Meet the New Spring 2019 Interns

This summer, I have taken on two editorial interns. If you attend any of our upcoming events, like this Saturday's Seed Exchange at Green Spring Gardens, you are bound to run into one or both of them. As a "first assignment," I asked them to write a short introduction to our readers...

Hello Everyone! My name is Alexa Silverberg from Short Hills, NJ, and I am a senior broadcast journalism major at the University of Maryland. I am very excited to be interning at Washington Gardener Magazine this spring semester. I love producing creative content, and am excited to share that passion with all of you! I love making videos, from filming, to writing and editing, the process excites me. You can see my first video for Washington Gardener here. I am looking forward to gaining magazine experience and expanding my knowledge of gardening!

Hi! I am Johnny Moseman, a senior multi-platform journalism major at the University of Maryland from Columbia, Maryland. I grew up around the university my whole life and my mother and older brother attended UMD. I playing every sport growing up that I could and covered any sport I could during my time at UMD. While reading and writing about sports is my true passion, gardening is not far from my heart as I have helped my grandmother in her vegetable garden in Hyattsville, MD, when I was younger.

Video Wednesday: Seed Exchange Highlights

The 14th Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchange took place on Saturday, January 26, 2019, at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD. Seed Exchange attendees trade seeds, exchange planting tips, hear expert speakers, and collect goody bags full of gardening treats. This video was shot and edited by intern Alexa Silverberg.

If you missed it, you can still join us for the next Washington Gardener Seed Exchange on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at Green Spring Gardens in Fairfax, VA. Details and registration information is at:  WGSeedExchange-GSG.brownpapertickets.com

WELCOME SPRING AT THE PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW

UPDATE: We are now sold out of seats on the Behnke Nurseries trip on Thursday, March 7, but still have a few left for the SilVER Spring trip on Wednesday, March 6. If you are interested in attending, please SEND in your form and check ASAP.

SICK OF SNOW AND COLD WEATHER? ME TOO! COME JOIN US FOR A DAY-TRIP TO A VIRTUAL GARDEN OF DELIGHTS AT THE UPCOMING PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW!

Washington Gardener Magazine has two tours this year going up to the Philadelphia Flower Show. 

The Philadelphia Flower Show is the oldest and largest indoor flower show in the world. The theme for 2019, “Flower Power,” will pay tribute to the enormous impact of flowers on our lives. America’s leading floral and garden designers will create stunning landscapes, imaginative gardens, and breathtaking floral displays. Through imaginative exhibits, guests will see ideas like community, healing, peace, transformation, and hope brought to life in surprising, vibrant ways. 

The Flower Show attracts non-gardeners as well as die-hard green-thumbed people of all ages. Foodies of all tastes will love the Garden to Table Studio. Participate in the Lectures and Demonstrations series, Gardener’s Studio, and the “Make & Take” workshops. First-time and returning riders will enjoy the welcoming, custom details of our coach service.

The two tours are on different days; from different locations. Here are the details:

~ Wednesday, March 6 from 10am-10pm, leaving and returning to downtown Silver Spring, MD - includes a lunch and is nearby to public transit - see the registration form for more details:

~ Thursday, March 7 from 10am-10pm, leaving and returning to Behnke Nurseries in Beltsville, MD - includes a lunch and has free parking - see this registration form for more details: 

Note: The forms are for printing and mailing along with your payment. They are not interactive online forms.

If you have any trouble printing them out, please send an email to kathyjentz@gmail.com and I can send the forms directly to you. 

Our coaches fill up quickly, so please act fast to reserve your spot with us!

SEED EXCHANGE FAQ

UPDATE: We still have some spots left for the February 2nd event! 

Online Registration ends at 6:00pm on 2/1/19 for the Seed Exchange at Green Spring Gardens.
If you miss that online window, you can register in-person at the event starting at 12noon on Saturday, 2/2/19.

I have been getting a number of emails and phone calls about the upcoming Washington Gardener Seed Exchanges. I thought I'd put together the following FAQ. Feel free to pass it on to any fellow gardeners:

-The online registration links are -

 Saturday, January 26 at Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD go here: WGSeedExchange-BG.brownpapertickets.com

and for 

Saturday, February 2 at Green Spring Gardens, VA go here:

WGSeedExchange-GSG.brownpapertickets.com

 > You can also register at the door of the event starting at 12noon. 

- We recommend eating lunch before coming. We will be serving a healthy, light snack break mid-way through the event -- fruit, granola bars, etc. We have filtered water - if you have a travel mug, refillable bottle, or cup you like, please bring that to fill up. We will have some plastic/paper cups on hand, but are trying to keep this event as “green” as possible.

