for producing large crops for many years.

Home-grown peaches and nectarines can be harvested at optimum ripeness and they are wonderful.

The fruits ripen in summer and can be eaten fresh, used as a topping for 14

WASHINGTON GARDENER

SEPTEMBER 2016

ice cream, or added to smoothies. They can also be canned, frozen, grilled, or baked in confections such as pies.

Slightly underripe fruits can be made into spiced pickles.

The most noticeable difference between peaches and nectarines is that peaches have fuzzy skins, while nectarines are smooth-skinned. Peaches and nectarines are sources of potassium, Vitamins A and C, and dietary fiber.

Both trees are deciduous and pro-

New candidates for commercial peach production, such as ‘Flameprince’, have to measure up to high-quality standards.Photo by Keith Weller, USDA-ARS.

How to Grow Peaches and Nectarines

duce pretty pink blossoms in spring.

They are members of the rose family.

The scientific name for peach is Prunus persica and the scientific name for nectarine is Prunus persica var. nucipersica.

Miri Talabac, an entomologist and the woody plants buyer for Behnke’s garden center in Beltsville, MD, says that there are major challenges for growing these crops: “There are a lot of pests and diseases that can attack peaches and nectarines (and their relatives, cherries and plums), so prevention is key—put the plants in the best location for their needs, coddle them through drought and other stresses, fertilize as needed, but not excessively, and do not injure them with weed-whackers, etc. Even folks who prefer not to spray chemicals should strongly consider a preventive maintenance program with organic sprays to minimize infection and infestation, many of which are untreatable (for that year) by the time symptoms appear. Similarly, make sure pruning tools are kept clean and sterilized, especially when used on multiple trees. As always, do not spray anything while the trees are in bloom or you’ll risk harming the pollinators and thus reduce your fruit set.”

Erratic weather, too, may cause injury.

Trees that break dormancy early may suffer damage to flowers and new growth, if subjected to late hard frosts.

Cultivars that have high-chill requirements will fare better than those with low-chill requirements. Also, hard winters that follow moderate autumn weather may damage the buds that are set for spring weather. This applies to many, if not all, cultivars.

Peach and Nectarine Tree Availability

There are a number of cultivars that are well-suited for the greater Washington, DC, growing region. Many garden centers start offering the trees—often potted rather than bare-root—in spring of each year. Trees in inventory at the end of summer and early autumn can be installed in a garden while the soil is still warm enough for the roots to start becoming established.

There is also the option of ordering bare root trees from mailorder and

EDIBLEharvt online garden or seed companies in autumn to mid-winter for delivery in late winter to early spring. However, it is best to inspect trees carefully in person at a local garden center before purchasing them. Check to see if they have been trained to have open-centered canopies. This style of pruning ensures good light penetration and improves air circulation. An open-center canopy should be maintained each year. The trees require careful training to ensure strong scaffolding.

Gardeners should read the description on the label of each tree to determine if the tree size at maturity is listed as a standard, semi-dwarf, or dwarf type. There are also some cultivars listed as miniatures (even smaller than dwarf); these are often promoted for container gardening.

The differences in types of tree sizes are the result of grafting a bud or shoot from a named cultivar onto a specific root stock, but the fruits are full-size.

The fruits form on year-old wood on all cultivars. Selective pruning can be done when the buds are swelling in late winter to early spring to encourage the formation of fruit wood for next year; last year’s fruit wood can be eliminated.

These pruning cuts should be made right above an outward-pointing bud.

Use sterilized, sharp, parrot-beaked shears to make clean cuts. Broken or damaged twigs and branches that occur during the growing season may be pruned as soon as possible.

Standard-size trees can be difficult to manage and harvest. Semi-dwarf and dwarf trees are usually the most practical sizes for growing in home gardens. All of the cultivars listed below are freestone, meaning that the flesh of the fruit separates easily from the pit.

Please note that the pits are poisonous to eat! The trees are self-pollinating and their fruits have yellow flesh, unless otherwise noted.

