Cutting Edge

The May 15 2007 issue of the Washington Gardener Enews is now out and archived here. The lead story is on creating a cutting garden. Something I myself do not practice, as I consider my entire garden fair game for cutting, but I certainly understand the urge to create a designated "free to cut" area that you cut chop away at guilt-free. My only internal "cut or not to cut" debates come around tulip time when there are maybe only 10 of one kind in bloom. In that case, I try to cut only those that have two or three blooms on one plant or have another bud about to open.

We tried something different this issue of the Enews and instead of a piece excerpted from the magazine, I ran a book review that we did not have space for in the last issue. I'm hoping we can offer more of this kind of bonus content in the future.

In this issue is also our new Reader Contest . This time for passes to Brookside Gardens' Wings of Fancy Live Butterfly Exhibit. Odds of winning are very good, so enter today!

Last Sunday morning I did a segment on WUSA (Channel 9) on growing roses. They link to me from here. I always enjoy doing these appearances, but wish they were not at the crack of dawn. Unlike many other gardeners, I'm definitely not an early riser.

Tonight I'll be at the Woodrow Wilson House Garden Party. Which means I need to come up with something appropriate for their Spring Hat contest. That means going out in the garden a and yes, cutting many of my precious blooms. Pictured here is one of last year's entries.