- We will have generic blank name tags -- but we ask participants to be creative and make their own tags or if you have your own name tag from work or another event, by all means bring it. We will do prizes for the most creative name tags :-). Again, we are trying to recycle and make this event eco-friendly.

- When you get your goody bag at check-in, please make sure to label it with your name -- all the bags look alike and can get easily mixed up. Bringing a few sheets of those personalized address labels you get with charity mailings will come in handy for this and for labeling your seed packets, giving out your contact information to fellow gardeners, etc.

- If you are bringing seed/garden catalogs for our give-away table, be sure to rip off the address labels and tear out any order inserts with your personal information on it. 

~ We also welcome gardening books for swapping, so feel free to bring those too!

- We screen incoming seeds and do not accept any invasives listed in the "Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas" booklet from the National Park Service. You can also see the listing at: 

https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/plants_wildlife/Invasives/invintro.aspx.
(We do not allow GMO seeds in either, but chances are slim that any home gardener would have access to them.)

~ You can bring unused seeds from purchased packs or seeds you gathered from your own garden.Carefully pack and label your seeds as best you can. The more information you can provide, the better. More details on seed packing and labeling are on the registration form. Did you know you can make your own seed packs? Get great free downloadable templates are here: http://tipnut.com/seed-packets/   Please do NOT bring large quantities of seed in one bag. Our volunteers are over-whelmed at the check-in tables already with sorting seeds into the table categories, please break them up into smaller quantity packs ahead of time.    (No, you don't have to bring seeds. It is great though if you do bring them. Store-bought is fine.)    (Yes, you can bring bulbs, tubers, corms, etc. to the swap. They should be bagged and labeled just like seeds.)   (Older seeds are fine, if you can test for viability that would be great. The exceptions are lettuce, onions, and impatiens seeds, which should all be less than a year old.)

~ Make a list of your seed “wants” in advance.  It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of the day and forget the basics that you came for or the rarities that you had been seeking.

- Here is the updated event schedule*:12:00-12:30 Registration and seed drop off to WG Staff & Volunteers12:30-12:35 Introductory remarks and overview12:35-1:25 Speaker 1
1:30-2:00 Speaker 22:00-2:30 Refreshment Break and Seed Swap Preview2:30-3:00 Seed Show and Tell**3:00-3:30 Seed Swap!
3:30-3:45 Garden Photo Contest Winners Presentation (only at VA location)3:45-4:00 Final Door Prizes and closing remarks - Kathy Jentz Washington Gardener magazine

*As with all live events, the schedule is subject to last minute change.

**Show-and-Tell participation is voluntary. We encourage you to introduce yourself, share some fun facts and background on the seeds you bring, or tell us about any local garden projects or groups that you are involved in. 

Witch Hazels, Cool-Season Edible Gardens, and much more in the January 2019 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine

The January 2019 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine is out.

Inside this issue:

• Under the spell of Witch Hazel
• 8 New Garden Trends for 2019
• Year of the Dahlia
• Your Garden Task List
• Dealing with Pesky Critters Humanely
• DC-MD-VA Gardening Events Calendar
• Curtailing the Colorado Potato Beetle
• Top Tips for Success with Cool-Season Edible Gardens
• And much more….

Note that any submissions, event listings, and advertisements for the February 2019 issue are due by February 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

Win Passes to the Washington Gardener Seed Exchanges in our January Reader Contest

For our January 2019 Washington Gardener  MagazineReader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away two passes to either of the Washington Gardener Seed Exchanges (prize value $40).
   The 14th Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchanges, hosted by Washington Gardener Magazine, take place on January 26, 2019, at the Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD, and on February 2, 2019, at Green Spring Gardens in Fairfax, VA. You have a choice of which side of the DC Beltway you want to visit!
   Seed Exchange attendees trade seeds, exchange planting tips, hear expert speakers, and collect goody bags full of gardening treats. The event also includes such “green” features as the garden book and catalog swap. Everyone will leave with a bag full of seeds and loads of gardening inspiration for the upcoming growing season!  We will have a “best nametag” contest, so get crafty!
   See the full event details at this page of this issue. Seed Exchange attendees are encouraged to bring their used or new garden books and seed catalogs to swap and share at this year’s event. We also ask you to bring your own water bottle or reusable mug and a home-made nametag.
   To enter to win the Seed Exchange Passes, send an email to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5:00pm on Thursday, January 24, with “Seed Swap” in the subject line and in the body of the email. Tell us what you will be growing from seed in your garden this year. Please also include your full name and mailing address. The pass winners will be announced and notified on Friday, January 25.

