GardenDC Podcast Episode 246: Garden Tips from Mike McGrath

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Mike McGrath, host of You Bet Your Garden, about his best gardening tips. The plant profile is on Cattails 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 the Little Taro Root by Christy Page of GreenPrints.

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

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 112: Summer Garden Refresh

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/07/gardendc-podcast-episode-112-summer.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 165: Gardening and the Weather with Margaret Roach

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/09/gardendc-podcast-episode-165-gardening.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 108: Frugal Gardening Tips

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/06/gardendc-podcast-episode-108-frugal.html

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter/subscriber at: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/subscribe

Visit https://shop.kathyjentz.com/ to browse our new online store!

This episode is archived at: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/episodes/Garden-Tips-from-Mike-McGrath-e354i2m

Show Notes will be posted after 7-8-2025.

The GardenDC podcast is also available on -

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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

Interview Edit & Show Notes: Colin Davan

Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

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Fenton Friday: Tiny Garlic and New Pollinator Signage

We dug up our small garlic harvest this week. You can watch the IG live video of it here. The bulbs are rather puny this year and I lost most of the ones I planted. I believe they rotted after our long, wet and cool spring this year. 

We planted the Hibiscus sabdariffa I received at a plant swap this year and I'm looking forward to collecting some of the dried flowers to make Hibiscus tea with it,

We also planted the 9 Lisianthus I had still sitting in pots. We wll meed to go back bext week and put in horizontal netting to support them as they are already flopping on the ground.

We replaced the dud Zucchini seeds with Zucchini 'Black Beauty' -- I hope they germinate soon.

We thinned the Cucumber seedlings -- both mounds have several plants up and I think 2-3 per mound is already plenty.

We tied up the Dahlias, which tend to get heavy and split open by mid-summer. I also cut some blooms to enjoy inside.

We replaced the row of dud Marigold seeds with 'Burning Embers' -- again I hope the second try is the charm.

I planted a row of 'Dwarf Sunspot' Sunflowers from Harvesting History to the pollinator garden strip in any open spots.

I added a sprinkling of Bloom soil to both the Marigold and Sunflower seeds to give them a little extra boost in getting started.

I also applied two coats of varnish to the plant labels we created last week for our Pollinator Garden and stuck them in the ground today. They are made from blank paint stir sticks that I ordered on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3Tkoqp8*. You can also, of course, collect a few paint stir sticks when you visit your local paint store, but I needed them in larger quantities The labels are meant to inform those who wonder what some of the plants are and also to alert folks that, yes, this corner garden strip is being maintained by someone.

Next week, we thing the Carrots and see if we can collect seeds yet from the Cilantro.

What are you growing in your edible garden this week?

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 14th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton"  into the Search box above (at the top, left on this blog).

*Note that if you click on this Amazon affiliate link and oder something, Washington Gardener may get a few pennies, but it wll not imopact your purchase price.

Gardenia Plant Profile

Gardenia Plant Profile

Gardenia (Gardenia species) is an evergreen flowering shrub. Its beautiful blooms are usually white or yellow and have a wonderful fragrance. Its leaves are shiny and thick.

Gardenias for the garden are normally around 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, though there are some Gardenia species that can grow to 50 feet high. It is hardy to USDA zones 7 to 11. Gardenia is in the coffee family and is native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, Madagascar, Pacific Islands, and Australia. Gardenias prefer to grow in part sun to part shade. Ideally, situate them in morning sun and afternoon shade. They need well-draining soils that is fertile and on the acidic side. Do not let Gardenia completely dry out between waterings. Mulch them well around the root zone and prune out dead branches as needed, You can deadhead the spent blooms to encourage reflowering. Gardenia flowers throughout the summer into fall and makes a good cut flower. Use an acidic, slow-release fertilizer formulated for acid-loving plants for your Gardenias. Apply the fertilizer around the root zone in spring after the last frost and again six weeks later. Plant a Gardenia where you can enjoy the scent wafting through your garden. Gardenia: You Can Grow That! The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine. Audio, Videos, and Text by Kathy Jentz Editing and Additional Video Footage by Miguel Zarate ➤ If you enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our Youtube channel (thank you!) ➤Remember to TURN ON notifications to know when our new videos are out ➤ FIND Washington Gardener Magazine ONLINE ~ WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com ~ http://twitter.com/WDCGardener ~ https://www.instagram.com/wdcgardener/ ~ Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine ~ Podcast: GardenDC If you liked this video, we think you will like these other Plant Profiles: ~ Mock Orange Plant Profile https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/03/mock-orange-plant-profile.html ~ Carolina Allspice Plant Profile https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/05/carolina-allspice-plant-profile.html

~ Daphne Plant Profile https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/03/daphne-plant-profile.html

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Monday Thoughts: "The kitchen gardener’s life isn’t romantic or exotic, but it is rich." ~ Linda Ziedrich

 

"The kitchen gardener’s life isn’t romantic or exotic, but it is rich." 