Recommended peach cultivars include: • ‘Belle of Georgia’ • ‘Blushing Star’ (white flesh) • ‘July Elberta’ • ‘Loring’ • ‘Redhaven’ • ‘Reliance’ (very cold-hardy) • ‘White Lady’ (white flesh)

An 1885 botanical artwork of peaches by Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé.

Recommended nectarine cultivars include: • ‘Honeyglo’ (miniature trees for container gardening) • ‘Mericrest’ • ‘Summer Beaut’ • ‘Sunglo’ The trees bloom and start to bear fruit while still young, but any fruit should be removed as soon as it forms during the first two years after planting so the tree branches can grow strong.

In subsequent years, the tree may naturally drop some excess fruit in late spring. Remaining fruit may be thinned to one for every 4 to 6 inches in length on a fruit-bearing branch. This ensures large fruit size and will help protect the branch from ripping due to the weight of the fruit.

How to Plant Peach and Nectarine Trees

It is very important to plant each tree in the best location possible for it in the garden. Low-lying and windy areas should be avoided. Multiple trees should be spaced at least 10 feet apart for dwarf trees or 15 feet apart for semi-dwarf trees, depending on the anticipated mature size of the cultivars.

Each planting hole should be sited in full sun. The soil should be fertile, well-

worked, and amended with compost, and it should drain very well.

Each tree should be watered thoroughly in its container, with the water saturating the root ball, before being installed in the garden. The planting hole should be at least three times wider than the diameter of the container in which the tree is growing, and it should be at least a few inches deeper.

Backfill the hole with enough soil so the top of the root ball will sit a few inches above the soil line after the tree is installed. This will allow for settling of the ground and ensure that the top of the root ball, as well as that the graft union will be above the soil line. Carefully remove the tree from its container.

Loosen and straighten any roots that wrap around the outside of the root ball, and place the root ball carefully into the planting hole. Gently cover the loosened roots and fill in the area around the root ball with soil. Lightly tamp the soil and water the site.

Peach and nectarine trees grow best in soil that has a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. The soil pH can be adjusted as necessary from time to time; lime can be used to raise the pH of overly acidic soil. The trees are not very drought-tolerant, so a soaker hose should be installed to supplement rainfall soon after they are planted. Any tree tags or labels have to be relocated or placed on a stake so that they do not constrict the trunk or any branch. The ground within the dripline of each tree ought to be mulched, but mulch should not touch the trunks.

Newly planted trees as well as established trees need to harden off during the summer, and should not be stimulated with summer and autumn feedings. An organic fruit tree fertilizer, such as Espoma Tree-tone®, should be used to feed the trees each year in mid-to late spring only.

Peaches are not the easiest edible to grow here in the Mid-Atlantic, but the rewards are sweet! o Elizabeth Olson is a Maryland Certified Professional Horticulturist. She is also an avid home gardener who is fascinated by the stories behind the plants that she grows.

She can be contacted through Washington Gardener magazine.

SEPTEMBER 2016

WASHINGTON GARDENER

15

I Get the Blues in the Fall

by Stephanie Cohen This is not an essay about depression in the fall when we know winter is on its way. I love fall and am invigorated by the wonderful weather and the array of colors in the landscape. Some gardeners think fall is the time for kales, cabbages, and pumpkins. It certainly is, but there are so many other choices to give us fall color.

When I think of fall, I always think of shades of gold, yellow, bronze, orange, and reds that the trees deliver. A few perennials have that same capability.

For contrast, I love blue and my favorite “short” blue shrub happens to be Caryopteris.

Caryopteris goes by several common names—Bluebeard, Blue-mist Shrub, and Blue Spires—and it is a small shrub that fits into a mixed or perennial border quite readily because they generally range from 2’ to a little over 3’ tall. It blooms profusely in full sun and needs average garden soil that is not heavily enriched with fertilizer or it gets a case of the flopsies.

