Monday, May 18, 2026

Monday Thoughts: "I enjoy the spring more than the autumn now. One does, I think, as one gets older." ~ Virginia Woolf

"I enjoy the spring more than the autumn now. One does, I think, as one gets older." 

~ Virginia Woolf

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Saturday, May 16, 2026

GardenDC Podcast Episode 286: Grow Food in Containers

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with horticulturist Christine Froehlich about growing edible plants in containers. The plant profile is on Deutzia 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 "Help Hydrangea" from Christy Page of GreenPrints.

***Please Vote for our show the GardenDC Podcast at

https://bestof2026.washingtoncitypaper.com/ under Arts & Entertainment > Best Local Podcaster

The deadline to vote is June 10, 2026. Thank you in advance! ***

Read "12 Vegetables that Thrive in Containers" on Martha Stewart Living online:

https://www.marthastewart.com/vegetables-that-thrive-in-containers-11895697

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 143: Balcony Food Growing

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/03/gardendc-podcast-episode-143-balcony.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 116: Miniature Vegetables

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/08/gardendc-podcast-episode-116-miniature.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 68: Summer Vegetables

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/07/gardendc-podcast-episode-68-summer.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 55: Container Gardening Basics

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/04/gardendc-podcast-episode-55-container.html

Show Notes will be posted after 5/31/2026.

This episode is archived at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Nd5nQQiUYxGkmki0Xhwtz?si=jexQ8Po9ROat8Yy7PletoQ

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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Friday, May 15, 2026

Fenton Friday: Lettuce (What I Grew This Semester)

Deer Tongue Lettuce (and Dill seedlings)

Guest Post By Aicha Bangoura

With so many seed choices available at the annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchange events this year, I was stumped on what I could grow. I went with Lettuce and I didn't know whether or not I was setting myself up for failure. I was tasked with planting four kinds of lettuce. A couple of them were packaged for 2024 and were most likely not going to germinate, but we thought they were worth a try. 

I was interested when I read the names: Deer Tongue Lettuce, ‘Queen of Crunch’ Crisphead Lettuce, Oakleaf lettuce, and ‘Monet's Garden Mesclun’ Signature Salads lettuce. It seemed like such a diverse range of seeds to work with, but I would soon find out how some of them shared similar qualities. 

When we went over to the Fenton Community Garden in early March, I was ready for an adventure. 

I had my four popsicle sticks that listed each lettuce name and scattered the seeds into their own rows. That was the easy part with the assistance of Kathy Jentz, editor of Washington Gardener. 

I wasn’t as confident when I was covering it up with compost, because I was unsure of how deep the seeds should be plants, so I did a very light dusting.

We notice baby rabbits that would run around the garden and while common and oftentimes startling, those were memorable moments. When my section was shielded with hardware cloth fencing material along with a covercloth material overhead by Kathy, I felt the seeds would have a greater chance of growing successfully. 

A couple weeks later, I found out my lettuce seeds weren’t developing as expected and there were barely signs of baby lettuces, but we decided to give them a chance and wait for any possible changes. Unfortunately, not much of a difference showed, especially for Oakleaf Lettuce and ‘Queen of Crunch’ Crisphead Lettuce, so Kathy recommended that I replace them. 

On April 3, ‘Queen of Crunch’ Crisphead Lettuce was substituted to Blossomdale Spinach seeds and Oakleaf Lettuce was switched out to arugula seeds.

Checking on the plots was always a new journey as there were several duties that we had to handle. Weeds were constantly encroaching on my vegetables and we had to diligently get rid of them. 

By the end of April, I was pleased to notice my Deer Tongue lettuce was growing taller. This reminded me of my science class days, examining seeds and waiting for them to grow, but this was even more substantial in the garden plot. 

When we attended the Cathedral FlowerMart in Washington, DC, on May 1, Kathy informed me that my lettuce was around one or two inches and at the stage where I could eat them, but she suggested we let them develop a bit more before I cut them, which I thought was a good idea. 

At our final gathering on May 8, I harvested practically all of my Deer Tongue lettuce with the use of clean kitchen scissors and placed them into a handy ziploc bag. I was also surprised when Kathy pointed out that there were some Arugula leaves growing nearby that I also collected.

In all, this activity challenged me. I came into it relatively unseasoned, but I ended up restoring an admiration of gardening and learned helpful lessons.

See last week's post about what my fellow intern, Lauren Bentley, grew this semester.

What are you growing and harvesting in your garden this week?

About the Author:
Aicha Bangoura was an intern this past spring semester with Washington Gardener Magazine. 

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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Monday, May 11, 2026

Monday Thoughts: "One must be as willing to study as to dig, for a knowledge of plants is acquired as much from books as from experience." ~ Elizabeth Lawrence

"One must be as willing to study as to dig, for a knowledge of plants is acquired as much from books as from experience." ~ Elizabeth Lawrence

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Saturday, May 09, 2026

GardenDC Podcast Episode 285: Thomas Jefferson's Flowers

 In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Peggy Cornett, curator of plants at Monticello, about Thomas Jefferson's flowers. The plant profile is on Zizia 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 Great Planting Day Adventure" 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

**You can order Peggy's book at https://amzn.to/4tl9tCD. This link is to our Amazon affiliate account and we main eran a few pennies from these sales, but it wil not impact your purchase price.