~ Linda Ziedrich

GardenDC Podcast Episode 245: Innovative Approaches To Meadow Plantings

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Claire Chambers of Meadow Lab about a new technique for establishing meadows. The plant profile is on Black Cohosh 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 Decoding Tomato Leaf Aromas by Christy Page of GreenPrints.

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

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 195: Reduce Your Lawn

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2024/05/gardendc-podcast-episode-195-reduce.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 101: Sustainable Lawn Care

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/04/gardendc-podcast-episode-101.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 130: Groundcovers versus Groundcovers

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/11/gardendc-podcast-episode-130.html

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter/subscriber at: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/subscribe

Visit https://shop.kathyjentz.com/ to browse our new online store!

This episode is archived at: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/episodes/Innovative-Approaches-To-Meadow-Plantings-e34rjug

Show Notes will be posted after 6-30-2025.

The GardenDC podcast is also available on -

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• YouTube: https://youtube.com/washingtongardenermagazine

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

Interview Edit & Show Notes: Miguel Zarate

Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

PIN THIS FOR LATER!

Fenton Friday: Open Garden

We hosted an Open Garden for members of the Takoma Horticultural Club and other community guests. (See pics here taken by Miguel Zarate.) We gave garden tours, held a scavenger hunt, and decorated plant label sticks for the Pollinator Garden Strip. Refreshments included some Garlic Scape Pesto I made with the scapes from my plot and Blackberry Sauce (to pour on store=bought poundcake) that I made from our last few blackberry harvests.

This week brought record heat and not so much rain -- so I was out there watering the seedlings daily.

A few of the bean seeds we planted last week have already emerged -- Pole Bean 'Rattlesnake' and 'Iron and Peas' Cowpea. I am hoping the others emerge soon too and that the pesky baby bunny I found hiding under the Asparagus spares them.

The Basil 'Prospera' seeds are up, but no sign yet of the 'Italian Large Leaf' Basil. We can give that another week. 

In the Pollinator Garden Strip, I added a "Bee Happy" Bidens plant that I'd been sent to trial and will sow some dwarf Sunflowers today too to fill in the middle of the strip that was looking a bit empty. 

The heat finally broke today and we were able to woodchip most of the pathways. 

Next week, we conquer rebooting the Cutting Garden.

What are you growing in your edible garden this week?

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 14th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton"  into the Search box above (at the top, left on this blog).

Win a pair of Long Straight Snips from Corona Tools in the June 2025 Washington Gardener Reader Contest

UPDATE: Congratulations to Sue Kuklewicz of Silver Spring, MD -- our winner of this month's reader contest! Thank you to all those who entered.

For our June 2025 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, we are giving away a pair of Long Straight Snips from Corona Tools. The prize value is $14.

   The Long Straight Snip has a straight, pointed blade for a wide range of applications. The corrosion-resistant stainless steel blades pivot to prevent rusting, are easier to clean, and reduce germ build-up. It also has an unobtrusive leather strap lock.

   An authentic American brand, the Corona Tools company was born in the orange groves of California in the 1920s. Since then, generations of agriculturists, gardeners, landscapers, arborists, and construction professionals have turned to Corona to find high-quality tools that work as hard as they do. They know that Corona’s iconic red handles are an immediate symbol of quality and long-lasting durability. Learn more about Corona Tools at http://coronatoolsusa.com/.

   To enter to win a pair of Corona snips, send an email by 5:00pm on Monday, June 30, to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com with “Corona Snips” in the Subject line and in the body of the email. Tell us what your favorite article was in the June 2025 Washington Gardener issue and why. Please include your full name and mailing address. Winners will be announced and notified on/about July 1. Replies might be published. 

Horsetail Plant Profile

Horsetail Plant Profile

Horsetail (Equisetum praealtum formerly Equisetum hyemale) is a perennial plant that looks like a reed with joints along its stem. It can grow to three to six feet tall and is also known as Scouring Rush.

It is hardy to USDA zones 4 to 10 and is native to most of North America.

Horsetail is a fern relative and does not produce flowers or seeds. It can be propagated by division.

It prefers to grow in sites with consistent moisture. It can thrive in full sun to part shade.

Horsetail is native to wetlands and in places with shallow water.

It is best grown in a home garden either in a container or at the edge of a pond/water garden as it can be an aggressive spreader when planted in a wet soil location and can quickly form a large colony.

Due to its rough texture and high silica content, the plant is not eaten by deer.

Horsetail: You Can Grow That!

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine as part of our Plant Profile series for Mid-Atlantic USA gardeners.

Audio, video, and text by Kathy Jentz

Editing by Colin Davan

➤ If you enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our Youtube channel (thank you!)

➤Remember to TURN ON notifications to know when our new videos are out

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~ Podcast: GardenDC

If you liked this video, we think you will like these other Plant Profiles:

~ Lotus Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/08/lotus-plant-profile.html

~ Hardy Waterlily Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2019/07/video-plant-profile-hardy-waterlily.html

~ Little Bluestem Grass Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/08/little-bluestem-grass-plant-profile.html

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