May 2022 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine – Weigela, Malabar Spinach, Song Sparrows, and much more…

 The May 2022 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine is out.

Inside this issue:

·         Wonderful Weigela: A Fantastic, Floriferous Shrub 

·         Attracting Song Sparrows

·         Growing and Using Malabar Spinach

·         2022 is the Year of the Peperomia Houseplant!

·         What are Grubs and How to Control Them?

·         Early-Flowering Bulbs for Bees

·         A Rare Look Inside the DC Temple

·         Meet the Netherlands Embassy Gardener

·         The Greening of the UDC Campus

·         Great Gardening Books Reviewed

·         DC-MD-VA Gardening Events Calendar

·         and much more…

Note that any submissions, event listings, and advertisements for the June 2022 issue are due by June 5.

>>  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: http://www.washingtongardener.com/index_files/subscribe.htm

Monday Thoughts: "The best fertilizer is the gardener’s shadow."

"The best fertilizer is the gardener’s shadow."

- anonymous

Bloom Day: Just Rosy

It is Garden Blogger's Bloom Day again! On the 15th of each month, we gardeners with blogs share a few bloom photos from our gardens.

Here in the Mid-Atlantic USA (USDA zone 7) on the DC-MD border, spring has been a long, cool one so far -- very English-like -- so I thought to was appropriate to share my favorite English Rose in my garden, it is the David Austin 'Olivia'.  It is a shrub rose and the flowers are medium-sized. It currently has more blooms than it ever has before in my garden. I cut a small bouquet for my mom and have a few small bouquets all around my house for myself. I love looking at it, but more than that I love the fragrance -- a classic light rose-fruity scent.

In the garden also today, I have blooming: Weigela (several kinds), Peonies, Clematis, Bearded Iris, Columbine, and much more!

Be sure to follow @WDCgardener on Instagram for daily pics of what is blooming in our garden and area gardens that we visit.

So what is blooming today in YOUR garden?

This post is also part of the #GardenBloggersChallenge sponsored by Gardencomm for the month of May. You are invited to join in and can see more details at gardencomm.org

GardenDC Podcast Episode 104: Dahlias

In this episode, we talk with Rich Gibson, past president of the National Capital Dahlia Society, all about dahlias. The plant profile is on the Weigela and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events.

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! See how at: https://anchor.fm/gardendc/support.

