This enewsletter is the sister publication of Washington Gardener Magazine. Both the print magazine and online enewsletter share the same mission and focus — helping DC-MD-VA region gardens grow — but our content is different. In this monthly enewsletter, we address timely seasonal topics and projects; post local garden events; and, a monthly list of what you can be doing now in your garden. Inside This Enews Issue • Back Issue Sale • Mail-Order Gardening • Garden To-Do List • Latest Blog Links • Local Garden Events Listings • Magazine Excerpt: Kudzu Bugs Attack Soybeans • New Holly ‘Berry Heavy Gold’ • Photo Contest Details • Reader Contest to Win Passes to the Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens • Seed Exchange 2014 Details and Registration
Welcome to the Washington Gardener Enewsletter! This enewsletter is the sister publication of Washington Gardener Magazine. Both the print magazine and online enewsletter share the same mission and focus — helping DC-MD-VA region gardens grow — but our content is different. In this monthly enewsletter, we address timely seasonal topics and projects; post local gar- den events; and, a monthly list of what you can be doing now in your garden. We encourage you to subscribe to Washington Gardener Magazine as well for in- depth articles, inspirational photos, and great garden resources for the Washington DC area gardener. IMPORTANT NOTE: This enewsletter is only sent out as a PDF via email to current subscribers. Without your support, we can- not continue publishing this enewsletter nor Washington Gar- dener Magazine! Our magazine subscription information is on page 11 of this enewsletter. If you know of any other gardeners in the greater Washington, DC-area, please for- ward this issue to them so that they can subscribe to our print magazine using the form on page 9 of this enewsletter. You can also connect with Washington Gardener online at: • Washington Gardener Blog: www.washingtongardener.blogspot.com • Washington Gardener Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/WDCGardener • Washington Gardener Instagram Feed: http://instagram.com/wdcgardener • Washington Gardener Pinterest boards: http://pinterest.com/wdcgardener/ • Washington Gardener Discussion Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WashingtonGardener/ • Washington Gardener Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/washingtongardenermagazine • Washington Gardener Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/WDCGardener • Washington Gardener Web Site: www.washingtongardener.com Sincerely, Kathy Jentz Editor/Publisher Washington Gardener Magazine DECEMBER 2013 ENEWSLETTER Summer-Fall 2013 Issue Our Summer-Fall 2013 Washington Gar- dener Magazine issue has mailed to all current and new subscribers. The cover story is on creating Magical Miniature Gardens also known as Faerie Gardens. You’ll also find in this issue: • Carrot Growing Tips • Plant Profile of Abelias • Kudzu Bugs Threaten Beans • Rose Rosette Disease Spreads • Annmarie Sculpture Gardens • Easy-to-Make Stepping Stones • Native Nashville Breadroot • Preventing Powdery Mildew • And much, much more... To subscribe, see the page 11 of this newsletter for a form to mail in or go to www.washingtongardener.com/index_ files/subscribe.htm and use our PayPal credit card link. Fall-Winter 2013 issue is in the works with a cover story on Fabulous Ferns! Reader Contest For our December 2013 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away passes to the Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens. Enjoy illu- minated giant flowers, snowflakes, a rainbow and show- ers, and more. Walk along the easily accessible paths and you’ll see what sets this light show apart from others. This festive, secular light show, now in its 16th season, is a popular family tradition in the Washington, DC area drawing close to 40,000 visitors each winter. To enter to win a pass to the Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens, send an email to [email protected] by 5:00pm on December 23 with “Garden of Lights” in the subject line and tell us: What flower colors do you like best and least for planting in your garden? In the body of the email, please also include your full name and mailing address. The calendar winner will be announced and notified by December 25. Inside This Enews Issue • Back Issue Sale • Mail-Order Gardening • Garden To-Do List • Latest Blog Links • Local Garden Events Listings • Magazine Excerpt: Kudzu Bugs Attack Soybeans • New Holly ‘Berry Heavy Gold’ • Photo Contest Details • Reader Contest to Win Passes to the Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens • Seed Exchange 2014 Details and Registration
Transcript