Seed Exchange 2019 Speakers Announced

Here are the speakers for the upcoming Washington Gardener Seed Exchanges 2019. Seed Exchange attendees trade seeds, exchange planting tips, hear expert speakers, and collect goody bags full of gardening treats. For more information on the exchanges and how to register, go here.

Saturday, January 26 at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD

Speaker 1:

"Growing Cut Flowers From Seed, A Flower Farmer Perspective"

Speaker: Leon Carrier of Plant Masters

Leon will share the production techniques that work for him on his commercial cut flower farm.  He will share what works and what doesn't, including timing and the many pitfalls in growing flowers from seed.

   Leon has a B.S. Ornamental Horticulture from the University of Maryland. He has been a market gardener in Montgomery County for over 40 years and is currently doing 8 farmers markets a week during the growing season. He grows on two farms in Montgomery and Howard County -- raising 200,000 seedlings a year for his farms and other growers.

Speaker 2:
“Introduction to Local Vertical Farming”
Speaker: Niraj Ray of Cultivate the City
Vertical Farming uses stackable growing containers and community-based farming to activate underused urban spaces, including rooftops, balconies, abandoned lots, or front yards. This session covers using vertical farming methods for higher yields, selecting to most suitable varieties for vertical growing, nutrient management, integrated pest management, and harvest techniques.
   Niraj founded Cultivate the City (CTC) in 2015 to inspire healthy and sustainable living by empowering local communities with the tools, training and resources for urban agriculture and vertical farming. CTC currently manages over 25 locations around DC, including a rooftop farm at the Washington Nationals Stadium. Niraj holds a B.S. in Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology from the Ohio State University and a M.S. in Integrated Environmental Science from Bethune-Cookman University. He is a 2013 National Wildlife Federation Emerging Leader Fellow and formerly worked with the US EPA - Office of Water.

Washington Gardener Seed Exchange 1

on Saturday, January 26, 2019, 12:30–4:00pm 

National Seed Swap Day!

at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD

 Registration is now open at 

WGSeedExchange-BG.brownpapertickets.com

AND

Saturday, February 2 at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA

Speaker 1:

“The What, Where & How of Seed Starting"

Speaker: Marianne Willburn of Small Town Gardener

Starting seeds properly can make or break your entire growing season! Marianne will share tips that include when to start seeds, which seeds to start indoors, and how to do it.

   Marianne is the mother of two, wife of one and the voice of The Small Town Gardener. She gardens and writes from her home in the scenic (and exceptionally convenient) heart of Virginia's wine country. She is the author of "Big Dreams, Small Garden: A Guide to Creating SomethingExtraordinary in Your Ordinary Space."

Speaker 2:

"Choosing Seed: Companies & Qualities"

Speaker: Debby Ward of Prior Unity Garden

Enjoy Debby's passion for quality seeds and seed companies. Learn the 16 criteria she has developed to assist you in making wise seed and seed companies choices, interspersed with information about types of seeds, stories about being in relationship with seed companies, and some successes and failures. She will also pass on her a few of her favorite seed companies and why she loves them.

   Debby Ward is founder and owner of Prior Unity Garden - Growing Your Own Organic Food Made Easy. She has been gardening since she could crawl. Her family always had food and herb gardens in which she participated and she has continued that tradition. She loves to help grow gardeners and has taught for many local groups including The Mason Sustainability Institute, Master Gardeners in Fairfax County VA and the Grow Your Health Festival. 

Washington Gardener Seed Exchange 2

on Saturday, February 2, 2019, 12:30–4:00pm

at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA

Registration is now open at 

WGSeedExchange-GSG.brownpapertickets.com

Discuss Cultivating Environmental Justice: A Literary History of U.S. Garden Writing with the WG Garden Book Club

For our next Garden Book Club selection, we will be reading: 

Cultivating Environmental Justice: A Literary History of U.S. Garden Writing by Robert S. Emmett

"Drawing on ecocriticism, environmental history, landscape architecture, and recent work in environmental justice and food studies, Emmett explores how the language of environmental justice emerged in descriptions of gardening across a variety of literary forms. He reveals early egalitarian associations found in garden writing, despite a popular focus on elite sites such as suburban lawns and formal southern gardens. Emmett considers a wide range of texts by authors including Bernard M'Mahon, Scott and Helen Nearing, Katharine S. White, Elizabeth Lawrence, Alice Walker, and Novella Carpenter."

