Monday, August 29, 2022

Monday Thoughts: "I know that if odor were visible, as color is, I'd see the summer garden in rainbow clouds." - Robert Bridges

"I know that if odor were visible, as color is, I'd see the summer garden in rainbow clouds."

- Robert Bridges

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Saturday, August 27, 2022

GardenDC Podcast Episode 117: Environmentally Friendly Gardening

In this episode, we talk with Thomas Christopher, horticulturist, author and podcaster, about environmentally friendly gardening. The plant profile is on Beautyberry and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events. This episode is sponsored by Nature's Lawn and Garden.


Links mentioned in this episode:
~ Plants and Gardens Happy Hour #1
https://connect.ahsgardening.org/ahs--gardencomm-webinar-series
~ Garden Revolution by Larry Weaner and Thomas Christopher 
~ Nature into Art: The Gardens of Wave Hill by Thomas Christopher
~ The New American Landscape by Thomas Christopher with Doug Tallamy. Rick Darke, and more
Disclosure: the books linked here are linked to an Amazon affiliate account, so if you click on them and order any, Washington Gardener Magazine gets a few pennies added to the account for the referral. Our full Amazon storefront is at: https://www.amazon.com/shop/wdcgardener

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: 01:05 Introducing guest Thomas Christopher: horticulturist, author, and podcaster. 01:42 “Was I born with chlorophyll in my veins? Perhaps.” -Thomas 03:40 From classics to cultivation 07:42 “There aren’t red-state gardeners, there aren’t blue-state gardeners. There are just beginning gardeners, experienced gardeners, and good gardeners.” - Thomas 08:40 Thomas’s home garden 12:18 What is ‘environmentally friendly gardening’? 15:08 "Create an ecology, an ecosystem.” -Thomas 16:52 The conservation of resources and limiting waste 18:02 Minimal tillage 21:28 Trees and what to do with them. 25:22 Comparing Apples to Apples 27:15 Sharing space with wildlife 31:58 More sustainable lawns 38:07 No-mow May 39:33 “It really should be ‘No-mow April.” -Kathy 40:17 Beginner-friendly native plants 42:22 Quick tips for weeds 44:08 Where does fertilizer factor in? 45:55 How to reach Thomas 47:50 “It’s a great way to learn how to relate in a healthy and cooperative way with your environment, which we’re all going to have to do much more of to survive.” -Thomas 49:09 This week’s plant profile is… Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)! 51:24 What’s new in the garden this week? Abelia and Marigolds 52:07 What’s going on around town? Plants & Gardens Happy Hours and the August 2022 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine is available for all

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 101: Sustainable Lawn Care

This episode is archived online at: 

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
Show Notes: Jaime Breeden

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Friday, August 26, 2022

Fenton Friday: Tasty Tomato



Guest blog by Tori Vandergriff

At the beginning of my internship with the Washington Gardener Magazine, Editor Kathy Jentz let me choose three flowering plants to grow as well as some tomatoes. I was tasked with tracking these plants along their journey in the community garden. I had some failures, but there were also beautiful successes that taught me so much about gardening and journalism. 

For my plants, I chose Verbena bonariensis, Bergamot, and 'Queeny Lemon Peach' zinnias. We planted all of these from seed in rows in the community garden plot, watered them generously, and then waited. After about three weeks, the zinnias began showing signs of viability, but the monarda and verbena weren’t yet germinating. I gave the verbena and monarda until the beginning of July to start blooming and when they didn’t, Kathy planted Holy Basil and Celosia (that had self-sown elsewhere in the plot) in their place. I was a little bummed about two of my three plants failing, but I learned that sometimes seeds just are bad from the start. I knew it wasn’t anything I did so I let my monarda and verbena dream rest in peace.

My zinnias, however, began shooting up in the middle of the summer. It was producing beautiful leafy stalks with tiny buds where the flowers were destined to be. I was so excited for them to start flowering because I am a flower girl through and through. I wasn’t sure what color they’d be but they ended up being a beautiful pale yellow color. Every week, I looked forward to my zinnia harvest and couldn’t wait to see how they were doing.

In addition to the flowers, I grew 'Sun Dipper', 'Sun Gold', 'Cherokee Purple' heirloom, and 'Paul Robeson' tomatoes. Tomatoes are seriously my favorite thing that grows in the summer and I even love eating raw tomatoes, so I was really excited to grow my own. The tomatoes were grown from little transplant seedlings. I placed supports into the beds then inserted the plants into each corner of the square bed. Over the weeks, they grew a few inches every time I went back to check on them. We had a few issues with yellowing leaves and some critters getting into the low-hanging tomatoes, but this didn’t ruin the plant or the experience for me. The 'Sun Dipper' and 'Sun Gold' started producing tiny yellow tomatoes but I waited until they were more orange to pick them. The heirlooms took a bit longer to produce any fruit but when they did, they were gorgeous. 


Like I said before, I love tomatoes so I ended up eating the 'Sun Dipper' ones as they were with a little bit of veggie dip. They were juicy and flavorful. For the heirlooms, I used them in a mozzarella, pasta, and basil salad with lots of olive oil, salt, and pepper. This pasta salad was so satisfying and tasted like all the best parts of summertime. I truly loved growing tomatoes and it felt so rewarding to cook with them knowing that I grew them! 




