Washington Gardener Magazine is the award-winning publication for Mid-Atlantic USA gardeners by local gardeners.
“Faced with planetary crisis ... What difference can an individual make in the face of such vast and seemingly insurmountable problems? The answer, as gardeners around the globe are discovering, is to create a little patch of hope in your own backyard.” ~ Isabella Tree
In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with landscape architect Thomas Rainer* about designing plant systems. The plant profile is on Dwarf Comfrey 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 "Secret Letters of the Garden" from Christy Page of GreenPrints.
BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month!
If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 89: Working with a Landscape Designer
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/01/gardendc-podcast-episode-89-working.html
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 245: Innovative Approaches to Meadow Plantings
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/06/gardendc-podcast-episode-245-innovative.html
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 173: Native Plant Fallacies
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/11/gardendc-podcast-episode-173-native.html
Show Notes will be posted after 7/21/2026.
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).
See Kathy Jentz, host of the GardenDC Podcast and editor of Washington Gardener Magazine, along with other special guests and members of the Takoma Horticultural Club at the Takoma Park Farmers Market Garlic Fest on Sunday, July 19, 2026, from 10am to12noon. We will be talking all things GARLIC--from growing tips to recipe samples!
The silver-gray basal foliage of Lamb’s Ears (Stachys byzantina) spreads along the ground by rhizomes and in early summer it sends up tall wands of purple flowers. Once the flowers are done, cut them back for a tidier garden look.
It is also known as Woolly Hedgenettle and Wooly Betony. It is native to Europe/Asia.
Lamb’s Ear is in the mint family (the square stem is a clue) and that is your indication also that this is a fast spreader when given the chance.
The soft, fuzzy leaves of this plant make it a favorite
for children’s gardens and sensory learning.
That fuzziness also makes it unpalatable to deer and rabbits.
It prefers full sun and a well-draining soil. It can be planted on mild slopes and along sidewalk edges. A bit of foot traffic does not bother it and it bounces back well.
Lamb’s Ear is pretty shallow-rooted making it easy to dig and divide. Remove sections in spring or fall to fill in other areas or gift it to other gardeners.
It is considered semi-evergreen as the leaves can shrivel up and die back in cold winters. Remove any spent foliage in early spring to prepare the plant for the new growing season.
Lamb’s Ear does not tolerate wet conditions for long or high humidity. It is happiest when planted where it can get good air circulation around it. Once established, it is fairly drought-tolerant.
It attracts pollinators and is often planted in butterfly gardens. Lamb’s Ear is also used in xeriscaping and for fire-wise landscapes.
Lamb’s
Ear – you can grow that!
This profile was excerpted from the book Groundcover Revolution by
Kathy Jentz. Order it today at https://amzn.to/4aDHN4u
(affiliate link).
The video was produced
by Washington Gardener Magazine.
Audio, Video, Photos, and Text by Kathy Jentz
Editing by Koree Perry
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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
~ Dusty Miller Plant Profile
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2026/03/dusty-miller-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
“Sometimes I forget the garden is me — wild, tender, unruly, and always capable of blooming again.”
~ K.L. Ember
In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Chris Smith*, executive director of the Utopian Seed Project, all about Okra. The plant profile is on American Elderberry 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 "Moonlight and Wildflowers" from Christy Page of GreenPrints.
BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month!
If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 88: Seed Swaps and Exchanges with Ira Wallace
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/01/gardendc-podcast-episode-88-seed-swaps.html
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 68: Summer Vegetables
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/07/gardendc-podcast-episode-68-summer.html
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 277: Revolutionary Tomato Growing
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2026/03/gardendc-podcast-episode-277.html
Show Notes will be posted after 7/15/2026.
The holiday season is here and I bet you have a gardener on your gift list, so we've updated our annual a Holiday Gifts for Gardener...
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