Monday, January 19, 2026

Monday Thoughts: "The plant of freedom has grown only a bud and not yet a flower." ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"The plant of freedom has grown only a bud and not yet a flower." 

~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Sunday, January 18, 2026

Seed Exchange 2026 Speakers Announced


UPDATE! More tickets have been released for both events! See the ticket order links at the bottom of this post and full event details at https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/12/seed-exchange-registration-now-open.html.

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Here are the speakers for the upcoming Washington Gardener Seed Exchanges 2026. Seed Exchange attendees trade seeds, exchange planting tips, hear expert speakers, and collect goody bags full of gardening treats.


Talk 1 on 1/31 at the WG Seed Exchange at Brookside Gardens:
"Grow Great Lettuce All Year"
Speaker: Debby Ward of Prior Unity Garden  
Debby says, "One of my absolute favorite things to grow is lettuce." There are so many different varieties that I end up growing over 30 in the fall garden. Lettuce can be started indoors in summer for larger transplants or direct seeded once temps cool down a bit. Debby will share her tips and tricks for growing greens all year round.



Talk 2 on 1/31 at the WG Seed Exchange at Brookside Gardens:
"Grow the Cutting Garden of your Dreams - One Seed At A Time! "
Speaker: Alex Mudry-Till of Quince Blossom Ridge
Have you ever wanted to grow a garden full of flowers, but felt too overwhelmed at a nursery or just didn't want to spend the money on lots of seedlings? Sowing your own flowers is an easy way to get lots of bang for you buck and there are lots of different ways to approach this growing technique. Alex will teach you the various ways she grows from seed for her flower farm, Quince Blossom Ridge. The talk will review the different types of seed, how best to sow them and multiple ways to start your seeds (including plug trays, soil blocks, bulk sowing, winter sowing, and if/when to direct sow). Whether a novice or a pro, you'll be sure to learn new tips and tricks for great germination, healthy seedlings, and happy transplants to grow a bountiful array of flowers, filler, and foliage. 

Talk 1 on 2/7 at the WG Seed Exchange at Green Spring Gardens:
“Cucumbers Love Sunflowers: Companion Planting for the Home Garden"
Speaker: Linda L. Jones, owner, Elements of Nature
Companion Planting is a method of growing plants in proximity to each other because of their ability to enhance or complement the other's growth or attract beneficial insects or repel insect pests. Companion planting includes techniques such as trap cropping, spatial protection, beneficial habitat, and nurse cropping.
    Linda L. Jones is a certified master gardener and owner of Elements of Nature - Botanicals and Farmaceuticals, Clinton, Maryland . She focuses on growing flowers and herbs and gardening education. She is an avid seed collector and has a collection of over 500 varieties of open-pollinated and heirloom, annual, perennial and herb seeds.
   She has presented on several diverse gardening topics and has led workshops throughout the DMV since 2010, beginning as a master gardener intern.
   She often incorporates tips on creative, effective and alternative ways to maximize growing potential and space. In addition she uses her knowledge of growing, food, herbs and flowers and incorporates them into designer and exotic loose leaf teas, lotions and other home arrangements and into her natural products and skin care line - all of which are available at www.elementsofnatureusa.com
   She believes that “Through saving and sharing seeds we are all helping to spread hope and enrich lives across the world”

Talk 2 on 1/31 at the WG Seed Exchange at Green Spring Gardens:
"Grow the Cutting Garden of your Dreams - One Seed At A Time! "
Speaker: Alex Mudry-Till of Quince Blossom Ridge
Have you ever wanted to grow a garden full of flowers, but felt too overwhelmed at a nursery or just didn't want to spend the money on lots of seedlings? Sowing your own flowers is an easy way to get lots of bang for you buck and there are lots of different ways to approach this growing technique. Alex will teach you the various ways she grows from seed for her flower farm, Quince Blossom Ridge. The talk will review the different types of seed, how best to sow them and multiple ways to start your seeds (including plug trays, soil blocks, bulk sowing, winter sowing, and if/when to direct sow). Whether a novice or a pro, you'll be sure to learn new tips and tricks for great germination, healthy seedlings, and happy transplants to grow a bountiful array of flowers, filler, and foliage. 
 
