Saturday, April 30, 2022

GardenDC Podcast Episode 102: Annual Combinations

In this episode, we talk with Carrie Engel, Retail Greenhouse Manager at Valley View Farms in Cockeysville, MD, all about annual flower combinations. The plant profile is on the Summer Snowflake 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: 1:07 Meet Carrie Engel of Valley View Farms and learn all about annual flower combinations! 1:48 Carrie talks to Kathy about the cold weather — “I’m ready for the frost to be gone.” 3:03 Was Carrie born with a green thumb? — “Absolutely not!” 5:16 Where you can find Valley View Farms 8:37 Carrie discusses whether they grow annuals from seeds or plugs 11:00 “Sometimes we goof.” — Carrie 12:47 What Carrie defines as the season for annuals 18:13 Fuchsia is one of Kathy’s favorites — “I don’t feel like they sell enough of them at our local nurseries.” 20:40 Kathy comments on the custom potting offered at Valley View Farms — “That is a great customer service.” 21:16 The kinds of pots or containers Valley View Farms uses for combinations 23:47 Kathy jokes that sweet potato vine doesn’t need fertilizer — “They can be monsters when left on their own.” 24:16 Carrie’s advice for when a plant takes over the pot 30:40 Carrie’s favorite combinations of bedding plants 34:08 “Everything gets to do whatever it wants in spring, because I don’t have time.” — Carrie talks about controlling her plants 41:14 Carrie’s favorite herbs and vegetable plants to include in combinations 42:41 Carrie talks about a child reacting to her mint —”That’s my toothpaste!” 46:27 “Just have fun with it.” — Carrie 50:04 How to contact Carrie 51:14 “Once you sort of know the rules you can break them.” — Carrie 51:43 Learn about the Summer Snowflake in this week’s Plant Profile! 53:25 What’s new this week: the interns harvested their plants! 54:00 News in the gardening world: outdoor event at The Vollmer Center of Cylburn Arboretum, Annual Bonsai Festival at the U.S. National Arboretum, World Bonsai Day, and more! 56:32 Let’s Make Art is perfect for crafty gardeners! 58:38 Check out “The Urban Garden: 101 Ways to Grow Food and Beauty in the City” by Teri Speight and Kathy

>>> Meet Carrie and Kathy in person on Sunday, June 5, 2022, 2-3pm at Valley View Farms in Cockeysville/Hunt Valley (Baltimore), MD, for a "Q&A Book Party". Free to attend. More details: http://www.valleyviewfarms.com/ 

Please review our podcast at Podchaser.com for #Reviews4Good at:
https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/gardendc-1137444 for each review posted Podchaser will donate 25-cents to World Central Kitchen + we'll match those donations!

To access the Let's Make Art 20% Discount Offer, Use Code: zen.ai/gardendc

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 65: Annuals A to Z
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 55: Container Gardening Basics
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 56: Next Level Container Gardens


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
Editing and Show Notes: Dorvall Bedford

PIN THIS FOR LATER!
at 1 comment:
Labels: , , ,

Friday, April 29, 2022

Fenton Friday: More Spri-nter

This week was a continuation of the seesaw winter-spring-winter we have been having here. Two nights went to freezing (or close to it) and the highs are about 10 degrees below average. That is making it great for certain plants, like the peas, but others are not not happy.

I picked some more asparagus and transplanted some chamomile plants to the plot. The potato plants I left in the ground last fall are popping back up and the garlic is looking terrific. The strawberries and blackberry are flowering prolifically, so I have hope for lots of summer fruits!

The interns (pictured above) harvested the items they grew this semester -- radishes and lettuce mix. The carrots they grew are still far from ready, but that is not surprising. They'll be sharing the lessons they learned about what they grew in the next few Fenton Friday posts. 

What are you growing and weeding out of your edible garden?

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 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.

at No comments:
Labels: , ,

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Barrenwort (Epimedium sp.) Plant Profile


Barrenwort (Epimedium sp.) Plant Profile

Barrenworts (Epimedium sp.) are also known as Bishop’s Hat and Fairy Wings. These tough perennial plants are natives of China and Japan. This charming plant has become a favorite of plant collectors and once you add it to your garden, I bet you can’t stop at just one!

They typically grow about a foot tall and have delicate-looking, elongated leaves on wiry, branching stems. The foliage is often evergreen. On the deciduous varieties, the old leaves should be cut back to make way for the new growth in spring. The new leaves often have a red tinge to them as they emerge and can age in autumn to lovely rusty tones.

The small flowers hover over the plants in loose sprays from early-to-mid-spring. The blooms of different cultivars are various shades of white, lilac, pink, mauve, and yellow. In some varieties, either the petals or sepals may be enlarged or have an arching form, which looks like a spur or wing.

They make a great groundcover especially in dry, shade conditions. They also make excellent rock garden plants.

Epimediums need little care. The plants can be divided in either the spring or fall, though fall is best. 

They are deer- and rabbit-resistant. Slugs can be a problem, if they are, just spread some diatomaceous earth around the base of the plants.

‘Sulphureum’ is the most commonly available cultivar, but good garden centers will carry other wonderful selections to try including: ‘Amber Queen’, ‘Dark Beauty’ and ‘Pink Elf’ or ‘Pink Champagne’.