Welcome to the Washington Gardener Enewsletter!This enewsletter is the sister publication of Washington Gardener Magazine. Both the print magazine and online enewsletter share the same mission and focus — helping DC-MD-VA region gardens grow — but our content is different. In this monthly enewsletter, we address timely seasonal topics and projects; post local gar-den events; and, a monthly list of what you can be doing now in your garden. We encourage you to subscribe to Washington Gardener Magazine as well for in-depth articles, inspirational photos, and great garden resources for the Washington DC area gardener. IMPORTANT NOTE: This enewsletter is only sent out as a PDF via email to current subscribers. Without your support, we can-not continue publishing this enewsletter nor Washington Gar-dener Magazine! Our magazine subscription information is on page 11 of this enewsletter. If you know of any other gardeners in the greater Washington, DC-area, please for-ward this issue to them so that they can subscribe to our print magazine using the form on page 9 of this enewsletter. You can also connect with Washington Gardener online at:• Washington Gardener Blog: www.washingtongardener.blogspot.com• Washington Gardener Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/WDCGardener• Washington Gardener Instagram Feed: http://instagram.com/wdcgardener• Washington Gardener Pinterest boards: http://pinterest.com/wdcgardener/• Washington Gardener Discussion Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WashingtonGardener/• Washington Gardener Facebook Page:www.facebook.com/washingtongardenermagazine• Washington Gardener Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/WDCGardener• Washington Gardener Web Site: www.washingtongardener.comSincerely,Kathy JentzEditor/PublisherWashington Gardener Magazine
DECEMBER 2013ENEWSLETTER
Summer-Fall 2013 IssueOur Summer-Fall 2013 Washington Gar-dener Magazine issue has mailed to all current and new subscribers. The cover story is on creating Magical Miniature Gardens also known as Faerie Gardens. You’ll also find in this issue:• Carrot Growing Tips• Plant Profile of Abelias• Kudzu Bugs Threaten Beans• Rose Rosette Disease Spreads• Annmarie Sculpture Gardens • Easy-to-Make Stepping Stones• Native Nashville Breadroot• Preventing Powdery Mildew• And much, much more... To subscribe, see the page 11 of this newsletter for a form to mail in or go to www.washingtongardener.com/index_files/subscribe.htm and use our PayPal credit card link. Fall-Winter 2013 issue is in the works with a cover story on Fabulous Ferns!
Reader ContestFor our December 2013 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away passes to the Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens. Enjoy illu-minated giant flowers, snowflakes, a rainbow and show-ers, and more. Walk along the easily accessible paths and you’ll see what sets this light show apart from others. This festive, secular light show, now in its 16th season, is a
popular family tradition in the Washington, DC area drawing close to 40,000 visitors each winter. To enter to win a pass to the Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens, send an email to [email protected] by 5:00pm on December 23 with “Garden of Lights” in the subject line and tell us: What flower colors do you like best and least for planting in your garden? In the body of the email, please also include your full name and mailing address. The calendar winner will be announced and notified by December 25.
Inside This Enews Issue• Back Issue Sale• Mail-Order Gardening• Garden To-Do List• Latest Blog Links• Local Garden Events Listings• Magazine Excerpt: Kudzu Bugs Attack Soybeans• New Holly ‘Berry Heavy Gold’• Photo Contest Details• Reader Contest to Win Passes to the Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens• Seed Exchange 2014 Details and Registration
Quick Links to Washington Gardener Blog Posts• Assembling Longwood’s Poinsettia Baskets• Indoor Bulb Forcing: You Can Do That!• William, the Mighty Arcadia Barn Cat• Profiles in Urban Farming• Farming Our Schools
See more Washington Gardener blog posts at WashingtonGardener.Blogspot.com.New Plant Spotlight Gold Winterberry Ilex verticillataStrike it rich with Berry Heavy® Gold, the winterberry with the biggest, brightest gold fruit yet. You will treasure this plant for gar-dens, mass plantings or as a cut branch. This holly is best in medium to wet acidic soils. Prune to shape in early spring before the plant pushes new growth. Selected by the late, great plantsman and conservationist Fred Case of Saginaw Michigan. Ten cents from each plant sold is donated to support the Nature Conservancy. Use Mr. Poppins as pollinator. Available at better garden centers Spring 2015. Full name: Berry Heavy® Gold Ilex verticillata ‘Roberta Case’ PPAF. From Prov-en Winners (www.provenwinners.com).
Plant FactsShrub Type: DeciduousHeight: 72 - 96 InchesSpread: 72 - 96 InchesFlower Colors: WhiteFoliage Colors: GreenHabit: UprightLight Requirement: Part Sun to SunBlooms On: Old WoodBloom Time: FallHardiness Zones: 3a-9bUses: border plant, landscape, mass plant-ings, hedges, and cutting gardens.