21st Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchanges
on Saturday, January 31, 2026, 12:30–4:00pm 
National Seed Swap Day!
at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD
 Registration is now open at 
and 
on Saturday, February 7, 2026, 12:30–4:00pm
at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA
Registration is now open at 
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Saturday, January 17, 2026

GardenDC Podcast Episode 269: The Future is Nuts

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Michael Judd of Ecologia Design about all the nut-bearing trees. The plant profile is on Azaleas and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on "What to Grow with Beets" by Christy Page of GreenPrints.

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! 

See how at: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/subscribe

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 95: Willows

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/03/gardendc-podcast-episode-95-willows.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 25: Paw Paws

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/08/gardendc-podcast-episode-25-michael.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 187: Mad About Mulches

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2024/03/gardendc-podcast-episode-187-mad-about.html

PawPaw Fest 2026: https://ecologiadesign.com/paw-paw-festival-longcreek-homestead/

SilvoCulture - Nuts for the Future: https://www.silvoculture.org/

Plantra Tree Tubes: https://www.plantra.com/

Show Notes wil be posted after 1/21/2026.

This episode is archived at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0D5t3r8C3UkODdapGhNmzd?si=ADeHfx5FSpykM1QPydzsUA

We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode.

And be sure to leave us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform plus share us on social media with #GardenDC, so other gardeners can find us too!

Episode Credits:
Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz
Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

PIN THIS FOR LATER!

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Monday, January 12, 2026

Monday Thoughts: "It is a maxim universally agreed upon in agriculture, that nothing must be done too late; and again, that everything must be done at its proper season; while there is a third precept which reminds us that opportunities lost can never be regained." ~ Pliny the Elder

"It is a maxim universally agreed upon in agriculture, that nothing must be done too late; and again, that everything must be done at its proper season; while there is a third precept which reminds us that opportunities lost can never be regained."

 ~ Pliny the Elder

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Saturday, January 10, 2026

GardenDC Podcast Episode 268: New Plants and Products for 2026

In this special episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Debby Ward of Prior Unity Garden about all the new plants and products we saw at MANTS 2026. (We skipped the Plant Profile, What's New, and Last Word segments this time to devote more time to talking about all that cool new stuff.)

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! 

See how at: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/subscribe

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 223: New Plants and Products for 2025

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/01/gardendc-podcast-episode-223-new-plants.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 177: New Plants and Products for 2024

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2024/01/gardendc-podcast-episode-177-new-plants.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 133: New Plants and Products for 2023

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/01/gardendc-podcast-episode-133-new-plants.html

This episode is archived at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Wt3jb8zaTYRGjXqloXcZY?si=MpdQd8ewQqyxIiWgsXccSQ

Show Notes wil be posted after 1/14/2026.

We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode.

And be sure to leave us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform plus share us on social media with #GardenDC, so other gardeners can find us too!

Episode Credits:
Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz
Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

PIN THIS FOR LATER!

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Monday, January 05, 2026

Monday Thoughts: "I think that to one in sympathy with nature, each season, in its turn, seems the loveliest." ~ Mark Twain

"I think that to one in sympathy with nature, each season, in its turn, seems the loveliest." 

~ Mark Twain

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Sunday, January 04, 2026

Win a Martha Washington’s Kitchen Garden seed collection from Burpee in our January 2026 Washington Gardener Reader Contest

For our January 2026 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, we are giving away Martha Washington’s Kitchen Garden seed collection from Burpee (value $49.95 each, Burpee.com). 

   Burpee is saluting America’s 250th birthday with four specialty seed kits, including Martha Washington’s Kitchen Garden, that celebrate our country’s garden history and ideals. Unique and educational, they bring history to life in your garden. Plant a taste of history with heritage vegetables known to have grown at Mount Vernon, the home of Martha and George Washington. Included in the kit are plant labels and a keepsake recipe card, along with Lettuce ‘Amish Deer Tongue’, Hot Pepper ‘Fish’, Onion ‘White Lisbon Bunching’, Carrot ‘Danvers 126’, Cucumber ‘Armenian’, Radish ‘Early Scarlet Globe’, Kale ‘Blue Curled Scotch’, and Watermelon ‘Georgia Rattlesnake’.