This is one of my favorite low-maintenance plants. It flowers late summer to early fall and puts on a show for several weeks. Do not touch it when you do fall cleanup. In the spring, come out and do your favorite whack-and-hack pruning.

If you want plants a little taller, don’t cut back as much. I vary from severe cutbacks to leaving quite a bit of the bush every other year. It does bloom on 16

WASHINGTON GARDENER

SEPTEMBER 2016

new wood so the old part will not flower.

I practice this on Vitex (Chaste Tree) and Caryopteris to keep them vigorous. Caryopteris is hardy to Zone 5 and some to Zone 4.

The common color for Caryopteris is generally shades of blue. It is an aromatic, deciduous shrub and its flowers, leaves, and stems give off a faint, pleasant odor. It is fairly heat- and drought-tolerant. It has no major pest or diseases. Best of all, butterflies will enjoy it as much as you do.

Two of the tried-and-true cultivars that are still around are ‘Dark Knight’ with deep-blue flowers, and ‘Longwood Blue,’ which has lovely foliage and beautiful sky-blue flowers. It was selected at Longwood Gardens and has become a favorite of gardeners everywhere.

Other cultivars are ‘Grand Bleu’ and ‘Petit Bleu,’ two outstanding cultivars from France. The main difference is size, as ‘Grand’ is 3½’ and ‘Petit’ is 2 ½’. Both have deep-blue blossoms and shiny foliage. ‘Petit’ works very well as a container plant because of its demure size. Caryopteris ‘First Choice’ is another compact selection. It is 2’ tall with deep-blue flowers and a dense and compact habit.

Now for something different. So far, I’ve discussed Cladonensis species. We now switch gears to ‘Sunshine Blue’ an incana species. ‘Worcester Gold’

Caryopteris ‘Beyond Midnight‘ photo is courtesy of Proven Winners - www.provenwinners.com.

PLANTprofile

is a yellow foliage form that tends to lose its intense coloration midsummer.

‘Sunshine Blue,’ an English cultivar, manages to keep its yellow foliage while producing amethyst-blue flowers.

Several other new cultivars, like ‘Almost Gold’ with lime-green foliage, may be among next year’s hot introductions. In a class by itself is ‘Summer Sorbet,’ a cladonensis cultivar with lovely golden edges to the leaves that really pop out the blue color. The reason I like the variegated foliage is that the plants are sort of nondescript until they flower.

Newer cultivars of C x cladonensis include ‘Beyond Midnight,’ with lovely dark-green foliage and a darker blue than most of the other cultivars. I like this in the fall because it contrasts so vividly with the golds, oranges, and reds. It is a bolder statement. It is hardy Zone 5 and is only 2’ to 2 ½’ tall. That says it all. ‘Lil’ Miss Sunshine’ mixes ‘Petit Bleu’ and ‘Sunshine Blue’ to get yellow foliage and a tidy compact form.

Imagine the medium-blue flowers with lime-green leaves sparkling in the late summer to fall garden and a maximum height of 3’. The interesting thing is this is a tough customer and holds up in late summer heat.

In recent years, we’ve seen quite a few new forms of that dependable summer shrub, Caryopteris—new forms that add attractive foliage to those valuable blue blooms. My newest favorite is ‘White Surprise.’ This has bright-green foliage with lovely, sparkly-white edges and has rich blue flowers from August into fall. It is 3’ tall and I am using it in containers for early fall bloom. Later on, it’s going right into the garden in any sunny place I think it will be happy. It is a mid-border plant that will combine well with hybrid Goldenrods and Asters.

In a prolonged drought and hot weather, like this summer, water often and well, especially in containers, because it has a tendency to get brown edges.

I suggest getting the blues for a late summer-early fall garden finale. It’s fun to add to the razzle-dazzle of this showstopping season. o Stephanie Cohen has received awards from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and Perennial Plant Association, and was named Garden Commentator of the Year in 2000 by the American Nursery and Landscape Association. She lives in Collegeville, PA.