December Garden To-Do ListHere is our comprehensive garden task list for gardens in the greater DC metro region for December 16-January 15. Your additions to this list are most welcome:• Keep watering your poinsettias and give them plenty of light. Ensure they are away from drafts and that the pots drain freely. • Last chance to plant bulbs or if you have waited until the ground is frozen, pot them up for forcing indoors. • Gather holiday greens. Some, like holly and boxwood, benefit from being pruned by growing thicker. • Feed birds and provide them with a fresh water source. • Check houseplants and any plants you brought indoors for the winter, for insects. • Provide some special protection to tender or early flowering plants like Camellias. • Stake newly planted large trees or shrubs to protect them from winter winds. • Check any summer/tropical bulbs, corms, tubers and bare-root plants in storage for rot or desiccation. • Apply scale and dormant oil treatment to evergreens. • Spread ashes from wood fires on your vegetable beds. • Keep succulents and cacti on the dry side. • Water your cut Christmas tree daily. • Gently remove layers of snow from evergreens with a broom. • Start organizing your pile of incoming garden catalogs. • Keep an eye out for bark damage from rabbits and deer. • Spray broadleaf evergreens with anti-desiccant to prevent dehydration. • Use the branches from your Christmas tree as bedding mulch or as a wind-break. • Keep watering newly planted trees and shrubs as needed. • Cover strawberry beds with straw or pine needles. • Prune stone fruit trees like cherries, plums, and peaches. • Clean, sharpen, and store your garden tools. • Reduce fertilizing of indoor plants (except Cyclamen). • Set up a humidifier for indoor plants or at least place them in pebble trays. • Continue to rotate houseplants to promote even growth. • Attend a local garden club meeting. • Start new indoor plants from cuttings -- try an easy one such as violets. • Check the plants under tall evergreens and under the eaves of the house to see that they have sufficient moisture. • Weed. Weed. Weed. • Pick a budding gardener on your gift list to give some inspirational garden books and magazines then watch them blossom. • Store your fertilizer and seeds in rodent-proof containers. • Do any filling and grading around your yard. The soil will settle during the winter months. • Vent cold frames on sunny days. • Avoid walking in frozen planting beds. • Remove and destroy gypsy moth egg masses. • Clean your gutters. • Prune maples, dogwoods, birch, elm, and walnut -- if needed. • Bonus Tip: Some alternatives to de-icing salts include sand, beet juice sugars, light gravel (grit), or non-clumping kitty litter. Using de-icing salts around driveways and sidewalks can harm your garden plants and turf. Have a wonderful holiday season!
at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA Registration is now open at www.washingtongardener.com.
Space is limited, so act today!
Join Us For:Seed Swapping
Door PrizesPlanting Tips
Expert SpeakersGoody Bags
Washington Gardener Magazine subscribers get $5 offthe $15 attendee fee!
OverviewWashington Gardener magazine, the publication for DC-area gardening enthusiasts, is hosting the seventh annual Washington Seed Exchange at Brookside Gardens and Green Spring Gardens. These seed swaps are in-person and face-to-face. You bring your extra seeds and swap them with other gardeners. Everyone will leave with a bag full of seeds, new garden friends, and expert planting advice.
WhenOn Saturday, January 25, 2014 in MD and on Saturday, February 1, 2014 in VAfrom 12:30 – 4:00PM(Foul weather that day? Call 240.603.1461, for updates about possible snow/ice delay.)
WhereWe are holding dual Seed Exchanges one week apart on opposite sides of the Washington Beltway. We urge you to attend the one closest to you. One exchange will be held in the Visitor’s Center Auditorium of the Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton, MD. The other will be at Green Spring Gardens 4603 Green Spring Road Alexandria, VA.
How To RegisterFill out the form on the opposite page. Send the form in along with payment to Washington Gardener, 826 Philadelphia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910, Attn: SE Registration. Please make checks out to “Washington Gardener.” Registration fee is $15 per person in advance. Friends Of Brookside (FOB) members, Friends of Green Springs. and current Washington Gardener subscrib-ers receive a discount rate of $10 per person. We strongly urge you to register in advance. There is a limited enrollment of 100 participants at each location and we expect both to sell-out, so be sure to reg-ister early!
We are GREEN!!! Garden Book and Seed Catalog ExchangeSeed Exchange attendees are encouraged to bring their used or new garden books and seed catalogs to swap and share at this year’s event. We also ask you to bring your own water bottle or reusable mug and a home-made nametag.
Seed Exchange DetailsIf You Have Seeds to Bring and SwapPlease package them in resealable plastic zipper or wax sandwich baggies. Put an average of 20 seeds per baggy — more for small seeds like lettuce, fewer for large seeds like acorns. Then label each baggy with a white sticker (such as Avery stan-dard 5160 address label sheets) giving all the information you have on the seeds. If known, include the plant's common and scientific names; its soil, sun, and watering needs; and, its origins — where and when you collected the seeds. If you don't know all the information, that's okay, just try to provide as much as you can. Yes, you can bring unused or opened commercial seed packs also.
What If I Don't Have Any Seeds to Swap?Come anyway! Even if you don’t have any seeds to trade, you are welcome to attend! We'll have plenty of extra seed contributions on hand and many attendees will be there just to learn, network, and prepare for next year's seed collecting.
Education Program Expert speakers from the local gardening community will give short talks on seed col-lection and propagation tips. There will be ample time for individual Q&A throughout the program with the featured speakers, and invited experts as well.