You can order it new or used at our Amazon link: https://amzn.to/2SUk47e

Our Spring 2019 club meeting will be on Thursday, April 4 from 6:30-8pm at Soupergirl, located right next to the Takoma metro stop. Soupergirl offers soups for sale that are incredibly healthy. They are 100% plant-based, low salt, low fat, and most importantly, absolutely delicious, so plan to come a bit early to purchase and eat your dinner with the garden book club. 

Please RSVP to washingtongardener (at) rcn.com or at the book club event page at facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine, so we know how many chairs to reserve for our group.

The Washington Gardener Magazine's Garden Book Club is free and open to all. We meet quarterly on a weekday evening near a metro-accessible location in the DC-area. We will announce the details of each upcoming meeting about two months in advance. Please check back on this blog for schedule updates and announcements.

Want to read ahead? The next book club selections are:

• Summer 2019 - Onward and Upward in the Garden by Katharine White

• Fall 2019 - The Seed Underground: A Growing Revolution to Save Food by Janisse Ray

PIN THIS FOR LATER:

WG Seed Exchange Registrations Now Open

Washington Gardener Magazine presents the 

14th Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchanges

on Saturday, January 26, 2019, 12:30–4:00pm 

National Seed Swap Day!

at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD

 Registration is now open at 

WGSeedExchange-BG.brownpapertickets.com

and 

on Saturday, February 2, 2019, 12:30–4:00pm

at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA

Registration is now open at 

WGSeedExchange-GSG.brownpapertickets.com

Join us for:

Seed Swapping

Door Prizes

Planting Tips

Expert Speakers

Goody Bags

Make-it Take-It Seed Crafting Table

Overview

Washington Gardener magazine, the publication for DC-area gardening enthusiasts, is hosting the 14th annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchange at Brookside Gardens and Green Spring Gardens. These seed swaps are in-person and face-to-face. You bring your extra seeds and swap them with other gardeners. Everyone will leave with a bag full of seeds, new garden friends, and expert planting advice.

When

on Saturday, January 26, 2019, 12:30–4:00pm 

at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD

and 

on Saturday, February 2, 2019, 12:30–4:00pm

at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA

(Foul weather that day? Call 240.603.1461,

for updates about possible snow/ice delay.)

Where

We are holding a duo of Seed Exchanges one week apart on opposite sides of the Washington Beltway. We urge you to attend the one closest to you.

   One exchange will be held at Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton, MD. The other will be at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA.

How to Register

To register for Saturday, January 26, 2019, 12:30–4:00pm at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD
go to: WGSeedExchange-BG.brownpapertickets.com
and
To register for Saturday, February 2, 2019, 12:30–4:00pm at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA
go to: WGSeedExchange-GSG.brownpapertickets.com

    Registration fee is $20 per person. Friends of Brookside members, Friends of Green Spring members, and current Washington Gardener subscribers receive a discount rate of $15 per person.

We strongly urge you to register in advance. There is a limited enrollment of 100 participants at each location!

We are GREEN!!!

We also have a Garden Book and Seed Catalog Exchange table. Seed Exchange attendees are encouraged to bring their used or new garden books and seed catalogs to swap and share at this year’s event. 

   We also ask you to bring your own water bottle or reusable mug and a home-made nametag. We will have a“best nametag” contest, so get crafty!

Event Hashtags #GardenDC and #SeedSwapDay

If You Have Seeds to Bring and Swap:
Please package them in resealable plastic zipper or wax sandwich baggies. Put an average of 20 seeds per baggy — more for small seeds like lettuce, fewer for large seeds like acorns. Label each baggy with a white sticker (such as Avery standard 5160 address label sheets) giving all the information you have on the seeds. If known, include the plant's common and scientific names; its soil, sun, and watering needs; and, its origins — where and when you collected the seeds. If you don't know all the information, that is okay; just provide as much as you can.
Yes, you can bring unused or opened commercial seed packs.

What If You Don't Have Any Seeds to Swap?
Come anyway! Even if you don’t have any seeds to trade, you are welcome to attend. We'll have plenty of extra seed contributions on hand and many attendees will be there just to learn, network, and prepare for next year's seed collecting.

Education Program
Expert speakers from the local gardening community will give short talks on seed collection and propagation tips. There will be ample time for individual Q&A throughout the program with the featured speakers, and invited experts as well.