BOOKreviews

Foraging (Idiot’s Guides)

By Mark “Merriwether” Vorderbruggen Published by DK Publishing List Price: $21.95 Reviewer: Erica H. Smith Foraging is a great way to find free, delicious, nutritious food in your own backyard or neighborhood, but it’s not a hobby to be taken on without a reliable guide. Identification of foraged plants, proper preparation, and safety rules can be—literally—of life-or-death importance, or at least can make the difference between a pleasant meal and one that leads to lots of discomfort. Many wild or naturalized plants are edible, but many others that closely resemble them are not. Some can be eaten raw and others must be cooked to be safe.

Pollutants and toxic contaminants can affect potential foraging areas, but with the right information and a degree of caution, gathering your own food can be fun and beneficial.

This book lays out the foraging process in clear, simple terms, and gives information about a large number of edible plants found in North America. I particularly liked the introductory section, which deals with general issues like safety, plant identification, environments, equipment and techniques. The “Rules and Ethics of Foraging” is a nice summary of the forager’s obligations: honor the law, by not trespassing or vandalizing; honor the land, by leaving no trace of your presence; honor the plant, by harvesting sustainably; and honor yourself, by keeping safe. Cau-

tionary rules are discussed in detail, including awareness of dangers in the environment, wearing the proper clothing, avoiding contaminated areas, identifying plants correctly and knowing which parts are edible at which time of the year, testing for reactions and being alert to allergic reactions, and documenting all your foraging.

The main section of the book lists more than 70 plants, divided by general type (trees, vines, weeds, wildflowers, aquatics, mushrooms, and miscellaneous). Some of the distinctions are arbitrary (who decides that goldenrod is a wildflower, but common mallow is a weed?) and the plants are alphabetical by common name within sections, which can make them a little hard to find by browsing, but there is an index at the end of the book.

Each entry provides information about environment and harvesting season, edible parts, and other necessary information, including good photos of (as appropriate) seedlings, leaves, stems, trunks, flowers, and seeds. There are short sections labeled “how to harvest” and “how to prepare” for each plant, but actually this information tends to be scattered throughout the two-page entry. This necessitates in-depth reading to locate all important details. Of course, you’d want to do this anyway before embarking on your task! In some cases, specific points are unclear. For example, immature black walnuts can apparently be pickled, but there’s no photo of that stage or description of whether or how they should be shelled; maple seeds can be roasted, but there are no details as to time or temperature.

I have a few other nitpicks about how these pages are set up. Since this is a book covering all of North America, it’s important to know the range of plants and if it’s even worth looking for a particular one in your state. At first glance, I couldn’t even find the range maps; then I spotted them in the upper left by the plant name, but they are very small, and as far as I can find in the book there’s no explanation of why some include both dark- and light-gray areas.

It’s always interesting to get general information about the plants you’re looking for, but some of the “what to

look for” descriptions (divided nicely by plant part) are not subject-relevant, such as the advice that since pawpaw fruit has a short shelf life, you need to grow it yourself if you want it (rather than look in the woods for it? Isn’t this a foraging book, not a gardening one?), or the note that persimmon seeds are often found in the scat of animals.

(I don’t think I’ll be harvesting them from there, thanks.) The print of these descriptions is very small—wear your good reading glasses!

Safety notes on the plant pages are much more visible and well done: notes on possible allergic reactions, compounds that can be toxic in large quantities or if uncooked, and other warnings (see stinging nettles!). Any plant that has a poisonous mimic includes an alert—edible mimics are noted as well.

The third section of the book lists a number of recipes, which look interesting, if in some cases fairly complicated with a small percentage of foraged ingredients. There are no links between the plant information pages and any recipes involving those plants, in either direction (except by using the index).

Personally, I’d have preferred more basic preparation information on the individual plant pages and some “use like spinach in recipes” advice, or more very simple recipes such as the Sumacade that just includes sumac berries, sugar, and water, or the Chickweed and Wild Onion Butter.