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

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 24: Monticello's Historic Plant Collection

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/08/gardendc-podcast-episode-24-peggy.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 13: Heritage Roses with Connie Hilker

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/05/gardendc-podcast-episode-13-connie.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 153: An American Garden Story

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/06/gardendc-podcast-episode-153-american.html

Show Notes will be posted after 5/15/2026.

This episode is archived at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2jLWSCOj42amZVcNpbeLLy?si=f52f649513eb4f5c

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

Your host and Monticello's Love Lies Bleeding...

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Friday, May 08, 2026

Fenton Friday: Kale (What I Grew This Semester)

'Rubybor' Kale by Lauren Bentley

Guest Post By Lauren Bentley

Throughout my time at the Fenton Community Plot, I grew two rows of kale. I started them from seed in mid-March. One row was purple kale 'Rubybor' (an All-American Selections winner), while the other was a more traditional green variety -- 'Dwarf Blue Curled Vates'. Given the harsh winter, it was good to pick a cold-weather crop.

I have limited experience with gardening, so I was a little apprehensive that I wouldn’t know exactly what to do, but it was much easier than I thought!

Also, when I have grown something in the past, it has mostly been flowers. I have never had to grow a vegetable to harvest, so I was very excited about seeing the end result.

 'Dwarf Blue Curled Vates' Kale by Lauren Bentley
Over the past few months, there has been very inconsistent weather, which made me worried about how well the kale would sprout. There were a few very hot, 90 degree days, which were the biggest concern. However, the kale ultimately persevered and turned out very well. We put a covercloth over it to insulate from the freezing nights and the hottest days, as well as to keep the insects from chewing on it.

I started to see small leaves after about the first two weeks. I watered on Fridays when I made it down to the plot. When I first spread the seeds, I put a few of them too close together which meant I had to do some thinning throughout the gardening process.

We also did some other work while at the plots, such as decorating the bulletin boards and spreading new woodchips along the garden path in the meantime.

Today, I officially harvested the kale and left with a bag of it. The traditional green kale turned out much better than the purple one, as the leaves were bigger and seemed healthier.

Also, one of the purple kale plants was missing, so I think it might’ve been eaten by an animal (rabbit?). Overall, I’m very happy with how my planting experience turned out.

Kale was a fantastic beginner crop for me, and I highly recommend trying it for anyone who is just beginning their gardening journey, especially in the winter.

What are you growing and harvesting in your garden this week?

About the Author:
Lauren Bentley is an intern this semester with Washington Gardener Magazine. 

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, May 07, 2026

May 2026 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine: Kerria, Tomato Leaf Disease, String of Pearls, Vetch, and much more…

The May 2026 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine is now out.

 

It is posted and archived online at:

 https://issuu.com/washingtongardener/docs/washington_gardener_magazine_may_2026_

Inside this issue:

·         Charismatic Kerria

·         How Not to Kill a String of Pearls

·         Meet Sabrathia Draine of ReaLeaf Tea Shop and Herbal Apothecary

·         Preventing Tomato Leaf Disease

·         How to Design a “Fire-Resistant” Garden

·         Tone-on-Tone Bouquet Trend

·         Garden Book Reviews

·         Adding Native Plants with Great Scents

·         America’s State Flowers Exhibit

·         Eco-conscious Gardening Practices to Adopt

·         Edible Landscaping Basics

·         Meet Yuki Kato, Urban Garden Scholar

·         and much more…

 

Note that any submissions, event listings, and advertisements for the June 2026 issue are due by May 15.

 

>>  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, May 06, 2026

California Poppy Plant Profile

California Poppy Plant Profile

California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) is a wildflower. They have bright orange, yellow, white, or rose-colored  flowers that bloom in late spring. The foliage is a distinctive  blue-green with a feathery, lacey texture.

They are also known as golden poppy, California sunlight, or cup of gold. They are the official state flower of California and are native to the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. They are hardy to USDA zones 8-10.

They need a location with at least 6 hours of full, direct sun.

California Poppy prefers fast-draining, poor to average soil; avoid heavy, wet clay, which causes root rot.

Direct-sowing is best, as they dislike root disturbance. Scatter seeds on prepared soil. There is no need to cover them with soil or mulch.

In the Mid-Atlantic, we grow them as a cool-season annual. In our region, it is best to direct-sow California Poppy  seeds in late autumn for early spring growth -- or in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked.

Water them sparingly. They are drought-tolerant once established.

They generally do not need to be fertilized as too much fertilizer reduces blooms.

To encourage more flowers, remove the spent blooms, but leave a few up to self-seed for next year. 

They are generally considered to be deer-resistant due to their bitter taste and toxicity. 

California Poppies attract native bees and many other pollinators.

California  Poppy: You Can Grow That!

 

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Audio, Video, Photos, and Text by Kathy Jentz

Additional Video and Editing by Aicha Bangoura

 

➤ 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

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~ Podcast: GardenDC

 

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

~ Borage Plant Profile

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

~ Calendula Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2024/02/calendula-plant-profile.html

~ Yarrow Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/06/yarrow-plant-profile.html


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