Saturday, March 28, 2026

GardenDC Podcast Episode 279: How and When to Prune Hydrangeas

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with garden book* author Lorraine Ballato, about hydrangea pruning and growing tips. The plant profile is on Celandine Poppy 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 "Beet Companion Plants" from Christy Page of GreenPrints.

*You can order Hydrangea Pruning at https://amzn.to/4sCh28t. This link is to our Amazon affiliate accounts and we may earn a few pennies from their sales, but this does not impact your purchase price.

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 142: Hydrangea Care and Pruning

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/03/gardendc-podcast-episode-142-hydrangea.html

~ GardenDC Episode 60: Hydrangeas with Andrew Bunting

Show Notes will be posted after 4/1/2026.

This episode is archived at: 
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Bwa9vJfBRpw4xJEkGYXdU?si=VwKcIfMFQ7G815jtSy1SIw

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

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*You can order Hydrangea Pruning at https://amzn.to/4sCh28t
This link is to our Amazon affiliate accounts and we may earn a few pennies from their sales, but this does not impact your purchase price.
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Friday, March 27, 2026

Fenton Friday: Kale and Poppies Up!

This week was a weather rollercoaster with windy, sunny days and cold, wet days -- and even one day where we hit 80 degrees!

We planted a row each of Carrots 'Short 'n Sweet' and Radish 'Sparkler'. 

There were no sign of seedlings up yet for the Lettuces or Peas, but both kinds of Kale seedlings are up!

I harvested a bit of the Cilantro that over-wintered to add to a Mexican dish.

In the pollinator strip, seedlings are up for both the California Poppies (pictured above) and a Wildflower Mix. I aslo added a second kind of California Poppies there -- 'Buttercream'. I've never had much luck with poppies in the past, so am hoping we get a few flowers from them.

Wood chips and compost was delivered to the garden, so the interns and I spread chips on two sides of our plot.

Next week we hope re-do the garden's bulletin board and add some more cool-season seeds for Arugula, Spinach, and Parsley.

What are you growing and harvesting in your 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 15th 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).

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Thursday, March 26, 2026

17+ Cherry Blossom Viewing Alternatives in the DC Region

 (The 17+ Cherry Blossom Viewing Alternatives in the DC Region listing is one of our most popular and imitated annual blog posts -- we've updated it here for 2026.)

Dumbarton Oaks

It is Cherry Blossom Festival time again in Washington, DC. 

If the crowds are too much for you or you just can't get enough of those fabulous blooms 
-- here are several local alternatives to the Tidal Basin display:

Start with the #BlossomCam

The Trust for the National Mall and The National Cherry Blossom Festival hosts the #BloomCam. Go to the live feed here: https://nationalmall.org/bloomcam to view the trees along the Tidal Basin in real time as they bloom.

Public Gardens

~ The National Arboretum has a splendid and more varied display and LOTS or parking. Stroll around Fern Valley and the other gardens as well while you are there. Take the Self-Guided Tour: Beyond the Tidal Basin: Introducing Other Great Flowering Cherries to explore the arboretum’s collection of over 2,000 cherry trees representing 600 different cultivars, hybrids, and species of various shapes, sizes, flower colors, and bloom times, including trees that have been created by arboretum scientists. Note: The free self-guided tour covers several miles of arboretum roads, and can be driven, biked, or walked. Pick up a brochure in the Administration Building.

~ The National Gallery of Art on the National Mall in Washington, DC, has an often-overlooked line of cherry trees on the south side of the East Building. They also have cherry blossom artwork on display and programming such as their Flowers After Hours series.

~ Tudor Place is a lovely place to take a stroll on your own through the spectacular Yoshino Cherry Blossoms during the full bloom. Event and entry fees may apply.

~ Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown, WDC, has a marvelous orchard of cherries. There is an admission fee that goes to support the gardens and you will want to make advance reservations. Parking is also a bear in that neighborhood -- I recommend you walk or take the bus. 

~ Hillwood Estate in NW DC is pleased to celebrate the National Cherry Blossom Festival with short guided tours of Mrs. Post’s Japanese-style garden. Docents will be available to answer questions between the tours. The suggested entry donation to Hillwood is $12 per adult.

~ Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD, also has beautiful cherry blossom trees and many other flowering trees like plum, apricot, magnolias, and quince in bloom right now, and you don’t have to fight the crowds to see them. The gardens are also full of flowering bulbs like hyacinths, tulips, and hillsides of daffodils.

~ Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, VA, has over 100 cherry trees surrounding a lovely lake that you can stroll around. Admission to the gardens is a mere $5

~ Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond, VA, has a ring of Yoshino cherry trees around their lake and Okame cherry blooms throughout the gardens. There is an entry fee of $10 to visit the gardens.

~ Green Spring Gardens near Annandale, VA, has several flowering cherry trees in its collection. There is also a wonderful witch hazel collection there.

~  River Farm in Alexandria, VA, is a historic 25-acre site on the banks of the Potomac River. River Farm was once part of George Washington’s original five farms, and currently the headquarters of the American Horticultural Society. The grounds offer spectacular river views, a wildlife garden, and delightful children’s areas. 


Neighborhoods and Other Less-visited Spots

~ The Bethesda, MD, neighborhood of Kenwood for their stunning display. Park and walk in for an immersion in cherry tree lined streets.

~ Congressional Cemetery on Capitol Hill in DC has an allee of Okame cherry trees along with other flowering trees on its "Congressional Tree Walk" map.

~ Catholic University campus in the Brookland neighborhood of DC. "Cherry blossoms are all around the 176-acre campus, including at Pryzbyla Plaza; The Mary, Seat of Wisdom statue; and the Edward M. Crough Center for Architectural Studies."