Schedule(Note: This schedule is subject to change.)12:00-12:30 Registration check-in12:30-12:40 Introductions12:40-1:20 Gardening talk 1:20-1:40 Gardening talk 1:40-2:00 Gardening talk 2:00-2:15 Snack break and room reset 2:15-2:30 Seed swap preview time 2:30-3:00 Seed swap 3:00-3:30 Photo Contest winners 3:30-4:00 Door prizes and closing talk
How Do We Swap?As you check-in, staff will collect your seeds and place them at the appropriate seed cat-egory tables. You will be assigned a random seed swap number. There will be a short period for attendees to preview all the seeds brought in and available for swapping. Then, you will be called in by your number to pick a seed pack
from each of the category tables (if desired). After the initial seed swap is complete, attendees are free to take any of the left over seeds and to trade seeds with each other. Dividing of packets is encouraged and extra baggies with labels will be on hand for that purpose.
What Types of Seeds?Seed swap categories will include natives, edibles, herbs, exotics, annuals, perennials, and woodies (trees/shrubs). If you can pre-sort your seeds in advance into whichever of these seven major categories fits best, that would help us speed up the process on the swap day.
Door Prizes! Goodie Bags!All attendees will receive a goodie bag at the seed swap. The bags include seeds, publica-tions, and garden items donated by our spon-sors. In addition, we have some incredible door prizes to give away especially for area gardeners. If your organization would like to contrib-ute seeds or garden-related products for the goodie bags and door prizes, please contact Kathy Jentz at 301.588.6894 by January 21.
Please fill out this form and mail with your check/money order by January 23, 2014 to:Washington Gardener Magazine, 826 Philadelphia Ave., Silver Spring MD 20910
Name:____________________________________________________________________________________Street Address:____________________________________________________________________________Email:____________________________________________________________________________________Seed Exchange Date and Location: Jan 25 at Brookside Gardens Feb 1 at Green Spring Gardens(We will only use your email address for Seed Exchange notices and will never share them with anyone else.)
Optional: Washington Gardener Magazine Annual Subscription: $20.00 __________TOTAL_____________
*The following group members are eligible to pay the discount attendee rate of $10.00, please CIRCLE if one applies to you: • Washington Gardener Magazine subscribers • Friends of Brookside Gardens • Friends of Green Spring Gardens
You’ve seen those gorgeous garden photos published in magazines and newspapers. Enter this year’s competi-tion and have a chance of getting your winning images published, too! Whether you take the photos in your own back-yard, a nearby public garden, or while visiting friends and family in their local gardens, there are so many photograph-ic opportunities to be found. Let’s show off the best in DC-area gardening! This contest offers an opportunity for all photographers to present their best shots of gardens in the greater Washington, DC area. Contest entries will be judged on technical quality, com-position, originality, and artistic merit. More than $500 in prizes will be awarded! Winning images will be published in Washington Gardener magazine, will be displayed during the Washington Gardener Seed Exchange, and will appear in a local photo exhibit. By popular demand a NEW category has been added for this years contest! “Garden Vignettes” is for those garden scenes that are in-between tight close-ups and sweeping landscape vistas.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINESEach entrant is limited to a total of 10 images. Each electronic file must be identified with your name and phone number. All photographs should accu-rately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared in the viewfinder. Nothing should be added to an image and, aside from dust spots, nothing should be removed. Cropping and minor adjustments to electronic images to convert RAW files are acceptable. If an image is selected as a finalist, a high-resolution digital file might be required prior to finalizing our contest results. Digitally captured images should be taken at the camera’s highest resolu-tion (3 megapixels or larger). For pre-liminary judging, digital files must be submitted in JPEG format sized to 1000 pixels on the longest side at 300 dpi. If photos are taken with a film cam-era, they must be scanned in and sub-mitted in JPEG format sized to 1000 pixels on the longest side at 300 dpi. Before sending us your CD-ROMs, verify their integrity by making sure they
are readable and not damaged. We reserve the right to disqualify any disk that is unreadable or defective. Please check your CDs with the latest virus detection software. We will disqualify any disk that may contain a virus or a suspicious file. Label each CD and case with your full name. We strongly suggest mailing CDs in a protective case. We are not responsible for disks damaged during shipping. No CDs will be returned but they can be picked up after judging. Send your entries and entry fee to: Washington Gardener Photo Contest, 826 Philadelphia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910. Mailed entries must be received by January 21, 2014. Contest entries can also be submit-ted via email to [email protected]. Use the subject line “WG Photo Contest” and include an entry form for each image in your email’s text field. You can print out blank entry forms from www.WashingtonGardener.com. We will verify all entry receipts so please ensure your email address is included on all items. Entrants must not infringe on the rights of any other photographer, land-owner, or other person. Photos involv-ing willful harassment of wildlife or destruction of any property are unac-ceptable. The entrant must have personally taken the photo. By entering, you state this is your work and is free of copyright elsewhere. Failure to comply with any contest guidelines will lead to disqualification.