Schedule
(Note: This schedule is subject to change.)
12:00-12:30 Registration check-in
12:30-12:40 Introductions
12:40-1:20 Gardening talk
1:20-1:55 Gardening talk
2:00-2:15 Snack break and room reset
2:15-2:30 Seed Swap preview time
2:30-3:00 Seed Swap
3:00-3:30 Photo Contest winners
3:30-4:00 Door prizes and closing talk

How Do We Swap?
As you check in, staff will collect your seeds and place them at the appropriate seed category tables.
You will be assigned a random seed swap number. There will be a short period for attendees to preview all the seeds brought in and available for swapping. You will be called in by your number to pick a seed pack from each of the category tables (if desired).
After the initial seed swap is complete, attendees are free to take any of the left over seeds and to trade seeds with each other. Dividing of packets is encouraged and extra baggies with labels will be on hand for that purpose.

What Types of Seeds?
Seed swap categories will include natives, edibles, herbs, exotics, annuals, perennials, and woodies (trees/shrubs). If you can pre-sort your seeds in advance into which of these seven major categories fits best, that would help us speed up the process on the swap day.

Door Prizes! Goodie Bags!
Each attendee will receive a goodie bag at the seed swap. The bags include seeds, publications, and garden items donated by our sponsors. In addition, we have some incredible door prizes to give away especially for area gardeners.
   If your organization would like to contribute seeds or garden-related products for the goodie bags and door prizes, contact Kathy Jentz at 301.588.6894 by January 22.

Charitable Donations:
Extra seeds from the swap are donated to local, nonprofit gardening groups.
A portion of the event proceeds will go to benefit Native Seeds/SEARCH for conserving crop genetic resources.

DIY: Vintage Seed Pack Art

Seed pack art is all the rage. From calendars to t-shirts, I see vintage seed packs used everywhere these days. I bet you even have a few seed packs that you've held on to over the years, not for the seeds inside, but for the attractive seed packet itself. 

Seed packets themselves are full of terrific plant information and details. I have kept them in photo albums and scrapbooks to use as reference sources over the years. It is fun just to leaf through the albums at look at all the things I have grown. I thought of this craft as a way to enjoy looking at some of my favorite seed packs on a daily basis and not just hidden away in albums.

If you don't vintage seed packets, you can use new ones. Companies like Botanical Interests and Renee's Garden have gorgeous vintage-style packets you can buy new. You can also purchase reproductions of vintage seed packets on cards. 

This is a suitable project for doing with children or your garden club.

Materials:

-

- Wood Piece (6x6 square)

- Acrylic Paints 

- Sanding Block or Sand Paper

- Brushes

- Glue Gun and Glue Sticks

- Mod Podge

- Seed Pack Art 

- Picture Hanger Kit and screwdriver/drill 

- Glitter and Other Accessories, as desired

Instructions:

Step 1- You can use scrap wood from another project or buy already cut craft wood pieces. Squares are nice. Sand off any rough edges on the wood piece. Then wipe off any dust with a damp rag. Wait for it to dry, then you cover your work surface with newspapers.

Step 2 - Start painting. I prefer washable craft acrylics and using a foam brush for base coats, then moving to finer brushes for painting finer details. One trick I learned from a folk artist is to paint all the outside edges black. This makes it look finished and no need for a frame. Let the paint dry and add a second or third coats as you wish.

Step 3 - You can use actual seed packs (vintage or new) that you have collected. You can also purchase seed pack art. Cut off any excess borders that you don't like. Lay it out on the wood piece for size and placement. Coat the seed packet (art) with Mod Podge. Let it dry.

Optional: I glued on a few of the seeds that come from the seed packets at each corner as a fun accent. You could glue a whole border of  them around the seed pack, in a fun pattern, or leave them off. You could also glue on dried flowers or other accents. Use your imagination to come up with other creative accents - like gems, stickers, or hand-drawn/painted flourishes. This is also the point to sprinkle on any glitter you may like.

Step 4 - Add several more layers of Mod Podge or other shellac over the entire piece (including seeds and any glued-on accents), waiting an hour or so between coats. This will ensure the longevity of your seed art.

Step 5 - Screw on a hanger on the back. If the wood is thick enough, it can simply be set on a shelf and doesn't need a hanger.

TIPS:

• Decorate with found objects from found objects in your garden. 
• You can use stencils to decorate the seed art, if free-hand painting is not your strong suit.
• This craft can be as complex or simple as you desire. Stop when you are happy with it or keep going and adding to it as you like.

This is a monthly blog series on DIY projects for the beginning home gardener. Look for the other installments in this DIY blog series by putting "DIY" in the search box here at washingtongardener.blogspot.com.