~ Sarah Lawler suggests The Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II is a beautiful spot to see cherry blossoms. It is located near Union Station at the intersection of Louisiana Ave., New Jersey Ave. and D Street, NW, WDC. And across the street is a grove on the U.S. Capitol grounds.

~ Foxhall and Reservoir Rds, NW. Washington, DC. The Foxhall Village neighborhood near Georgetown has cherry blossom-lined streets that are known as the best-kept secret among locals.

~ Brenda Lynn shared she always bikes from Arlington, VA, in order to avoid having to park to take metro. It's a beautiful ride, and one could also bike along the GW parkway in VA to view all the blooms along the Potomac River. 

~ Oxon Run Park at 1200 Mississippi Ave SE, Washington, DC, has fairly new cherry tree plants and a lot of space to spread out and fly a kite.

~ National Harbor hosts a Sakura Sunday celebration. See: https://www.nationalharbor.com/events/annual-events/cherry-blossom-festival/

~ Anacostia Park at 900 Anacostia Drive, SE. Washington, DC. Cherry trees bloom along the Anacostia River at the 1,200-acre park that is one of Washington, DC's largest recreation areas.

~ An anonymous post to my blog, tipped me off that there are several blocks of cherry blossom trees creating an arch above the streets of Garrett Park Estates in Kensington, MD. "Take Strathmore Road near Holy Cross Church, turn onto Flanders and then I think it’s Waycross. The trees span several streets, are lovely, and totally free of crowds!"

~ Adam Bailey let me know that “Stanton Park and Lincoln Park on the Hill — and the Capitol Hill neighborhoods in general — have a good display of blossoms, too.”

~ "Scott Circle, at Massachusetts & 16th, also has some great cherry blossoms," reports John Boggan. 

~ Katie said, "There's a neighborhood off Query Mill in North Potomac, MD, that has streets lined with cherry trees. Not as fantastic as Kenwood, but if you're in the upper Montgomery County, it may be more accessible. Streets include Moran and Bonnie Dale. It blooms a few days later than Kenwood."

~ Casey Trees has an interactive map to find blooming street trees near your location. To try it out, go here: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/9ceb3fff9b2d4f63a30798a616040893

~ Montgomery Parks in Montgomery County, MD, has launched an online map showcasing the locations of various cherry tree species in its park system, including Yoshino, Higan, and Okame trees.

Grow Your Own!

 Ever since getting my weeping ‘Higan’ cherry, I feel no need to rush downtown. I keep a daily watch on my baby tree and celebrate loudly when the buds finally burst open. I highly recommend it. 
   Here is a video we created about growing ornamental cherry trees locally: 
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2018/04/plant-profile-cherry-trees.html.
   In addition, in the very first issue of Washington Gardener Magazine, we did a PlantProfile column on the selection and cultivation of cherry trees for our area. 
   You can also listen to Dr. Margaret Pooler, Research Leader for Floral and Nursery Plants at the US National Arboretum, talk all about flowering cherry trees and their breeding programs at the USNA on the GardenDC Podcast episode #144 here:
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/04/gardendc-podcast-episode-144-flowering.html

Got other DC-area Cherry Tree viewing locations? 
Please share them in the comments below.

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Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Dusty Miller Plant Profile

Dusty Miller Plant Profile

Dusty Miller (Jacobaea maritima previously Senecio cineraria) is an annual or tender perennial grown for its silvery, fuzzy foliage. It occasionally flowers with yellow (or creamy white) daisy-like blossoms in clusters from spring to frost. It is also known as Silver Ragwort.

It is often confused with another Dusty Miller (Centaurea cineraria) which is also known as Silver Ragwort and Silver Dust.

Dusty Miller (Jacobaea maritima) is naïve to Northern Africa, western Asia, and Europe.

It is hardy to USDA Zones 7 to 10.

Dusty Miller prefers full sun and well-draining soils. Do not overwater it as it will cause root rot.

It is often used as a bedding plant or in mixed containers.

Depending on the cultivar, the leaves can be very fine and lacey or larger and fuller.

To propagate it, start seeds indoors 10-15 weeks before the last frost date. You can also take stem cuttings to overwinter it indoors. It is a relatively inexpensive and commonly available annual plant, so most people just purchase new plants each spring.

It is deer-resistant, drought-tolerant, and can take shady conditions as well.

Dusty Miller is low-maintenance. It does not need fertilizing. Remove any flowers to encourage fuller foliage growth.

Dusty Miller: You Can Grow That!

 

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Audio, Video, Photos, and Text by Kathy Jentz

Video and Editing by Aicha Bangoura

Additional Photos from Wikipedia Commons

 

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

~ Rose Campion Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/07/rose-campion-plant-profile.html

~ Stokesia Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/08/stokesia-plant-profile.html

~ Mountain Mint Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/08/mountain-mint-plant-profile.html

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Monday, March 23, 2026

Monday Thoughts: "The orchid is the flower of love, and it brings beauty and harmony to any setting." ~ Maya Angelou

"The orchid is the flower of love, and it brings beauty and harmony to any setting."

 ~ Maya Angelou

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Saturday, March 21, 2026

GardenDC Podcast Episode 278: Reviving Your Garden After a Harsh Winter

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Kira Silvestri, a horticulturist with Burpee, about assessing and repairing our gardens after a tough winter. The plant profile is on Dusty Miller 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 "A Stick in the Mud" from 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 277: Revolutionary Tomato Growing Tips

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2026/03/gardendc-podcast-episode-277.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 165: Gardening and the Weather

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

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 184: Spring Garden Prep

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2024/02/gardendc-podcast-episode-183-spring.html

Show Notes will be posted after 3/31/2026.

This episode is archived at: 
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zeXJ437pucjryYGsARG7x?si=d3a93ffaa0a4451a

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

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