COPYRIGHT NOTEYour entry to this contest constitutes your agreement to allow your photo-graphs and your name, city, state, and photo description texts to be published in upcoming issues of Washington Gardener and used for other related purposes including, but not limited to, Washington Gardener Photo Contest promotions, online, live presentations, and gallery exhibits. Entrants retain ownership and all other rights to future use of their photographs.
CATEGORIESEach entrant is limited to a total of 10
images. You may submit a few in each category or submit all 10 in one cat-egory. Photo must have been taken during the 2013 calendar year in a garden located within a 150-mile radius of the Capitol Building in Washington, DC.• Garden Views: Beautiful, dramatic, or unusual perspectives of a garden landscape, including wide shots show-ing the setting. Subject can be a private or public garden. • Garden Vignettes: Groupings of plants in beds or containers, unusual color or texture combinations, garden focal points, and still scenes. Subject can be photographed in a private or public garden. • Small Wonders: Tight close-up images or macro shots of single flow-ers, plant parts, fruits, vegetables, etc. Subject can be photographed in a pri-vate or public garden. • Garden Creatures: Images of insects, birds, frogs, domestic pets, etc. in a private or public garden setting.
PRIZESPrizes include gift certificates to area camera stores, gardening tools, new plant introductions, and much more! If you would like to be a prize donor or sponsor, please contact us today.
WINNERS’ OBLIGATIONPhoto contest winners will need to pro-vide a high-resolution version of their image for publication and an 11x14 print suitable for framing. Winners may be asked to provide additional informa-tion for press and media coverage.
CONTEST ENTRY FEE The entry fee is $15.00 or $10.00 for current Washington Gardener Magazine subscribers. The fee includes up to 10 total image submissions per entrant. Please send a check or money order made out to “Washington Gardener” or send a payment via www.PayPal.com to [email protected].
Mail-Order Gardeninglike to have a large scratch pad, Post-its, and pens nearby to sketch out garden bed ideas and keep track of what I want from each catalog. Here are some additional mail-order gar-dening suggestions: • Choose plants appropriate to the DC area. That means Zones 6-7. Luckily for us, that is still a very broad range of plants. Most of what we cannot have in this area or tropicals — which if you must have a specimen you can attempt as a summer annual or try to keep in a heated greenhouse. • Check out the helpful glossary of terms often included and read the descriptions carefully. If you don’t know what an
“indeterminate” tomato vine is, pick up the phone or go online and ask. Most gar-den catalogs have a very helpful, knowl-edgeable staff in their customer service departments. • Order early to avoid “sold out” notices. I’m still depressed over that corkscrew vine I wanted so badly last year. This time, I’ve learned my lesson! Although procras-tination does have a few benefits. If you buy online and sign-up for a company’s mail list, in late Spring you’ll often be sent sale and clearance price offers on over-stocked items. These are great for filling in where a perennial has not come back or a new plant has just not flourished as you’d hoped. • Keep careful records of what you’ve ordered and where you intend to place them in your garden. This will help you immensely in unpacking your plants sev-eral months from now. This also avoids the “now where do I put this?” syndrome, as you stand mid-garden with new plant in hand. When I do my actual ordering, it is
online. That way I get a receipt in my email box, print it out, and can make notes on that as well. Two extremely helpful online sites to visit before you place your orders are: • Dave’s Garden: The Garden Watchdog (http://davesgarden.com/gwd/) This site has contact information for hundreds of mail-order gardening companies and reviews from fellow gar-deners who have used these companies. • Garden Web: Sources Forum (http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/sources/) This site allows you to search on posts from other gardeners or to post your own query. Many use it to look for a specific plant source or to ask about a catalog they’ve never ordered from before for other’s opinions and experiences.
About the AuthorKathy Jentz is editor/publisher of Washington Gardener Magazine. Kathy’s stack of garden catalog is awaiting the next snow day to sit down with a cup of cocoa in front of the fireplace to peruse them all.