Growing my own plants in the community garden plot this summer was such a rewarding and fun experience. I loved talking to Kathy about why things weren’t going the way I thought they would and hearing her advice. I would highly recommend anyone who has access to a small plot or even a container to do some gardening next summer. You won’t be disappointed!

About the Author: Victoria Vandergriff is finishing up her senior year at the University of Maryland as a journalism major with a history minor. She is an intern this summer session with Washington Gardener.

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.

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Thursday, August 25, 2022

Win a Cobrahead Weeder and Cultivator tool in the August 2022 Washington Gardener Reader Contest

UPDATE: Congratulations to our winner, Jennifer Whalen of Silver Spring MD!

For our August 2022 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, we are giving away a Cobrahead Weeder and Cultivator tool. The prize value is $28.

   Gardening is a relaxing and enjoyable hobby, but it comes with some tedious tasks. Pulling out reluctant weeds or breaking up tough soil can be frustrating and time-consuming without the right tools. The Original CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator is here to make those jobs easier so that you can focus on planting and nurturing your garden. This hand cultivator comes with a blade designed to cut through any soil, even clay. Its slender design gives it an unprecedented level of precision without sacrificing durability.  The combination of the specialized blade and the comfortable, ergonomic handle let you get at every weed in your garden without worrying about damaging your flowers. Whether you need to get in between rows of vegetables or cracks in your walkway, the CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator will get the job done. See more at https://www.cobrahead.com/.

   To enter to win the Cobrahead tool, send an email by 5:00pm on August 31 to 

WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com with “Cobrahead” in the Subject line and in the body of the email. Tell us what your favorite article was in the August 2022 Washington Gardener issue and why. Please include your full name and mailing address. Winners will be announced and notified on/about September 1.

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Monday, August 22, 2022

Monday Thoughts: “Doesn't matter what you do, or how you do it, your neighbors are gonna talk about you ANYWAY.” ― Felder Rushing

 

“Doesn't matter what you do, or how you do it, your neighbors are gonna talk about you ANYWAY.”
― Felder Rushing
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Sunday, August 21, 2022

August 2022 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine –Canna, Native Geranium, Fall Peas, and much more…


The August 2022 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine is posted and archived online at:

Inside this issue:

·         Canna Power: Tropical Color Punch 

·         The Enchanting Native Geranium

·         Golden Streets Competition Brightens Public Spaces

·         Planting Peas in the Fall

·         Useful Tips for Planting Flower Bulbs

·         Great Gardening Books Reviewed

·         Fall Landscape Care

·         What are Public Food Forests?

·         Meet Janet Crouch: A Crusader in Greening Your HOA

·         DC-MD-VA Gardening Events Calendar

and much more…

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


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Saturday, August 20, 2022

GardenDC Podcast Episode 116: Miniature Vegetables

In this episode, we talk with Kim Roman of Square Foot Gardening 4 U (SFG4U) about miniature vegetables and other small-space edible plants. The plant profile is on Little Bluestem Grass and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events.


Links mentioned in this episode:
~ Renee's Garden container seed collection
https://www.reneesgarden.com/blogs/gardening-resources/tagged/container-gardening
~ Kitchen Minis
https://www.kitchenminis.com/
~ Dwarf Tomato Project
~ Tiny Garden Habit
~ How to Garden Indoors & Grow Your Own Food Year Round by Kim Roman

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:
01:02 Introducing returning guest Kim Roman of Square Foot Gardening 4 U 01:38 Kim’s uprooted home garden 03:04 The benefits of miniature vegetables 03:54 "They are so cute!" -Kim 06:04 The Cucamelon (Melothria scabra) 07:51 What to look for when thinking small 09:49 Kim's Summer recommendations 11:25 ‘Little Prince’ Eggplants 14:15 Keeping herbs miniature 16:12 How about some flowers? 18:30 "You like me too much, I don't like you" -Kathy on nasturtiums survivalist nature 19:17 Incorporating some vines 19:50 Determinate vs Indeterminate 25:25 Vertical gardening 27:44 Balcony Garden Web's "28 Dwarf Vegetables to Grow | Best Mini Vegetables to Grow" 30:51 What about those ‘baby’ vegetables? 33:00 Making plants larger plants little 34:15 Miniature Trees? 37:40 "The flower scent is incredible, even if you get no real fruit off of them." -Kathy 39:15 Baby Greens 41:11 Hydroponics at home 42:30 "That's what we're going to more and more, the small size." -Kim 42:50 How to reach Kim 44:20 "Don't worry, don't try to get fancy, don't make it expensive. Just do your best." -Kim 45:00 This week's plant profile is... Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)! 46:49 What's new in the garden this week? Ribbons, Okra, and Dr. Susan Pell’s new appointment 48:10 What’s going on around town? Benefit dinners, festivals, a planting party, and Urban Gardening and Design 101

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

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 3: Cool-Season Edible Gardening
This episode is archived online at: 
https://anchor.fm/gardendc/episodes/Miniature-Vegetables-e1mnksv

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: Tori Vandergriff
Show Notes: Jaime Breeden

PIN THIS FOR LATER!
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