Along with the index, the final pages in the book include a useful glossary with drawings of leaf and other plantpart shapes, a seasonality chart, and a list of additional resources.

Overall, this is a good and seemingly reliable guide with lots of great nuggets of information. I suspect that anyone getting into foraging even on a casual level is going to end up buying more than one book about edible plants (including local or regional guides), or searching online for more information about a particular target plant. This book is one source of advice that covers the bases pretty well, but perhaps not the only one you’ll consult if you decide to enter the wide, wild world of foraging.

Erica H. Smith is a Montgomery County Master Gardener, runs the Grow It Eat It SEPTEMBER 2016

WASHINGTON GARDENER

17

BOOKreviews blog for the University of Maryland Extension, and grows vegetables in her own community garden plot and in the MG Demonstration Garden in Derwood, MD. She is the author of several novels; visit her web site at ericahsmith.wordpress.com.

additions to the text, starting with the 1814 painting of the desolation of the British-burnt White House and grounds to the aerial view of 2007 major landscaping of the grounds. The White House gardeners’ biographies at the back of the book are a great addition. Also provided are plants that have been grown, some with success, on the grounds. I found the book a fun read and good reference. It would make a great gift for a local gardener or one who loves the history of the White House.

Cheval Force Opp lives in Dunn Loring, VA, with her husband Dana and corgi Marzipan.

She is currently renovating her garden to accommodate for large deer herds and her arthritis. Visiting gardens gives her many adventures during the year, which she loves to share with friends and family.

All the Presidents’ Gardens: Madison’s Cabbages to Kennedy’s Roses—How the White House Grounds Have Grown with America

By Marta McDowell Published by Timber Press List Price: $21.95 Reviewer: Cheval Force Opp The White House is seen by millions of Americans daily as a backdrop for news. Locally, many regard the stately fenced home as a free rental for our president and family; good for selfies.

It is the White House grounds that have served to frame this iconic building over the years, and that style has evolved from George Washington planting favorite trees to Barack Obama allowing the first honeybee hives. The author uses this most American landscape to give us a snapshot of personalities, society, and garden follies of the past.

McDowell divides the chapters chronologically, allowing the reader to peruse the 355 pages, attending to those most personally compelling. Trivia dominates much of the text, giving the heritage of many favorite public views. The helicopter landing on the South Lawn began with Eisenhower, much to the consternation of the gardener of that time.

The maps, art, and photos are great 18

WASHINGTON GARDENER

SEPTEMBER 2016

Beetles of Eastern North America

By Arthur V. Evans Published by Princeton University Press List Price: $35.00 Reviewer: Stephen Barber When working in the garden one will encounter a multitude of beetles.

Some, like the Japanese beetle, are the sworn enemy of gardeners everywhere.

Knowing both the flora and fauna of your garden is essential to understanding and caring for it. Arthur V. Evans’ book Beetles of Eastern North America is a fantastic choice for any gardener in the central and northeastern region of the United States looking to understand that six-legged creatures that scurry among their plants.

This is a book designed with identification in mind. It comes with measurement tools in the cover. The book also has a detailed guide for use in the opening section that helps one understand the classifications, keys to families of beetles, how to diagnose the family, and how to identify the family.

That, in conjunction with its detailed explanation of beetle anatomy in the introduction, makes this book highly functional for the gardener looking to identify the beetle denizens of a garden.

Beetles of Eastern North America is also a fantastic resource for the amateur entamologist looking to create a beetle collection of their own. The book

outlines proper capture, categorization, and preservation of beetle specimens.

Whether you want to pin your specimens to a board or keep it alive in a terrarium, the book has you covered.

Evans is not only an accomplished writer, he is a master of macro photography. The book contains hundreds of highly detailed shots of beetles that clearly show distinctions between subspecies. He also details how he accomplished the shots he took of the beetles and provides a guide to taking your own breathtaking macro shots of insects. If you are inspired to take your own insect macros, this book is a valuable resource.