By Kathy Jentz
We are about to start a new gardening year according to your mailbox. If you’re like most gardeners you can tell it’s the deep winter dormant season not by the chilly weather, but by the number of the mail-order garden catalogs flooding in right now. I personally have received two or three catalogs per week since November 15. If you didn’t get a wide selection of gar-dening catalogs this year, you can go online to request some be sent to you. A good jumping off point is the Direct Gardening Association (http://www.mailordergardening.com/) which has several hundred mail-order garden companies listed with their full contact information and broken down by plant categories. What are the advantages of mail-order or online ordering? According to the Mail-order Gardening Association, they are: • Greater selection of products • The convenience of armchair shopping • Best guarantees in the business • Plants and products directly to your door I especially like that last bullet point. Getting that box of new plants or seeds delivered to your door is like opening a gift to yourself. What a great present to come home to after a long day at the office! And no need to haul heavy plants home on the metro. One of the best things about getting mail-order garden catalogs or surfing their web sites is that you can do it from the warm comfort of your own home at any time. You are able to sit down and plot out your garden plan on paper before buying. You can dream big at this point and transport yourself to springtime with these luscious photos and detailed plant descriptions. “Garden catalogs let you take a mental vacation from the frigid days of winter, and they serve as helpful planning tools because they show you the newest plants and products for your garden,” said Roberta Simpson-Dolbeare, former presi-dent of the Direct Gardening Association (DGA). “Gardening catalogs and web sites are a great way to get a jump-start on the gardening season. Many of them also provide helpful information for both new and long-time gardeners.” Just how popular are mail-order garden products? The DGA estimates that Americans spend $3.1 billion on mail-order plants, bulbs, seeds, garden tools and garden supplies. If you’re planning to order from a mail-order gardening catalog or gardening web site, you’re in good company. More than 24.2 million American households are expected to place orders with mail-order garden catalogs and web sites this year, spending an average of $128 per household. When I settle in to peruse this year’s catalog offerings, I
DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ Dec 16, 2013 - Jan 15, 2014
TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS
Visitor Center, Black Hill Regional Park20926 Lake Ridge Drive, Boyds, MD.Details at: www.montgomeryparks.org. FREE.
• Wednesday, January 8, 12noon-1pmLunchtime Tour of the ConservatoryWhat do manila folders, Chanel No. 5, vanilla and fossil fuels have in com-mon? They all come from plants on permanent display in the USBG Conser-vatory. Take a tour with a knowledge-able guide who will connect the exotic plant world to everyday life. You might see bananas, cacao and coffee ripen-ing on the tree or learn about the next big breakthrough in medicinal plant research. Tour meets in the Conservatory Gar-den Court. FREE: No pre-registration required. See more at: http://www.usbg.gov/events/.
• January 8 - 10MANTS 2014MANTS is one of the largest private Green Industry Trade Shows on the east coast with over 300,000 square feet of exhibit space. Registration required. Held at the Baltimore Convention Center, One West Pratt Street, Balti-more, MD. 21201; www.bccenter.org.
• Friday, January 10, 6:30-9pmNature Movie Night: Planet Earth: Temperate Forests and JunglesEnjoy a documentary comparing the unique tree-based ecosystems found in our backyards with those across the equator. Popcorn provided. Held at Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton, MD. Admission: $6.Register at www.ParkPASS.org (Course #248599). • Saturday, January 11, 9:00am-2:30pmSchool Gardens SymposiumEducators, volunteers, and teach-ers: Let’s talk school gardens. Learn activities to meet SOL standards, and gain school garden management ideas, resources and networks. Lunch included. Being held at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alex-andria, VA. Fee: $65/person. Register
• Thursday, December 19, 5-7pmCandlelight Mansion ToursA festive carriage ride, Victorian ladies and gentlemen and the spectacularly decorated Maymont Mansion in Rich-mond, VA, reveal the gracious traditions of Christmas 1893. Fee: $18 per per-son/$14 for Maymont members. Reg-ister online at www.maymont.org or call 804-358-7166, ext. 310.
• Thursday, December 19, 10amWreath Making WorkshopLearn how to make a wreath with live greens with Oatlands’ Head Gardener, Mark Schroeter. Greens furnished. Take home a finished wreath! At the Oat-lands’ Greenhouse. Fee: $20. Details at http://www.oatlands.org. Call for reser-vations: 703-777-3174.
•Thursday, December 19 and Friday, December 20, from 10:30-11:30am or 1-2pmGingerbread House WorkshopsTudor Place is made of brick and wood and stucco, but memories are made of gingerbread! Children become history detectives as they tour the mansion for clues to how holidays were celebrated in the past. Next, they use graham crackers and other sweet building mate-rials to design and build their own “gin-gerbread” houses. For ages 5+. Tudor Place Historic House and Garden, 1644 31st Street, NW, Washington, DC.Register at http://tudorplace.org/.
• Saturday, January 4*, and Sunday, January 5, 10am-12:30pmChristmas Bird Count at Black Hill Regional Park* and Ten Mile CreekWhat types and how many birds are there in Black Hill Regional Park and Ten Mile Creek? Find out at the 114th Annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count, the longest-running Citizen Science survey in the world. The Montgomery County Bird Club will help with identifi-cation, and the results will be entered into the Audubon database to provide critical data on bird population trends. Participants should dress for hiking in cold, winter conditions. Younger chil-dren must be able to hike 1-2 miles or can be carried. Meet at the Black Hill
online at : http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring/events.htm.
• Saturday, January 11Pruning WorkshopThis workshop session will provide instruction on the fundamentals of tree pruning and the methods that encourage healthy structural develop-ment. After the classroom session, par-ticipants will head to the field, putting these principles into action by pruning American elms at different stages of development. Barry Stahl of the Nation-al Park Service will instruct. See full details at caseytrees.org/events.