Epimedium: You Can Grow That!

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Audio, Video, and Text by Kathy Jentz

Editing by Hojung Ryu

Filmed at Smithsonian Gardens, Washington, DC


➤ 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

~ http://twitter.com/WDCGardener

~ https://www.instagram.com/wdcgardener/

~ Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine

~ Podcast: GardenDC

PIN THIS FOR LATER:

at No comments:
Labels: , ,

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

Win a Copy of Black Flora in our April 2022 Washington Gardener Reader Contest

For our April 2022 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, we are giving away a copy of Black Flora: Profiles of Inspiring Black Flower Farmers + Florists by Teresa J. Speight (BLOOM Imprint, $24.95).

   There is a rich, beautiful, complex, and diverse narrative being told by African Americans and other persons of color in the floral marketplace. It is long past time to recognize their excellence and contributions to cut flower farming and floristry. Garden writer, podcaster, and blogger Teresa J. Speight of Cottage in the Court shares her interviews and profiles with leading pioneers and explores their lives rooted in the floral world.

   To enter to win the book, send an email by 5:00pm on April 30 to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com with “Black Flora” in the Subject line and in the body of the email tell us what your favorite article was in the April 2022 issue and why. Please include your full name and mailing address. Winners will be announced and notified on/about May 1. 

UPDATE:
Congratulations to our winner Angela Bell of New Carrollton, MD!

at No comments:
Labels: ,

Monday, April 25, 2022

Monday Thoughts: Weather means more when you have a garden: there's nothing like listening to a shower and thinking how it is soaking in around your lettuce and green beans.

"Weather means more when you have a garden: there's nothing like listening to a shower and thinking how it is soaking in around your lettuce and green beans."

~ Marcelene Cox

at No comments:
Labels:

Saturday, April 23, 2022

GardenDC Podcast Episode 101: Sustainable Lawn Care

 In this episode, we talk with Paul Tukey, Director of Environmental Stewardship at Glenstone Museum in Potomac, MD, all about organic lawn maintenance. The plant profile is on Epimedium 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: 1:14 Meet Paul Tukey of Glenstone Museum and learn all about organic lawn maintenance! 2:18 “If my grandmother didn’t make it, grow it, or bake it, he wouldn’t eat it.” — Paul talks about his grandfather not eating store-bought food 3:06 “She saw the lawn as a buffet table.” — Paul tells a story of his grandmother steaming dandelions 5:36 Paul talks about how he started his lawn mowing business — “I came from a family of workers.” 7:48 Paul retired from journalism at the young age of 29! 9:40 Paul mentions how killing dandelions with chemicals caused his health problems and made him an organic lawn care activist 11:17 “Going organic is not going ugly.” — Paul 11:57 Paul tells a story of how he had an epiphany in a local department store 14:11 Paul discusses why chemicals are prevalent in American stores 17:14 “People say lawns are bad. Lawns are not bad, it’s how we care for lawns that are bad.” 18:04 Paul talks about his documentary about how Hudson, Quebec, became the first town in North America to ban lawn chemicals 22:09 How Paul became involved with Glenstone Museum 29:45 Paul mentions his grandmother’s “Poop Loop of Life” philosophy 31:05 “You have to think of your soil as alive.” — Paul 33:04 “Anytime somebody’s calling something ‘organic-based,’ that’s a massive red flag.” — Paul 33:54 Kathy defines Glenstone Museum as “an art museum with an extensive sculpture garden.” 34:28 Paul describes Glenstone Museum 37:54 “The birds can tell that there’s no pesticides on this property.” — Paul 38:48 Kathy mentions her favorite part of Glenstone Museum 40:23 First steps for taking care of a suburban lawn and eliminating weeds 48:44 What to look for in a service you’re hiring to maintain your lawn 49:28 Why you should leave your grass clippings on the lawn and let clovers grow 56:48 How to contact Paul 57:23 Learn about the Barrenwort in this week’s Plant Profile! 59:24 What’s new in the garden: pink lilies of the valley are blooming! 59:59 News in the gardening world: Leesburg Flower & Garden Festival, FONA Garden Fair & Plant Sale, Montpelier Festival of Herbs, Teas & the Arts, and April issue of the Washington Gardener Magazine 1:02:20 Check out “The Urban Garden: 101 Ways to Grow Food and Beauty in the City” by Teri Speight and Kathy 1:03:13 Channel you inner artist with Let’s Make Art

Links mentioned in this episode:
Please review our podcast at Podchaser.com for #Reviews4Good at:
https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/gardendc-1137444 for each review posted Podchaser will donate 25-cents to World Central Kitchen + we'll match those donations!

To access the Let's Make Art 20% Discount Offer, Use Code: zen.ai/gardendc

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 22: Fruit Trees, Crape Myrtle, and Low-Maintenance Lawn Alternatives
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 23: Summer Cocktails, a Defense of the Lawn, and Tips for Growing Cucumbers


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
Editing and Show Notes: Dorvall Bedford

PIN THIS FOR LATER!


at No comments:
Labels: , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Featured Post

Holiday Gifts for Gardeners ~ Top Gardening Gifts ~ 21+ Cool Gardening Gift Ideas

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...

Most Popular Posts