Once we delve into the real meat of the book, we are greeted with more than 400 pages of detailed information and high quality photographs of hundreds of species and subspecies of beetles. The information is short, concise, and informative. The beetle’s blurb informs the reader of the physical characteristics, behavior, and geographic range of each beetle.

If you are a gardener looking to learn more about the beetles in your garden or are a budding amateur entimologist, Beetles of Eastern North America is an invaluable resource.

Stephen Barber is from Keedysville, MD. He moved to Washington, DC, to become an urban farmer. A lifelong gardener, he found his love of the craft from growing cannabis in the woods and fields around his rural Maryland childhood home. He has taken his gardening indoors, and works as a video

BOOKreviews journalist in the legal cannabis industry.

He is a senior at the University of Maryland where he is majoring in broadcast journalist.

The Peace Tree from Hiroshima: The Little Bonsai with a Big Story

By Sandra Moore and illustrated by Kazumi Wilds Published by Tuttle Publishing Listed Price: $14.95 Reviewer: Shelby Smith The Peace Tree from Hiroshima is a children’s book telling how care and love can help a tree grow for hundreds of years and live through an atomic blast. The book teaches us Japanese historical events and that a tree can be a symbol of peace between two countries.

This story is based on true events that united the relationship between Japan and America when a family donated their over-300-year-old bonsai tree for America’s Bicentennial celebration. It follows the life of the bonsai tree as it is passed down through the generations of a single family.

The bonsai in this story is a Japanese white pine whose caretaker is named Miyajima. As is commonly found in other children’s books, the tree has a life of its own and most of the story is spoken through Miyajima’s point of view.

Sadly, the book doesn’t give tips for how to take care of a bonsai, but there is a glossary to define several words in the story and quick facts about the different types of bonsai trees. It also con-

tains an author’s note, which explains the original tale and background of the events and characters in the book.

The pictures and landscape of the book looks like it was drawn by hand with colored pencils and water colors making the images soft and bright. The color scape only changes when the story retells the bombing of Hiroshima and the family struggles to take care of the tree. We see the tree grow bigger and change shape, and the people and surroundings change as the centuries pass.

I would recommend this book to children who are eager to learn about history from other cultures and as a starter kit to get kids interested in nature. The story is personal and sentimental, but is able to cross the bridge from nature to other cultures.

Bonsai and Penjing: Ambassadors of Peace & Beauty

By Ann McClellan Listed price $24.95 Published by Tuttle Publishing Reviewer: Shelby Smith Bonsai and Penjing is a detailed history of bonsai and penjing in China, Japan, and North America. It says that the art and beauty of bonsai trees have been embraced not just in China, but all over the globe. The book shows the growth of bonsai trees in each country and how the art of bonsai and penjing has linked these countries together.

The book illustrates bonsai in its physical form: on china plates and gifts to several U.S. presidents, such as Nixon, Carter, and Clinton. The book features several breeds of bonsai at different ages of growth, color, and shape from the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, DC. The layout of the book is organized and colorful, and has a lot of pictures.

The photos show several bonsai gardens, individual bonsai trees, and the people who have admired or contributed to the art of bonsai and penjing.

It gives quick facts of how much care goes into growing and repotting all the trees.

Each tree has their own shape, color, and story behind it. It shows some bonsai trees that change their leaves each

season while still maintaining the same shape. Alongside the bonsai trees are the penjing, the potted landscape made up of stone and plants. The penjing isn’t any less beautiful and is as colorful as a Japanese Camellia.

One chapter illustrates how much work goes into building and storing the trees and the amount of time and care it takes to repot the trees and keep their shape. Each plant has to be repotted at a specific time, and controlling the amount of roots and soil is essential to promoting healthy growth.