• Sunday, January 12, 1:30-3pm Plants of the Bible and the QuranCelebrate the plants of the Bible and Quran. Old Dominion University Profes-sor Lytton John Musselman shares fascinating stories of the fruits, grains, grasses, trees, flowers, and fragrances referred to in these texts, their uses, and literary context. Register online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring or call Green Spring Gar-dens 703-642-5173. Code: 290 182 1801. Fee $10/person.
• Tuesday, January 14, 8-10pm(and again on February 13)Full Moon Hike for Private GroupGather friends and family to enjoy the Full Moon Hike, considered one of DC’s best outings. Hike for two hours over four miles of hilly and uneven terrain, through moonlit gardens, meadows, and woods. Your guide will share sea-sonal highlights that are notable at night. This is a brisk hike, not a tour. Maximum 25 per group. Fee $550. Reg-istration required. Held at U.S. National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave., NE, Washington, DC. To register, visit www.usna.usda.gov or call 202-245-4521.
• Thursday, January 16 – Friday, Janu-ary 17The 25th Annual Winter Landscape Design SymposiumIn this two-day program, influential practitioners, both established and emerging, will examine some of the dead ends and fruitful paths traveled by
DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ Dec 16, 2013 - Jan 15, 2014
TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS
Your Ad HereAre you trying to reach thousands of gardeners in the greater DC region/Mid-Atlantic area? Washington Gardener Enews goes out on the 15th of every month and is a free sister publication to Washington Gardener magazine. Contact [email protected] or call 301.588-6894 for ad rates. The ad deadline is the 10th of each month. Please submit your ad directly to: [email protected].
ecological design over the last 25 years, and the changes that these experiences suggest going forward. Being held at the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, 100 E. Northwestern Ave. Philadelphia, PA. Details at: www.morrisarboretum.org.
SAVE THE DATE:• The 9th Annual Washington Garden-er Seed Exchange, hosted by Washing-ton Gardener Magazine, takes place on January 25, 2014 at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD, AND on February 1, 2014 at Green Spring Gardens in Fair-fax, VA. Seed Exchange attendees trade seeds, exchange planting tips, hear expert speakers, and collect goody bags full of gardening treats. The event also includes such “green” features as the garden book and catalog swap. Par-ticipants are also encouraged to bring their gently used garden books and mailorder garden catalogs to trade with each other. . Subscribers to Washington Gardener Magazine receive a $5 discount off the admission to the Washington Gardener Seed Exchange.
• The Basics of Gardening Through instruction by Master Gar-deners and Extension Staff, students will learn some of the science behind gardening, plant culture and pest and disease solutions. The series will focus on research-based knowledge of plant resistance, problem avoidance and the most effective control strategies. Classes are Saturday January 25, February 22, March 15 with a snow date of March 29. From 9am-1pm each date. Class location is REALTOR® Asso-ciation of Prince William, 4545 Daisy Reid Avenue, Suite 150, Woodbridge, VA. Fee of $45 for the series includes all materials and light refreshments. Couples may register for$75 for one set of materials. Youth over the age of 16 may register. Questions may be addressed to the Extension Horticulture Help Desk at 703-792-7747 or by email at [email protected].
• PPA MidAtlantic Regional Sympo-sium on Saturday, February 22 at the Conference Center at Sheppard Pratt, 6501 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD. Join The Perennial Plant Association & The Horticultural Society of Maryland, Inc. to be “Perennially Inspired”Details at www.perennialplant.org.
• Green Matters Symposium: “Garden-ing in a Shifting Climate”Friday, February 28, 8:30am-4pm.Our weather is changing. This becomes especially apparent when gardening: plants that have flourished for years are failing; planting dates are no longer as reliable. What is a gardener to do? Join us for Green Matters: Gardening in a Shifting Climate. Hear from a variety of professionals on how we can adapt and learn how to successfully garden with such changeable weather. Visit Brooksi-deGreen.org for more information. Reg-ister early. Held at NEW location: Manor Country Club, 14901 Carrolton RoadRockville, MD. Admission: $89.www.ParkPASS.org (Course #248349)
• RootingDC is a FREE Urban Garden-ing Forum held annually in late winter. Details to be posted soon at http://fieldtoforknetwork.org/rootingdc/ for the event on Saturday, March 1, 2014.
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/.
Event Listing Submissions To submit an event for this listing, please contact: [email protected] and put “Event” in the email subject head. Our next deadline is Janu-ary 12 for the January 15 edi-tion of this enewsletter featuring events taking place from January 16 - February 15.