   To enter to win Martha Washington’s Kitchen Garden seeds, send an email by 5:00pm on Saturday, January 31, to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com with “Martha Washington’s Kitchen Garden” in the Subject line and in the body of the email. Tell us what your favorite article was in the January 2026 Washington Gardener issue and why. Please include your full name and mailing address. Winners will be announced and notified on/about February 1. Replies might be published. 

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Thursday, January 01, 2026

January 2026 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine: Paper Plant, Pennyroyal, Teaberry, and much more…

The January 2026 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine

Inside this issue:

  • Paper Plant (Fatsia japonica)
  • How to Grow Pennyroyal
  • Attracting a Variety of Birds to Your Garden
  • Giving Up on Teaberry and Other Vexing Natives
  • Getting Ahead of Winter Speedwell
  • Laurel Wilt Warning
  • Seed Exchange Registration
  • Garden Book Reviews and Reader Contest
  • Photo Contest Guidelines
  • Meet the Capital Area Food Bank’s Xandra Coleman
  • A New Kale
  • A Visit to the Rehoboth Art League’s Garden
  • and much more…

Note that any submissions, event listings, and advertisements for the February 2026 issue are due by January 10.

>>  Subscribe to Washington Gardener Magazine today to have the monthly publication sent to your inbox as a PDF several days before it is available online. You can use the PayPal (credit card) online order form here: https://www.washingtongardener.com/index_files/subscribe.htm

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Wednesday, December 31, 2025

SEED EXCHANGE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

 

Washington Gardener Magazine presents the 
21st Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchanges
on Saturday, January 31, 2026, 12:30–4:00pm 
National Seed Swap Day!
at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD
 Registration is now open at 
and 
on Saturday, February 7, 2026, 12:30–4:00pm
at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA
Registration is now open at 

Join us for:
Seed Swapping
Door Prizes
Planting Tips
Expert Speakers
Goody Bags
Indoor Plant Cuttings Table

Overview:
Washington Gardener Magazine, the publication for DC-area gardening enthusiasts, is hosting the 19th annual Washington Gardener 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.

Where:
We are holding a duo of 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 at Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton, MD. The other will be at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA.

How to Register:
   Register online for the 1/31/26 event OR for the 2/7/26 one. Be sure you are registering for which event you plan to attend. 
    Registration fee is $20 per person. Friends of Brookside members, Friends of Green Spring members, and current Washington Gardener subscribers receive a discount rate of $15 per person.
We strongly urge you to register in advance. There is a limited enrollment of 100 participants at each location!

We are GREEN!!!
We also have a Garden Book and Seed Catalog Exchange table. Seed 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. We will have a “best nametag” contest, so get crafty!

Event Hashtags #GardenDC and #SeedSwapDay

If You Have Seeds to Bring and Swap:
Please 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. Label each baggy with a white sticker (such as Avery standard 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 is okay; just provide as much as you can.
   Yes, you can bring unused or opened commercial seed packs.
   We also have table for houseplant cuttings and starts. We encourage everyone to bring your cuttings labeled and packed in individual baggies to share.
   You can also bring bulbs/corms, cover crop seeds, etc.


What If You 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 collection 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-in
12:30-12:40 Introductions
12:40-1:20 Gardening talk
1:20-1:55 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 - at Green Spring event only)
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 category 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. 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 which of these seven major categories fits best, that would help us speed up the process on the swap day.


Door Prizes! Goodie Bags!
Each attendee will receive a goodie bag at the seed swap. The bags include seeds, publications, and garden items donated by our sponsors. In addition, we have some incredible door prizes to give away especially for area gardeners.
   If your organization would like to contribute seeds or garden-related products for the goodie bags and door prizes, contact Kathy Jentz by January 25.

Charitable Donations:
Extra seeds from the swap are donated to local, nonprofit gardening groups.
A donation from part of the event proceeds will be made to the Seed Savers Exchange.
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