This book would be a good coffeetable piece, a great addition for anyone interested in bonsai trees or plant history, or a souvenir from the National Arboretum. o Shelby Smith is a senior double major in multi-platform journalism and film studies at the University of Maryland College Park. She was a sports copy-editor for a campus publication called Unwind Magazine and a writer at The Campus Current newspaper at Anne Arundel Community College.

Your Ad Here

Contact wgardenermag@aol.com or call 301.588.6894 for ad rates.

The ad deadline is the 10th of each month.

Please submit your ad directly to: wgardenermag@aol.com.

SEPTEMBER 2016

WASHINGTON GARDENER

19

RAINYDAYproje

DIY: Yard Flamingo Facelift

by Kathy Jentz

Is your yard flamingo looking a little faded and worn? Or are you just sick of its pinky-pink coloring and want to give it a whole new look? By following these easy instructions, you can make your yard flamingo look refreshed in no time at all!

Supplies: • Spray paints* • Acrylic paints • Foam paint brushes • Wire coat hangers or stakes from old political yard signs • Wire cutters • Cardboard or tarps • Painter’s tape • Gloves • Finishing spray coat • Optional: hot glue gun, glitter, fabric, beads, and other accessories *Rust-oleum’s Berry Pink is the closest shade I’ve found to the original flamingo color.

In the instructions below, I describe how you can refresh a classic yard flamingo. If you want to do a total makeover (see examples on the bottom of this page and on the next), then you would follow similar steps and embellish as you wish.

Steps: 1. Clean off any soil or dust from your flamingo with a damp cloth and then let your bird dry.

2. If the legs are missing or broken, now is a good time to cut new ones to your desired height and insert them into the flamingo. Different flamingos vary in how the legs are attached, but it should be fairly easy to do so—a second pair of hands may make it easier.

3. On a calm (non-windy) day, lay down your tarp or cardboard and shake up your spray paint can. You can use the painter’s tape to tape off the legs and beak area of your bird. Spray-paint your bird using a steady back-and-forth sweeping action for allover coverage. Don’t go too close or the paint will drip and run.

4. Let your flamingo dry. It helps to have a foam block or other place to stand it in so it doesn’t fall and mess up the new paint job.

5. Once it is dry, it is time for detail work. If you put on painter’s tape, carefully remove it. Take yellow acrylic paint and a foam brush, and paint the beak and eye area. Let it dry. Then come back with black paint to paint down the front of the beak and dot in an eye pupil.

6. Spray on a clear finishing coat, if desired.

Here are a few ideas for new looks for your flamingos: • Ballerina/Princess • Buzzard • Unicorn • Disco Queen • Skeleton The only limit to your flamingo re-do is your imagination! o Kathy is the editor of Washington Gardener Magazine and a long-time DC-area gardening enthusiast. She collects vintage yard and decorations.

20

WASHINGTON GARDENER

SEPTEMBER 2016

RAINYDAYprojeî‚

This flamingo makeover class took place at the Community Forklift in Edmonston, MD, and was hosted by Washington Gardener.

SEPTEMBER 2016

WASHINGTON GARDENER

21

PRODUCTreview

The Japanese Rice Sickle

by Louise Clarke After I spent a few years of struggling with hand pruners and handsaws to cut back perennial grasses on my green roof, a garden writer friend suggested I try a Japanese rice sickle. She swore it was the best thing since sliced bread and that she’s never without one in her Oregon garden.

I’d never heard of a Japanese rice sickle, or Noko Kama, so I did some Internet sleuthing to see what I was missing. Once enlightened, I headed to my local independent garden center, where I purchased my first kama.

What I brought home was a razorsharp, 6½" long, serrated blade mounted in a wooden handle, the entire tool being about 13" long. Lightweight and well-balanced, the arched, tapered blade cleanly cuts on the pull stroke.