Local Gardening CalendarEach month includes a list of what to do in the garden for local DC-MD-VA and Mid-Atlantic gardeners, along with a gorgeous photo of a flower from a local public garden collection. On November 25, go to http://www.cafepress.com/washgardener to order this new calendar. A great gift idea and treat yourself!
Advanced Landscape Plant IPM PHC Short Course
January 21-24, 2014For registration
information contact:Avis Koeiman
Department of Entomology4112 Plant Sciences Building
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
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2007• Indoor Gardening• Daphne Care Guide• Asparagus Growing Tips and Recipes• Houseplant Propagation
MARCH/APRIL 2007• Stormwater Management• Dogwood Selection & Care Guide• Early Spring Vegetable Growing Tips• Franciscan Monastery Bulb Gardens
BACK ISSUE SALE!YOU CAN REQUEST A SINGLE COPY OF BACK ISSUES FOR $6 EACH OR, ANY 6 BACK ISSUES, FOR $24 OR ALL 30+ BACK ISSUES FOR JUST $100. PRICE INCLUDES POSTAGE AND HAN-DLING. PLEASE SPECIFY THE ISSUE DATE(S). ORDER MUST BE PREPAID BY CHECK OR MONEY ORDER. SEND YOUR ORDER TO:
WASHINGTON GARDENER, 826 PHILADELPHIA AVE., SILVER SPRING, MD 20910MAY/JUNE 2007• Roses: Easy Care Tips• Native Roses & Heirloom Roses• Edible Flowers• How to Plant a Bare-root Rose
JULY/AUGUST 2007• Groundcovers: Alternatives to Turfgrass• How to Pinch, Prune, & Dead-head •William Paca House & Gardens• Hardy Geraniums
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)• The 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, and 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 Gorgeous Winter Color
MARCH/APRIL 2009• 40+ Free and Low-cost Local Garden Tips• Spring Edibles Planting Guide for the Mid-Atlantic• Testing Your Soil for a Fresh Start• Redbud Tree Selection and Care• Best Viewing Spots for Virginia Bluebells
MAY/JUNE 2009• Top Easy Summer Annuals for DC Heat• Salad Table Project• Grow and Enjoy Eggplant• How to Chuck a Woodchuck
SUMMER 2009• Grow Grapes in the Mid-Atlantic• Passionflowers• Mulching Basics• What’s Bugging Your Tomatoes• 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
DayTrip columns compiled into one handy publication — available soon in both paper
and e-book versions. Great gift idea!
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Your Ad HereAre you trying to reach thousands of garden-ers in the greater DC region/Mid-Atlantic area? Washington Gardener Enews goes out on the 15th of every month and is a free sister publication to Washington Gardener magazine. Contact [email protected] or call 301.588-6894 for ad rates. The ad deadline is the 10th of each month. Please submit your ad directly to: [email protected].
In Our Next Issue...Fabulous Ferns
Daytrip to Chanticleer GardensGarden Event Season Wrap-Up
Growing and Cooking BEETS
If your business would like to reach area gardeners, be sure to contact us by December 30 so you can be part of the next issue of our growing publication!
Magazine Excerpt: Kudzu Bugs Attack Soybeans by Carol Allen “Grandma! Grandma! Look, we found a weird bug in the beans!” My grandsons came careening through the kitchen door, soapy water sloshing out of their bug-catch-ing bowls. I pay a nickel a piece for cucumber and bean beetles and that is high finances for them! This keeps the garden clean and the kids out of my hair while I make breakfast. “It’s prob’ly an ALIEN! Look! Look!”Sure enough, there was an alien floating in amongst the beetles. This was a moment I had trained for as a National Plant Diagnostic Network, First Detector (http://www.npdn.org/)! I had reason to believe I was looking at a Kudzu bug (Megacopta cribraria), also known as the Bean Plataspid.
The pea-sized, dome-shaped bug before me probably drifted over from the abandoned lot across the street. That patch of woods was rapidly being overgrown by Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata), another alien invader. Like their distant stinkbug relatives, Kudzu bugs feed by sucking the juices out of their host plants. Scientists report that Kudzu bugs can reduce Kudzu plant mass up to 33% in one season, but they are attacking the soybean fields and are having a serious impact on local farmers. Kudzu bugs were first found in Georgia in the fall of 2009. They are native to Asia and Australia, and their mode of entry into North America is unknown. Researchers speculate that they might have come in on contaminated baggage or in an international commodity shipment. Kudzu bugs are strong fliers and can be moved by storm systems as well as hitching a ride on a vehicle. Since that first sight-ing in 2009, they have exhibited an amazingly rapid spread. They are found in Louisiana to the west, up into Tennessee, as far north as Maryland, and most recently in Delaware. Scientists estimate that the range of the Kudzu plant will define the limits of the bug’s spread... Want to learn more growing carrots? Read the rest of this InsectIndex column in the Summer-Fall 2013 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine. See how to subscribe below to start with this issue.
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