Show Notes: 1:03 Meet Rich Gibson, past president of the National Capital Dahlia Society, https://www.nationalcapitaldahlia.org/. 1:42 Rich’s day job as a union organizer supports is volunteer dahlia society roles and gardening hobby. 2:20 Rich’s grandfather’s garden included two really big rows of dahlias. 2:56 Rich discovered the dahlia society in the Washington Post in 2008 and attended his first dahlia show. 3:31 Is the Mid-Atlantic US climate suitable for dahlias or hostile? Hint: they are from the high mountains in in Mexico. 4:12 How DO you pronounce dahlia correctly?!? 5:28 Rich talks about the difference in kinds of dahlias. 6:29 Dahlias are one of the most varied groups of plants, because of their genetic make-up – they are octoploid! 7:06 Annuals or perennials? Can dahlias be left in the ground in our region? 9:12 If you don’t regularly dig and divide them, “it can get messy after a couple of years.” 9:44 Rich shares the best time to stake your tubers. 10:28 Rich uses netting to support his growing dahlias - three layers of it! 13:03 “We say growing dahlias is a little bit like growing tomatoes, 13:47 Sustained wind for 12 to 24 hours that's brutal on a mature dahlia garden in late summer. 14:10 Rich explains why he is a no-till gardener. 15:17 Kathy swears by Takoma Park’s shredded leaf mulch (now her secret is out!). 16:56 The Mayan people used the large, hollow dahlia stocks to carry water. 17:47 The Spanish brought the dahlia to Europe thinking they would be a big hit as an edible plant! 18:45 Since they are edible, do deer eat them too? 19:17 What other creatures and pests might attack dahlias? 20:47 Dahlia viruses are being actively studied by the American Dahlia Society (https://www.dahlia.org/) 22:30 Why smokers are NOT welcome in dahlia (or tomato!) gardens. 23:02 Proper tool sanitation is the most important way to fight plant diseases. 24:42 Rich describes how to best dig, divide, and store dahlia tubers. 26:04 Dahlias can also be grown from collected seeds for fun, because dahlias do not “come true” from seed. 27:07 Rich tells us what traits he is most interested in for his dahlia hybrids. 28:47 One of the dahlia forms is compared to Dr. Seuss' Lorax trees. 30:02 Dahlias are becoming more popular with the general gardening population! 31:24 When you cut a dahlia flower, two laterals come up in its place and they'll keep blooming until frost. 32:18 The new micro dahlias are gaining in popularity too. 33:20 ‘Black Beauty’ is a real popular dark red dahlia that puts out a lot of blooms, says Rich. 34:32 You should be cutting your dahlias daily or at least twice a week in late summer. 35:10 Alyssum and other annuals make good dahlia companions. 37:16 Good drainage is a must. 37:55 Rich tells us about a unique watering technique used by an Australian dahlia grower 39:02 Some of the upcoming dahlia shows in our region and how dahlias are judged. 41:07 The National Dahlia Show will be September 22-25 in Reston, VA (http://2022-national-dahlia-show.org/) 43:21 Rich shares his favorite dahlia flowers. 47:03 In general, dahlias are not trademarked or patented. 47:43 Kathy asks about the best places to buy dahlia tubers as she bought some that were not as labeled. 49:10 How to contact Rich. 50:29 Learn about the Weigela shrub in this week’s Plant Profile! 52:17 What’s new in the garden: an English-like spring brings English-like blooms 53:08 News in the gardening world: Shepherd Park Garden Tour (https://www.shepherdpark.org/annual_g...) and Potomac Rose Society gathering at the Bon Air Memorial Rose Garden (https://www.potomacrose.org/event-482...) 54:56 Let’s Make Art is perfect for crafty gardeners! 57:02 Check out “The Urban Garden: 101 Ways to Grow Food and Beauty in the City” by Teri Speight and Kathy

Please review our podcast at Podchaser.com for #Reviews4Good at:

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

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 54: Flower Farming with Lisa Mason Ziegler

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/04/gardendc-podcast-episode-54-flower.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 19: Floral Design, Gardening by the Rules, and Black-eyed Susans
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/07/gardendc-podcast-episode-19-floral.html

The episode is posted at: 

https://anchor.fm/gardendc/episodes/Dahlias-e1igmk6

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We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://anchor.fm/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 platform so other gardeners can find us too!

Episode Credits:

Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz

PIN THIS FOR LATER!

Fenton Friday: Ripe Radish

By Dorvall Bedford

Last week on this blog, co-intern Hojung talked about how she grew salad greens in a community garden with the help of our editor, Kathy. I also grew plants alongside Hojung, mainly my little radishes. Having planted my seeds on March 3, I checked on them weekly and watched them grow from tiny seedlings to full, ripe radishes in a matter of weeks.

Growing my little red buddies was an interesting experience for me. I had little experience growing plants outside before becoming an intern for Washington Gardener Magazine, so it was a challenge at first knowing what were weeds in the garden and what were the radishes. I also had to learn the delicate process of sowing seeds and watering tiny plants. But eventually it all became easier for me and I grew some beautiful radishes!

A few days after I harvested the radishes I had grown, I decided to eat them with my friends. A neighbor and I prepared some miso soup to serve after an awards ceremony and we finely sliced the radishes to add them in as a garnish. The little radish slices tasted nice with the soup and I even ate one of my radishes raw as a snack afterwards. It felt very empowering eating my own food.

I would not have been able to grow and eat my food without Kathy’s guidance. I am so grateful for being given this opportunity.

What are you growing and eating this week from your edible garden?

About the Author: Dorvall Bedford is a journalism major at the University of Maryland, College Park, and an intern this semester with Washington Gardener. He is a native of Frederick, MD.

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on the 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 11th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above.