The blade is beveled on both sides 22

WASHINGTON GARDENER

SEPTEMBER 2016

so righties and lefties can use it with equal ease. My kama has a lighterweight blade than some, since it wasn’t designed to sever woody stems. Its blade is carbon steel, which has the potential to rust if not dried completely after use. A few drops of machine oil wiped over the blade prevents that problem. It also has a clear plastic snap-on sleeve to protect it between uses.

As summer dwindles, I pull out my rice sickle and head to the green roof.

After a summer of scant rainfall, multiple heat waves, and Amazonian humidity, I do so with trepidation. The grasses that bravely grew through a sweltering summer now sport the “bad-hair day” look. Having gone to seed, their best days are past because the seed heads have shattered; it’s time for a trim.

After grasping a grass clump and cutting stems from the bottom upward and around the clump from several directions, I then make sculpting cuts for a tidy, uniform look. I recommend wearing gloves when using this tool since a slip will easily slice you, especially since you pull the blade toward your body.

A modification I made was to drill a hole through the handle, perpendicular to the blade, then thread a long zip tie through it. I slip the zip tie loop around my wrist when cutting to help stabilize the smooth handle, and the loop is convenient for hanging storage.

I’ve used the sickle for cutting other thin-stemmed plants like Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Monarda, and dried Allium stalks, but thicker stems like Russian Sage, Lavender, and Rosemary are too woody. A coworker once surreptitiously borrowed my first sickle and broke its teeth while trying to cut woody perennials.

Check your local garden center for Noko Kamas, not the big box stores.

Some wholesale suppliers, like Grow Tech, Inc. (www.growtech.com), offer a stainless steel blade and variations in blade or handle length. Grow Tech products are stocked by independent garden centers. Online retailers like A.M. Leonard and Amazon.com also carry them, but be sure you are ordering a Japanese tool, not an inferior Chinese knockoff. Japan Woodworker (www.japanwoodworker.com) offers a range of authentic Japanese Kamas, and some are beefier, made to handle woody brush.

After using a rice sickle, I have to agree with my Western garden writer friend that a Noko Kama is a most useful tool to add to the gardener’s tool kit.

Fall is the ideal time to try one of these in your garden. 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, after hours, 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.

ADVERTISINGindex

Your Ad Here

BACK ISSUE SALE!

YOU CAN REQUEST A SINGLE COPY OF PRINT BACK ISSUES FOR $6 EACH OR ANY 6 BACK ISSUES FOR $24, OR ALL 40+ PRINT BACK ISSUES FOR JUST $100. PRICE INCLUDES POSTAGE AND HANDLING. PLEASE SPECIFY THE ISSUE DATE(S). ORDER MUST BE PREPAID BY CHECK OR MONEY ORDER. SEND ORDERS TO: WASHINGTON GARDENER, 826 PHILADELPHIA AVE., SILVER SPRING, MD 20910

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 UT! • 40+ Free and Low-cost Local D O Garden Tips SOL • Spring Edibles Planting UT! Guide O LD for a Fresh Start • Testing Your SOSoil UT! • Redbud LD O Tree Selection and Care O S • Best Viewing Spots for Virginia Bluebells

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 wgardenermag@aol.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: wgardenermag@aol.com.

Want Your Club Profiled?

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

Got a Garden Question?

Got a gardening question you need answered? Send your questions to wgardenermag@aol.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.

Advertising Index A big THANK YOU to all of our Washington Gardener advertisers. Please tell them you saw their ad in Washington Gardener magazine!

Behnke Nurseries Green Spring Gardens Jentz Antique Prints MD HGIC MG Handbook Moo Poo Tea Perennials That Drink Responsibly Sunshine Farm & Gardens Trees Matter Symposium Washington Gardener Back Issues Washington Gardener Speaker Bureau Yard by Yard Makeovers

2 2 24 2 2 13 2 9 24 2 2

To advertise with us, please contact Wgardenermag@aol.com or call 301.588.6894 today.

Next deadline: October 10

SEPTEMBER 2016

WASHINGTON GARDENER

23

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.

24

WASHINGTON GARDENER

SEPTEMBER 2016